2008 Dodge Caravan Interior Light issue

Tiny
BREWER
  • MEMBER
  • 2008 DODGE CARAVAN
  • 6 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 20,000 MILES
I am an apprentice mechanic and trying to learn my way through this problem I have with a vehicle I have in my shop. The vehicle is an 08 Caravan, and the interior lights do not work. (None of them)

All electrical everything works inside the vehicle EXCEPT the interior lights.

I have checked the fuses - all good.
I have checked the relay - all good.
I have checked the pin switches - all good.
I have checked the bulbs - all good.
I have checked the switch - all good.
I have voltage at all light sockets.

I have hooked the Chrysler computer up to the vehicle and I have tried running a computer turn on test - failed to turn on the lights.

I suspect a ground out, but nothing shows for signs of wire pinching, screw holes, or anything else that might have inadvertently caused such a ground out situation.

any ideas before I return to the beast tomorrow?
Thursday, May 22nd, 2008 AT 8:25 PM

7 Replies

Tiny
LEGITIMATE007
  • MECHANIC
  • 5,121 POSTS
There is probably a ground out in the body control module
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Thursday, May 22nd, 2008 AT 11:45 PM
Tiny
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Thanks - I'll check it out :D
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Friday, May 23rd, 2008 AT 1:04 AM
Tiny
LEGITIMATE007
  • MECHANIC
  • 5,121 POSTS
Get back, if thats not it, we'll try to figure this out together
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Friday, May 23rd, 2008 AT 7:21 AM
Tiny
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Well - I started the day off by aiming for the BCM as you suggested. I figured easiest way to check it was to take one from another functioning vehicle and swap them. See if the problem went away - unfortunately before I got a chance to do this, I had a few more pressing vehicles to deal with. So I shipped this one back to the dealership and asked them to do the same. Explaining all the work I had already done. When it comes back. I'll let ya know what the final result was.

The other techs in the shop also agree that this was a good place to look.
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Friday, May 23rd, 2008 AT 7:21 PM
Tiny
LEGITIMATE007
  • MECHANIC
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Awesome, keep in touch
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Saturday, May 24th, 2008 AT 5:13 AM
Tiny
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Well - it took 2 months to find out the answer to the question, but you were correct in that it was in fact the BCM - and the dealership replaced it.

The reason it took me so long to get back to you was because the vehicle returned to our fleet on one of my off days, and was put directly into service. I had asked my boss the outcome of what the correction was to be forwarded to me, but he never got them to me. After bugging him and bugging him some more, he finally today got me the details I was after. He confirmed the BCM was the root cause and was swapped out. Apparently a negative short somewhere in the circuitry from what he rambled.
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Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008 AT 8:45 PM
Tiny
LEGITIMATE007
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Awesome, very good.
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Wednesday, July 23rd, 2008 AT 11:23 PM

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