New, to me, truck with issues

[Hot Ducer]

So, I'm new to this forum and have just inherited an '03 1500 SLT from my brother in law. The radio doesn't work (doesn't even turn on) and the back doors have to be locked manually, and he said he keeps burning up fog light, lightbulbs. I checked the radio amp fuse and will pull the IOD fuse and check it when I get home, but all the dome lights work so I don't think it's that.

Also, this truck has 155k mi on it. Is there anything issues that would be arising around now, or any special maintenance I should do for a truck this age?

 

[Core-Lokt]

The door locks may be broken wires in the boots that run between the doors and cab.

The short lifespan of lights-are there any aftermarket accessories added that might be working off the circuit? Could be the switch, too.

The radio; again, is there anything aftermarket like an amplifier?

On preventative maintenance, the cam chain tensioner would be my first thought.

 

[Hot Ducer]

Other than the head unit I'm pretty sure everything on the truck is stock, and it's only one light (the right one I think) that keeps burning out.

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[Core-Lokt]

Oh, it's an aftermarket radio? Can you bench-test it to see if it's the radio itself? And if you pull it, it might have an inline fuse in the wiring, depending upon how it was done.

If it's only one fog light, I would look at a loose harness connection at the fixture or something within the socket.

 

[Hot Ducer]

Yeah I can pull it, and I'll check the door wires tomorrow.

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[xb1230]

There is a high probability that the door lock issue is the crusty wires running from the Door frame to the Door. One of the best option is to add a little lenght of new wire and crimp it rather than solder. Crimping resists the constant movement of the door opening better than solder. Make sure you put some shrink wrap over the crimps.

from an engine perspective, if you do a tune-up, stick with Copper Core Standard plugs. Even if they wear faster than the high end Iridium-like plugs they provide better performance and MPG's. For some reason the HEMI's prefer them.

Check the IPM (Integrated Power module) next to the battery under the hood. Clean up the main lead coming in and butter it up with a lot of dielectric grease as it tends to corrode heavily generating all sorts of weird electrical issues. Check all of the grounds, they are originally made of mesh copper which corrodes away and disintegrate.

A good thorough inspection of everything suspension and steering is also a must, and most parts are relatively inexpensive and can be replaced in a driveway setup. That will ensure you will have no issues driving down the road.

That is pretty much what I would look around for.

Hope this helps, and to RF!

 

[Hot Ducer]

Wires are broken between the door and the cab, didn't get a chance to look at the radio yet.... thanks for your belp.

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[Hot Ducer]

Radio issue was the head unit. I put the factory unit in and it came right on. Thanks fellas

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