Third brake light issue.

[RickDizzle]

Hey guys. On my 2016 Ram 1500. I continue to get intermittent indicator for the right taillight out. This is actually indicating for my 3rd brake light not working. The weird thing is, the light will work 90% of the time then intermittently just stop working..then start working again. Bulb has been replaced, prongs on connectors checked, dielectric grease has been added to contact points yet never fails its intermittently will stop working. I had the fiance hold the brake pedal while I would fiddle with it thinking maybe something was loose, but I cant get it to fail on demand lol. This unit does have an after market "flasher relay" which is properly installed and has no issues with bad connections. Just trying to get this repeat issue to stop. Any thoughts?

 

[PoMansRam]

I was going to ask if any aftermarket LEDs are installed. I bet it has to do with the flasher. The lighting/electrical system is super sensitive on these trucks.

 

[RickDizzle]

No LEDs..stock but with a flasher. I bet your correct with the flasher causing intermittent issue.

 

[PoMansRam]

I'm thinking that's it because when the system is calling to see a resistance value from that light and when the flasher turns the bulb off it sees overrange so it thinks the bulb is burnt out.

 

[RickDizzle]

Makes perfect sense. Never thought of that! Thank you!

 

[crash68]

If the flasher relay will let you use LEDs, they make plug in resistors for 921 bulbs, wire the flasher relay to that. You probably could use a standard bulb as there 921 are not much current but an LED would be brighter.

 

[RickDizzle]

Just thinking outloud on this one...but when it is indicating as out, it is "out" and not illuminating...then a few minutes later its fine. Would the system stop power to that output source if it thinks there is a fault?

 

[seanclark1503]

That particular circuit usually goes through the overhead console lighting board. The cargo lights & the 3rd brake light freak out upon the installation of non filament bulbs w/o a resistor or some other sort of modification.