Dash lights and backlight for instrument LED screen wont go out

[Tach_tech]

They've now f*cked up the transmission; it won't shift out of 1st gear. So they are now looking for a new 8HP70.

They are buying the POS back from me.

Lol geez. Honestly, that's probably the best thing for you now. That truck either has some serious underlying issues or incompetent techs working on it. Me being a tech, your situation is one of the most frustrating things that can happen. I feel bad for customers when these things happen, luckily vehicles with these complex of issues is very rare in my experience. Better luck on your next vehicle. Luckily my 2014 Ram has been dead nuts reliable since I received it.

 

[dtlasic]

And Now?

I've read all the frequent posts. So at now some 6 or so days later and with a Holiday upcoming tomorrow, what has happened for you? A resolution? Or lawsuit for lemon law?

Just got to know.

 

[BLYGOAT]

Any update?
Hope all has turned out well.
BLYGOAT

 

[0bnxshs]

Sorry for the long wait guys. Spent a month on a cruise going to the Amazon River and got back just before Christmas. Went with my FIL and we left the ladies behind. Great cruise.

It actually took the entire month for the dealership to find a new tranny and replace it. I had email from the the SM of the dealership on the Thursday before I got back from the cruise telling me they finally got one from the factory. It would be installed on Friday (12/16), then tested and cleaned up on Saturday and ready to be returned to me on Monday (12/19). I returned from the cruise on Sunday (12/18), so just in time.

Saturday I get an email telling me that the problem has re-occurred! Now it's the wiring harness for the tranny! It's ordered and will arrive on Monday. It's replaced on Tuesday and on Wednesday (12/21) the truck is returned to me.

No re-occurrence of the problem so far. So, the re-aquisition (by FCA) has begun with a game of phone tag with the re-aquisition coordinator at Stericycle (who bought Impartial Services Group, or ISG). We started to get calls from her last Wednesday (12/21) but have yet to actually accomplish anything, a tactic they have been known to use to delay the entire process if you search for ISG and Stericycle. We have called several times, left VM, been called back a few times when we were out (we do have lives). Today, we've called twice and left VM but nothing so far. Her answering message says she'll get back to whomever is leaving the VM in "24 business hours" which is actually 3 calendar business days, but even that hasn't happened now. There seems to be no working number for them beyond the one that goes straight to her.

In the meantime, we have ordered a new 2017 equipped exactly the same as my current 2016 lemon. So, maybe the dealer can bring pressure on Stericycle to actually do something as it will sit on their books until our "re-aquisition" is finalized and ready to proceed with the transfer.

Will keep you updated. This sure is a process meant to wear down the victim until they will agree to anything. We have been warned that we will have to threaten invoking the lemon law in order to be "made whole" and we intend to follow that line.

Thanks for the interest.

 

[BLYGOAT]

Amazing. Just hope it all works out in the end.
That cruise sounds incredible.
BLYGOAT

 

[journeyman]

Dash lights won't go off

I have recently purchased a 2012 Dodge Journey and after recharging the battery several times I found the source to be that my dash lights stayed on after parking the unit. I then read numerous complaints about the same problem and determined that the Dealers have no idea what to check. I went to my dealer and they suggested my added accessories were draining the battery which I know was not the issue as I have wired a dash cam and satellite radio to circuits which turns off with the key. Incidentally the radio connection does not go off with the key. They then suggested they could do a full analysis etc and I felt that would just cost me money and still not resolve the issue. So I started testing by trial and error and have now found that if someone opens a door before I shut off the engine the lights stay on. I have to go in and turn the car on (don't have to start it) and wait until the radio comes on, then turn it off and get out and close the door. The lights then go off at whatever time selected on the control switch. The same thing appears to be happening when you leave a door open too long but I'm still working on confirming that.
Hope this may help with other Dodge owners.

 

[slinger]

I also have a 2012 Dodge Journey and have been looking for a solution to this problem. A number of dead batteries before noticing the dash lights staying on. This morning the lights won't go out again. After slamming doors trying all kind of stupid this's and that's I found your solution and it worked right away. Not exactly a real cure but it sure does help. Just have to make a practise of shutting everything off before opening my door and see if it keeps me from losing my mind. Thanks soooo much for this thread and you journeyman.

 

[cajunrider]

I have a 2014 Ram Laramie Longhorn EcoDiesel. My instrument cluster began lighting up intermittently about 2 - 3 weeks ago. A week ago, it stayed parked in the garage for 3 days resulting in the battery being run down completely. My 3 year / 36,000 warranty covered the battery. The service manager stated that the weak battery was causing the instrument cluster to light up at times. I didn't have much faith in that diagnosis but took the truck home. It started doing the same that night. It went back to the dealer and they kept it overnight plugged into their diagnostic computer. It threw a code stating that a service bulletin required a flash on the radio. That didn't work either as it started doing the same thing the same evening. I told them that I felt it was a switch making up intermittently or a sensor. Brought it back and they started looking. After 4 days, it was discovered that the driver's side exterior door handle was the culprit. It has a switch that unlocks the doors when you grab the handle with the key fob close by. It also lights up the cluster when you grab the handle. I would have bet on the brake pedal switch but it is fixed.

 

[conrad_vanl]

Just purchased a 2015 1500 Big Horn (first time ram owner!). It's out of factory warranty. First night sitting in the garage noticed this issue. Any suggestions? There doesn't seem to be hardly any consensus of what causes this issue, all sorts of signs pointing to potential electrical shorts, issues with the radio head unit, etc.

So far I've tried all of the "reset" procedures mentioned in this thread. Pulling fuse F49 (ICS/HVAC) turns the lights off when the car is off or in ACC mode. Left that fuse pulled last night but my battery was dead this morning so obviously something is still pulling power. I wonder if it could be as simple as a bad battery???

The dealer I bought from seems to be very reputable so I'm going to see if they'll offer any good faith gestures, but they're not a Dodge dealer so I could be SOL.

UPDATE: Battery checked GOOD at autozone. Dealer offering to take a look on it at Friday as they'll have a FCA certified tech available to look at it.

 

[Thechaz05]

Hi everyone. I just bought my brand new harvest edition 6 days ago and already I have this problem. In bed I noticed my phone was connected to my Uconnect and I looked outside to find my 8.4 display on and my instrument panel lit. I went outside and found the radio playing also. Truck was locked and keys with me. I already have an appointment with dealer setup for 2 weeks from now (earliest they claim available) to replace the instrument panel lens that was scratched before delivery and to look at my 3.92 rear end that has a significant amount of rust on it. Not very happy already then this happens. I took a couple videos but they are too large to post.

 

[Willkelley1]

I have had this same issue since I bought my truck 2.5 years ago. In and out of the dealership with no real solution, I eventually said f@#$ it and quit worrying about it after they put a new radio and instrument cluster and god knows what else. The problem seems to come and go. So after a year or so I came out to head to work one morning and my batteries were dead. I jumped the truck and after the work day noticed the dash lights were staying on again. I took it back to the dealership. New instrument cluster then new radio again and they sent me on my way claiming it was fixed. Couple nights later, same problem. So I decide to pull every fuse one at a time til my lights go out. Finally locate the problem fuse.. f82 sccm/cruise control. I can pull the fuse and the lights will cycle out like normal but not go out immediately.. the problem returns after starting the truck again. Hopefully I am onto something, it is a shame there isn't more information on this obvious defect in their electrical system. I'll post an update when I have more information.

 

[SYKRAMMAN]

Just love it when a company makes something and then don’t know how to fix it! F’en bs man. All you guys with the same problem and they’ve got no frigin clue. It’s gotta be a known issue, there’s a hundred people or more with the same problem just in this forum, wonder how many others there are.

 

[2010 Infantry Vet]

All of my dash lights were on, and none of my gauges worked, windows wouldnt roll down, and wipers stayed on. I thought it was the body control module, but turned out to be a melted/fried door module and plug. Swapped them out, and problems went away. Connection between door module and the plug got corroded, and shorted out. You can see the burnt white plug in my pic.

 

[Willkelley1]

GOT IT FIXED!! Forgive my ignorance, I have no mechanical experience and dont know what these parts are. Apparently the culprit was the steering angle sensor, or something like that. Evidently part of the clock spring. Replaced the clock spring and problem solved. 2 and a half years later. Fingers crossed it doesn't come back but I gave it a week before posting update.

 

[EddieDFx]

I found a fix to my problem which was just the backlight on the gauges were staying lit and draining the battery overnight. The difference between them being on and off is so subtle that I didn't realize it at first.

Short story is that I had a faulty AC and Heating control module beside the glove box. I replaced it and all is now good.

Long story: this is the Rube Goldberg of how to drain your battery. It starts with the infamous leaky third brake light. A few months after i bought the truck I noticed the headliner in the back corners were getting wet from an obvious roof leak. The dealer knew what was going on right away and replaced the stock gasket with a foam weather strip and some silicon.

Well I guess after a few years that foam weather seal broke down because I noticed the leak came back after a heavy rainstorm earlier this year. This time the water pooled up in the front right corner in front of the passenger seat, because of the angle my truck sits on the driveway. No worries, my weather tech floor mats kept the carpet from getting wet. But the problem I did have was that when I started the truck, the climate control system did not turn on. In fact the controls on the screen and the lights on the knobs didn't work. It was like it wasn't installed. So I pulled out the glove box and looked at the control module and sure enough, it was wet from the leak and I could smell burnt electronics. Well I knew enough about electronics to know that if you let them dry, they might still work. Sure enough, the next day after everything dried out, the climate control worked again. Hallelujah! I didn't have to spend $150 for a new one.

Well, what I didn't notice until a few weeks later and waking up to a dead battery a couple of times, which I blamed on a cheap battery that i had bought about the same time, was that the back light on the gauges were not turning off, and I wasn't hearing that creaking sound of the actuators on the vent doors closing anymore a minute after shutting off the engine. Once I realized that there was a shutdown sequence that was getting stuck somewhere, and doing some research, it all led back to that heating control module. I tested my theory and unplugged the module, and sure enough the lights would shut off as expected.

So I spent $150 on a new module on Ebay, and now everything is back to normal. Next step is to tear off that foam weather strip and replace it with a marine grade weather strip per advice on another thread forum.

 

[Jsgree01]

Yes, nightmare indeed!

Apparently the value body they put into the tranny has a bad solenoid that is preventing the torque converter from locking when it should. This was determined Saturday.

The parts depot here doesn't have another value body. So there isn't one today. The service department had to track one down at another dealership and have it shipped overnight for install tomorrow. With any good luck at all this one will not have anything wrong with it.

When this is all over, whatever the outcome, I will be having some very serious discussions with my lawyer family members to talk about compensation. As of tomorrow the truck will have been sitting in my driveway 25 days and in the service department 27 days since I purchased it.

Hope that no one here ever experiences this for themselves. I do thank you all for your continuing empathy and support.

 

[Jsgree01]

My 2016 ram 1500 has been at dealer for 2 weeks now for IC lights staying on and draining battery. Even when i pull fuse for IC battery still drains. Hopefully i can show them this feed and get somewhere. This has been ridiculous and fighting for 2 to 3 months now. Anyone have any other fixes i would appreciate it since my dealer is not fixing the problem

 

[conrad_vanl]

Jsgree01, the summation of this thread is that your truck has a short somewhere in it. It’s different for every vehicle and there’s likely not a common fix. For example, my truck had this issue after the windshield was replaced (incorrectly) and water was leaking down the passenger side into the glovebox, messing with one of the computer modules there and causing a short.

The mechanics will have to find the short and replace the part. They had my truck for about a week...and they knew where water was getting in at. Once it’s located, you should be good to go.

A lot of times they’ll also replace the instrument cluster. I’m not sure that does any good, but they did on mine as well.

Best of luck!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Jsgree01]

Finally received a call from SW and they trace it back to the Heater/AC control module as well. They had already replaced the instrument cluster which didnt fix the problem. After sending SW several of these feeds they traced it from the star connector on the radio head to the heater control module. Several connectors were bad which caused the module to go out. Finally get my truck back tomorrow.

 

[so disturbed]

to all that are having dash light problems (staying on) I just had a 2016 ram slt with that problem and after spending an hour to figure it out I came up with the problem being the ac heater control module it is located on the far right hand side of the dash remove side panel for screw access and remove glove box to remove module. Unplug module just to confirm your problem goes away.