Ram Lights mystery

04 ram 1500 . Still cant figure out light problems. I am aware of the Tipm/Bcm problems and Im ordering one tonight.

So..my Left Rear lights are great .Right rear now has no brake light and no TS . Tail lights work .

Right assembly is new. Bulbs are good . Harness plugs cleaned

So im trying to jumper from my LR brake wire to my RR brake wire.

Ive done this directly wired without cutting wires ( a clip wire ) , and also tried clipping RR brake wire from the factory plug , and wiring DIRECT to the bulb .

No RR brake light........still have LR brake .HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE??????

Same thing with the TS...tried running a jumper from Front Right TS to RR turn sig. Nothing.......

Is it the computer somehow sensing all this nonsense ????
I will attach a drawing of this so it makes sense

Did you try moving the grey tail light board thing from side to side?

Beyond that I'd try taking a trouble light or volt meter to each wire at the tail light plug on both sides to see what wire on the right side is doing something different and go from there. But like you said hopefully it's not the computer seeing things also screwing something up. Or somehow causing the whole problem?

You mean the factory pcb inside the tail light assembly?

The left is factory----works perfect.

The right assembly is new and doesnt have a pcb----just wires right to the bulb sockets that unscrew . Then new plug to factory plug

I wonder if that is pissing of the computer ?????? Is there anything on the factory pcb (inside tail assembly) besides traces ( capacitors/ resistors ) ???? Maybe the computer senses that ???


what is confusing is i KNOW im getting voltage to the Left bulbs (they work fine) ..........and im clipped right to that...to the Right bulb........thats baffling me

You have to have sufficient power and ground to that right side. You are missing one or the other. Its that simple.

But the right tail works.....

So. Get proper power and ground and the other will to. Its that simple. Its just a bulb. As long as its good and power and ground are there it will work. Whats missing at that bulb? Power or ground?

But, is the tail light and the brake/turn using the same ground wire? The brake/turn is a brighter light, so it requires a better ground then the lower power tail light requires. Just because you have a good enough ground to allow the tail light to light, that doesn't mean you have a good enough ground to make the brake/turn light ground well enough to light the light.

I would follow through your left brake/turn ground wire to the frame looking for corrosion along the line, or just add a new temp ground wire to the light socket and se if you have light.

Many times, if the tail light works but the brake/turn doesn't, it is either a bulb filament issue, or a ground issue. The next thing you are assuming is that the power to the bulb itself is actually working, if the bulb socket is corroded, or the wiring between your splice and the bulb is bad, it still won't work.

Might sound dumb, but are you sure the bulb is good? These days, just because something is new, that doesn't mean it is actually good anymore.

The problem is still in the fuse box/TIPM causing this issue as well….most likely.
Once that box gets nasty, causes all kinds of gremlins

When i have time im going to try a direct ground wire from battery to the socket . I do have another Tipm on the way to try

Today tried a direct wire from the battery + to the socket....nothing.

you guys may be right on the ground

Yes ive tried several bulbs used and new--and swapped from working lights

got another on the way to try

Before you replace the module double check that ground. All you need is a probe and a clean spot on the frame. Bulb needs power and ground. You can get erroneous readings with no bulb/ load in the socket. Get the bulb in the socket and back probe a ground to it.

Yeah. What happens if you swap the left tail light to the right side then? Just to hook up and try that is.
I've never bought a new tail light but would have thought it would be identical to the old one and still use that board part. Maybe that's the problem? Unless it was having issues before?
It knows when a light doesn't work so maybe somehow the setup on the new tail light is messing with the system somehow?

It knows when a light doesn't work so maybe somehow the setup on the new tail light is messing with the system somehow? [/quote]


Thats what im thinking ...............

Ill get back on it when this #!@$%#@ weather lets up .

SOLVED !!!!

It was because that tail light pcb thing wasnt used !! The computer knew it !! The new tail light assembly I got weeks ago came with regular twist-in bulbs ( no pcb) .

Bought a new pcb for $15 and installed it--- boom---all lights work now . What a relief