98 Ram 1500 Electrical Problems

[375HandHmag]

Suddenly, the seat belts won't come out, the radio doesn't work, the dome light doesn't work, the key in switch halo lamp doesn't work. Fuses 16 and 17 look ok on the left side of the dash. What fuses under the hood or on the left side of the dash would I need to check? Is the seatbelt control timer module under the seat something that could cause all this? Thanks for any help.

[whoamioitsme]

hay fella this is the same thing I had did you wash your truck ? and is it cold where you are ?
those where my condishions !!! parked her in a heated garage over night ( I know the prob will come back) and it seemed to cure it's self. But for now try pulling the IOD fuse it is in the fuse panel in the left of the dash and will be in a case (mine is in a black case) It may be blown if not. Leave it out for a day then try puting it back in then you may be good to go (till it is warm enough to fix it the right way ) as far as i can tell we have a bad wire some where that there is a junction point if you fine it before i do let me know and i will do the same for you ( now I know of 3 people having this same problem HUMM FUNNY)

[375HandHmag]

I eventually figured out what was wrong once I got to work on the truck during the daylight. Stick your head down by the brake petal and look at the firewall. You will see a bunch of electrical wires going to a junction block on the firewall - white plastic junction block if my memory is correct. Take your hand and firmly push in on the lower plug-in of this junction block. Take note if there is any movement - in my case it pushed in about a quarter inch. PRESTO - problem solved!!!! My wife had picked me up at work with the truck at night. When I came out of work, she moved over to the passenger side, so I could drive (so nice of her). I think her toe caught on the plug (winter boots), pulling it out a quarter of an inch. My wife, of course, didn't realized what had happened. When I got in the truck she said the seat belts don't come out, the dome light quit, and the radio quit. Such a simple repair!!!! --- but took me a while to find out the problem. What I did: I figured a professional auto mechanic would approach such a problem is a analytical manner. I got out my SEARS digital multimeter and went to the fuse block on the left side of the dash. I pulled the fuse for the seatbelts -- Is it fuse 16?? - I don't have the truck home to check. The fuse was ok. So, I was going to see if power was getting to the fuse. I stuck the red probe into one of the fuse connections -- and I touched the black probe to the steel dash bracket nearby. PRESTO - a reading of 13.2 DC volts plus some. If you get no reading, try touching the red probe to the other fuse connection - one of them is the hot wire from the battery. You will ONLY have power with the key in the ignition on position - so you MUST have the ignition key turned to do this test!!!Once I knew I had power to the fuse block, I knew the problem had to be between the fuse block and the seat belt, etc. So next, I stuck my head down by the brake petal and looked at the firewall. By the way, I am VERY HAPPY with my Dodge Ram and would buy another one.

[whoamioitsme]

Thanks fella i will take alook there on mine since I havent gottin around to fixing it totaly yet !!

[whoamioitsme]

nope not the same thing on mine
I wish it was man if the snow ever ends hear in ontario i might actualy get to fix the dame thing but for not it is all intermittant so just living with it