1996 Dodge Ram Reversing Lights

[bhartlen]

The reversing lights in my dodge aren't working properly. It's not the bulbs, the fuse, or the transmission position sensor, all have been checked/replaced.

If I pull both bulbs, wait a few minutes, and put the bulbs back in, the lights will come on, but after approx 1-2min will go out on their own.

When checked with a volt meter, the 12V that should be present in the socket is no longer there, but once again, waiting a few minutes with the bulbs out brings everything back to normal.

Someone I know mentioned something about a resistor that could be crapping out, but didnt say anything more than that.

Any ideas??

[praisethelowered]

Sounds like you could have a loose connection or wire somewhere.

[LTJGWorth]

I had the same problem with my brake lights. The wires in the bed of the truck that run the lights can become loose. You can take the lights off and check the wires or just do what I did, reach under the truck bed and up and grab the wires and squeeze them together and find the loose wire (I didn't know what was wrong). Good luck.

[BleedDodge]

bhartlen, I got your pm.

Are you talking about the little white lights in the taillights or what?

[bhartlen]

Yes Bleeddodge, the white reversing lights. My brake/signal lights work fine.

What has me baffled is that the reversing lights will come on, but go out, almost like the current draw is too much or like there is a capacitive circuit thats being drained.

[BleedDodge]

If this happened to me, I'd start by doing what LTJGWorth mentioned, but as to why they only stay on for a short while, that I don't know. I've never heard of this happening.

What about the thing on the shifter? I think there is a thing there that opens the circuit whenever the shifter indicator passes through reverse, isn't there? I can't think of anything else I would check...

What you should have is a couple of white halogens tucked under the bumper operated by a switch, so you can turn them on anytime, not just in reverse. They'd make great back up lights, and it would make backing up to trailers easy at night time.

[bhartlen]

That's my next step either way.

The backup lights arent bright enough to see jack-$#!^ with anyway!

It was just bugging me that I couldn't figure it out

[BleedDodge]

I put red lightbulbs in mine. It looks cooler. Sometimes just because I can, for no reason like at a stoplight or something where I'm sitting, I'll throw it in and out of reverse. I mean like take the stick and move it back and forth really fast in and out of reverse. If I look behind me I can see the lights flashing in the paint of the car behind me, and I'd like to think it intimidates them or something, haha. It's just one of those things I do. Looks cool I think.

I also have red bulbs in the interior light, and the cargo light, and the license plate lights. If you turn the parking lights on, and the interior/cargo lights on, everything is red. I like it so much.