help, no manual yet

[longwhiteandugly]

I just picked up a 1992 D350 dually

I have a FSM on order, and I have tried to make out the electrical diagrams on the top of the forum, but I just cannot make out colors and descriptions off those diagrams.

Anyway, I have these issues:

no brake lights
no clearance lights at all
no e flashers
No horn

Turn signals do work (all 4)
headlights do work (high/low beams work)
brake light switch does work
wipers work
dash lights do work (at least the ones with good bulbs)
I have 12v at fuse 4
no blown fuses
no obvious open fusible links
the overall condition of all my harnesses is good and unmodified

I'm expecting a manual next week, but I really would like to know if anyone can point me in the right direction before that. I am about to install a new multifunction switch, but would like to know if anyone can give me a few test points to verify it is bad before I swap it out. Also, is Mopar OE the only way to go, or is aftermarket suitable?

Thanks in advance

[dodgebullit]

If you have trailer wiring check where it connects into the harness. Try switching your flasher cans around in the fuse box. Maybe the one for the emergency flashers is bad. Just a thought. Usually if the multifuction switch goes bad you lose your headlights

[longwhiteandugly]

Got my FSM on cd Saturday.

Didn't take long to pin the brakes and flashers down to the MFS. I was shocked to see tht the factory MFS was a Lucas part! I always catch grief about my old range rover classic being possessed by the prince of darknes, but it actually uses a lot of GM components.

Looks like my clearance lights inop are a product of a faulty headlight switch, I'll know shortly after replacing the switch and installing a fresh batch of instrument lamps. Trying to remove the bezel without damaging it ....

Next I need to figure out what's up with the horn. The FSM is a great tool.

[PToombs]

I agree with that last statement! I can't imagine working on anything without one any more. Every time I look thru it I find something new or something that I have worked on before and never thought of looking in the book for. The one for my 2nd gen is 2 books this size, and my buddies '01 is 2 this size and 3 or 4 smaller ones.
Glad you got it figured out. Horn may be something in the wheel. Mine has a small clockspring instead of the old spring loaded brush riding on a copper ring, FYI.

[longwhiteandugly]

Certainly have to question the electrical engineering, especially the packaging, but the manual so far has proven accurate and is allowing me to pick off the issues one by one...my harness is unmolested, mostly my issues are due to lack of use, light corrosion. So far I have got all the lights working properly, the instrument panel, got the passenger door dialed in, etc. I still have to tackle the horn and cruise control, but I suspect I just have some corrosion in the wheel under the horn cover.

The truck runs better each time I drive it. New air filter did wonders for it!

[longwhiteandugly]

Certainly have to question the electrical engineering, especially the packaging, but the manual so far has proven accurate and is allowing me to pick off the issues one by one...my harness is unmolested, mostly my issues are due to lack of use, light corrosion. So far I have got all the lights working properly, the instrument panel, got the passenger door dialed in, etc. I still have to tackle the horn and cruise control, but I suspect I just have some corrosion in the wheel under the horn cover.

The truck runs better each time I drive it. New air filter did wonders for it!

[PToombs]

You have cruise control too? And issues with it? My bet is the clockspring is bad. I had a single wire one stock, and when I put in the tilt column with delay wipers and cruise I had to have a different clockspring with more wires. The one that came with the column was whipped, I opened it up and the wires all came off the terminals inside. I put the stock single wire back in until I could find one. I just put a good one in a week or so ago. Having working cruise is a nice option!
Just pull the horn cover, and unplug the wires to the switches. Then remove the upper column covers. Right on the bottom by the steering wheel is a flat 5 wire connector, unplug the wire and you can check the clockspring from there to the plug up in the wheel. The plugs are all the same, mine only had 1 wire for the horn until I added the rest for the cruise.
Good luck!

[longwhiteandugly]

thanks for the pointer. I'll get into that next week. Do you have a good source for parts? I've poked around on this site for links, found a few. I picked up some stuff off ebay, but looks like the interior parts on these old trucks are a bit scarce. LMC truck doesn't deal with them it looks like. Did other dodge vehicles use the same wheel?

anyway, I just got through sorting out my passenger side front door (its a 3 door!), both the window and door lock switches were bad, the regulator needed a good lubin, and the door handle arm rest was damaged but i was able to put a really good fix on it.

[PToombs]

I got mine from Mark Nixon. He said he had one, then it was bad and he to go to the junkyard near him and pull 3 steering wheels before he found a good one. I've looked on E-bay and haven't seen one for our trucks when I was looking, but they probably pop up. I don't know what else used this wheel. I have found after several searches of the 'bay for cruise switches that the wheel I have is different than what the sellers list as an '89-'93.
LMC truck is coming out with a catalog for our trucks either this fall or next spring. There was a thread on TDR about it and a bunch of guys signed up for it, me included.

[longwhiteandugly]

That's great news!

Honestly, I did not do my homework before picking up this old rig, I assumed LMC truck already had them covered...I was felling pretty dumb when I realized they weren't in the gen 1 dodge truck business. I'm still content though...got a good one IMO...

Back to the electrical, I'm guessing I can resurrect what is there by cleaning existing parts...next week I hope to get to it.

[PToombs]

You keep guessing like that and you'll be wasting a lot of time. The clockspring is not cleanable. It's a flat 5 conductor wire that's wrapped like a lawnmower recoil spring. As you turn the wheel it just tightens or loosens as the wheel is turned. I just threw my old one away a couple weeks ago or I would take pics of it for you. Usually the end comes off inside where it transitions to the upper plug. Make sure the wheel is straight and don't turn it when you pull the clockspring out. When you remove it, it will lock in place to prevent damage. The way most of them get ruined is when somebody pulls the gearbox off and the wheel spins around 78 times.