Electrical problems. Multi function switch?

[Ox78]

I have a 94 Dodge ram 1500 that’s developed a weird electrical issue. After she sits for a few hours the blinkers and wipers won’t work when I use the switch. It also shorts out the radio until I cut off the switch. This goes on for about two hours until it finally straightens itself out. Is it the multifunction switch or something more?

 

[Fast69Mopar]

I have a 94 Dodge ram 1500 that’s developed a weird electrical issue. After she sits for a few hours the blinkers and wipers won’t work when I use the switch. It also shorts out the radio until I cut off the switch. This goes on for about two hours until it finally straightens itself out. Is it the multifunction switch or something more?

If the turn signals and wipers become inoperable after a few hours of sitting i would get out your DVOM (Digital Volt Ohm Meter) and perform some test on the multifunction switch. Remove the upper and lower steering column shrouds to gain access to the wiring and connector to the multifunction switch. Search the forum here for a copy of the service manual and look at the wiring diagram for the multifunction switch and look at the connector pinout for the switch. Take your DVOM and probe the back side of the connector and operate the switch on each position and see if you have any voltage from the switch. Test each switch position. Then, while backprobing each wire for each switch position, wiggle and move the turn signal stalk and see if the voltage changes. If it does change voltage while tweaking the stalk it it safe to assume that the wiring internally in the stalk has failed and its time for a new multifunction switch.

 

[04fxdwgi]

I have a 94 Dodge ram 1500 that’s developed a weird electrical issue. After she sits for a few hours the blinkers and wipers won’t work when I use the switch. It also shorts out the radio until I cut off the switch. This goes on for about two hours until it finally straightens itself out. Is it the multifunction switch or something more?

How old is the battery. Low batteries in these trucks make them act like they they possessed by demons.

 

[Ox78]

Thank you. I’ll do that.

 

[Ox78]

The battery is only a year old or so and has plenty of juice

 

[Jeepwalker]

It could be the switch. But definitely rule out the battery. I've seen how these tks act possessed when the battery goes low. A lot of owners have wasted time troubleshooting when a weak battery or corroded cables/bad ground's/weak alternator were the root case. Simple enough to test. Or have an auto parts store test for free. If you go to a parts store, ask them to do a code-scan too.

Were you pulling a fuse to test/reset the multifunction..to test it out? I'd also make sure all the fuses and relays were firmly seated too (sometimes they work themselves 'up').

Do all of the bulbs/blinkers/functions work properly? I'd probably unhook and re-hook the connector (check for melted wires). If some bulbs don't blink, there could possibly be a short or problem at the light housing/bulb holder ...or corroded wire/s connectors.

One thing I've done on multifunction switches is run them through all their paces like 50x! Sometimes that straightens them out. I'd probably do a youtube search in case others have had the same problem. But yeah, if all the tests fail, might be time to install a new Mopar switch.