2005 T&C Headlight issues
 

Sometimes my headlights do not come on when I turn the switch. Sometimes it takes several times turning them off and on to get them to come on. Sometimes they have gone off while driving. Took it into the dealer while under extended warranty and they could not duplicate the issue. The issue is happening more often now that it is out of warranty.

Is this a swich issue or an issue with the onboard computer?

I did find a thread similar but not exactly the same problem and it did not really state what the issue was.

The exact same thing is happening to my wives 2005 T&C. Did you find the problem? If not I hope someone posts the issue.

Front control module is going flippy, or is losing contact where it attaches to the IPM. It's held on by four TORX screws on drivers side front. Take it off and put it back on. See if that helps.

headlight problems
 

I have removed, cleaned contacts and reinstalled that front control module several times with only short term success. The lights always start acting up again within a few days. There have many hundreds of posts on this exact issue across various sites on the internet but no acknowledgment of the issue from Chrysler. When your light unexpectedly go off in the dark on a curvey country road with your kids in the car it ceases to be an unimportant issue. It appears that fatalities must occur before a recognition of the problem will happen, meanwhile, I plan to figure a way to rewire the headlights around that BCM so they wont go off at random. This is just crazy to be a consumer that has to design a fix for what is clearly a manufacturer defect. This is what makes sane people steer away from our American car manufacturers. It is a shame.

If anyone has created this fix, please post your schematic..!!

DK

Well, go get your car fixed so your kids don't have to be in an accident because their hard-headed parent was too cheap to do anything about it other than come to a forum and complain. Waiting for Chrysler to do anything about it is not an option here either. You're an adult. Control your own destiny.

I guess you think I havent been to the dealership.......that was the first place I went and they couldnt find the problem, and since they couldnt replicate it they concluded that it didnt exist. BECAUSE I AM A RESPONSIBLE ADULT I AM DOING THE ONLY THING I CAN..........FIGURE OUT HOW TO FIX IT MYSELF........thanks for your considerate thoughts when I came here looking for a possible solution

What a worthless and ignorant comment. Keep these to yourself, this forum like many others are a support tool for many who are looking for suggestions and possible solutions. Regardless of the skill set, don't make assumptions until you ask.

Yes it is a SUPPORT TOOL...so lets try to keep it that way, instead of turning everything into Venting tube for everyone who is expecting a free ride on a 7 year old vehicle.

It never seems to be a problem until SOMEONE ELSE IS EXPECTED TO PICK UP THE TAB...Then its a matter of life and death.....

Sorry Guys...but if youre worried about your kids safety ...then Take A FREAKING BUS until the problem is RECTIFIED..... Your a grown adult, And a motorist, and a vehicle owner......Sorry to say it, But Common sense has to trump Your wallet.

Now ...On a lighter note.....

Unless the headlights have failed while you are checking them...YOU ARE CHASING A GHOST....... So you really cant blame a Technician...(Dealership or Otherwise) for not being able to help you if they didnt see the problem happen.

If the symptom is happening.......A factory scan tool is placed in the vehicle...Inputs and outputs are observed, and a course of action is taken.. whether is be wiring repair or parts replacement.......Its a headlamp circuit, and it isnt that complicated.

There is a RIGHT and a WRONG way of making repairs, so as for "SKILL SET " prior to asking.......A wiring diagram, and a knowledge of how the circuit works, is all that would be needed to make such a "BYPASS".......But then again...If you had a wiring diagram, and a Knowledge of how the circuit works....This wouldnt be Necessary , now , Would It????

The Dealership Techs and Chrysler Professionals on this board are here to help.......Otherwise we wouldnt spend our time visiting this site 3 to 4 times a day......And I for one am getting kind of fed-up, having my profession and ability slandered, by someone who doesnt understand his vehicle, and spends more time looking for a cheaper way out, then actually having the car fixed. If there was a quick and easy 2 second, one word answer to auto repair, We Professionals would not have spent the last 20+ years trying to perfect our Craft.

Did you even read the above question or are you using this forum as a "venting tube" as you stated above. Nowhere on this thread does it say or is it implied that anyone was looking for a "free ride". Nowhere on this thread does it say that anyone is looking for "SOMEONE ELSE TO PICK UP THE TAB... Plus it wasn't mentioned earlier but my vehicle sat at a dealership for a week and 1/2 while I paid for a rental van for my wife and 3 younger kids to use going back and fourth from school so they would be safe. Never was it stated that I was worried about spending money to keep my family safe. After the problem didn't show up while my vehicle was at the dealership, I never once blamed the dealership or the mechanic I was working with. Sham on me, Instead I thought that this forum and the amount of knowledge that is here, that maybe this problem came up before and that if it did, wouldn't it be nice to resolve the issue, then go back to the mechanic I was working with and let him know what I found out with the use of the forum, so future customers won't have to go threw what we did. Imagine that, sharing information with others without ridicule or comment.

it was the switch on my 2005 T&C - it was doing the same thing yours was.

Problem solved by wiring the headlights to the parking light circuit........tired of the run around at the dealer. Its an amazing thing....everytime I turn on the lights now they actual come on and stay on. Guess I could have continued spending hundreds more dollars, but like someone said, what do you expect out of a 5-6 year old vehicle....WHAT...!!! you expect the headlights to work when you need them? What a ridiculous thought.

It would sure be nice if Chrysler admitted to having this problem on these vehicles and did the right thing......fix them without the game playing. There is clearly a BCM defect at work here and replacing that over and over is far to costly for most normal people......so I guess that common sense has trumped emptying my wallet to no avail.

Sorry you folks that work service got your toes stepped on here, but armchair quarter backing and criticizing is way safer and far easier than actually dealing with the reality of getting your only means of transportation fixed on the limited budget that most average Americans make today. And BTW in case you didn't know....buses don't travel out in the country where lots of folks live.

Have a great day..!!! DK

Problem solved.....??????

How is the problem solved???? You eliminated an ENTIRE PHASE of your lighting circuit.....When it overloads...you have ..NO LIGHTS AT ALL....

Except of course after the flames burst up from the dash..... And will you STILL blame Chrysler Then???

I would love to see your vehicle in my shop during "Safety Inspection" time...

Ongoing defect....with a BCM???? I have an 01 Caravan.....And Ive Never had a headlight issue....???Well...Except for busting the lights by Hitting a Deer...Up here in the woods where no Busses Run...

You have created More of a Safety hazard in your childrens VEHICLE than you would going around a turn blind....... So if the Money is so important to you, that you would do something like this....Make sure you dont have your Bank Book in the car when it burns...

Therbst......

Go back and read the post from the guy you were DEFENDING...... And Look at The Smug Bull$hit response he gave us after hacking his switch into a Mobile fire trap..... While Blaming Chrysler for the unfortunate fact that HIS headlights dont work on a car that is clearly out of warranty....

Just simply by the responses you gave, You were , and Maybe still are looking for a solution...... A REAL SOLUTION....and thats fine......In fact ..that is why I come here....I do kinda enjoy it......But I will not stand for being slandered , or called a Thief, for Practicing My Craft, That I worked Hard to get to this point, and Then Get Kicked in the teeth by This Half Assed Attempt at fixing a problem......

Perhaps I didnt put enough separation between the people who posted in this thread, as My frustration is only with one of you......So to all but that one...My apologies...

I dont know where the Idea Came into anyones Head that Mechanics Need "HAND TRUCKS" to carry home their salaries...But it isnt true.....The Professional mechanics here have worked hard to get to the level of skill that they posess.....We come here to share that knowledge......On our own time, with our own Computers and our own electric......And we do this free of charge.....If you need help, I'd be glad to help If I can.......But It takes a real set of CaJones to come here asking a question, and Complain about what it is going to cost you......I find it insulting.....I get paid to work on cars from 9am to 5pm.....I do it here for free......So excuse me if I get upset, about spending my time trying to help, and then I'm told I Should be Tolerant of someone who comes here to Bad mouth The parent company that feeds MY CHILDREN.

I agree with you on several of your comments. 1. you should be proud of your profession and the years of hard work that you put in to get to the level your at now. Offering your opinion for free is a lost art and should be appreciated by whomever is on the receiving end. My reason for my above comment is because I'm currently putting my son thru school to be a mechanic. He's not doing it because he wants to be a millionaire, he simply loves working on cars. 2. I would never hack/jerry rig any electrical circuit regardless of the application. Your correct, it could cause a much more serious series of events that could be tragic. But hopefully you would agree, people are going to do what they want to do regardless of the possible outcome and that responsibility must live with that person, not us.

Back to my original situation.....I ordered a new OEM switch from my local dealership and we'll see what happens, hopefully this is the fix. The mechanic at the dealership I deal with said it's a fairly easy part to replace at home and its a good place to start, so we'll see. Thanks again

Agreed DJ. OP, you just removed all of the circuit protection plus you just tripled the load of the park lamp circuit. Guess where you park lamps get their power feed? Yep, the FCM. What are you going to do when THAT power feed burns out? Not a smart thing to do. Say what you want, I really don't care. You're still as ignorant as the second time you posted in this thread...good luck.

Guess what.....At the same time ..there are several members here on the forum that are employed by Major insurance companies....And would love to add your HAcked repair job to thier monthly survey and spread sheet. Any reason to deny a Claim is Their Bread and Butter.
Well...Then Act like a Customer...You arent my customer, And You never would be . A customer PAYS FOR the goods and services he recieves......So If you expect to be respected, Pay me for the service I provide to you....Instead of Bad mouthing My product and My employees.

You may be just as surprised to know that the foreign car companies have just as many problems.......And In truth 3/36 warranty is the same Anywhere you go...whether it be foreign or domestic.

Now...Its a slim to none shot that you live in my neighborhood, and Even if you did, An even slimmer chance that you would visit my Dealership. An even slimmer shot would be that I would recognize you if you did.

Now....I dont work for CHRYSLER...I work for a Franchised dealership....And I really have No say in the length of time a Part or system will work before failing. It is my job to fix them. Who pays for it is Not My Concern, how it gets paid for is not my concern, And What you think of Chryslers Public relations policies are of absolutely no importance to me whatsoever. If you would be more comfortable in a 6 or7 year old Import, then "Have At It"....

If you bought a Coffee pot that quit after 5 months, or a TV set that quit After 2 years....If the warrabty is up, that settles your problem....

You expect everything to be perfect on a 6 year old vehicle, that carries a 3 year warranty???? Then you will have to take responsibility for what you expect.

I'm not going to say that ALL mechanics are Knowledgeable and honest, because that would obviously be a Lie.....But you have discussed your issue in this thread with over 50 years of mechanical experience between the techs here that answered you.

Point Blank......You didnt say a word about what you did or didnt try to properly rectify the issue,You didnt ask for a wiring diagram, or any help locating any of the components you would need to check, and Frankly, You Hijacked a thread, from two people who were looking for professional advice,...Just to Bitch about Chrysler , Their products and their Technical staff....

While I do not agree with your repair methods, there is Nothing I can do about it....So ..Kudos...If it works, more power to ya....But I wont stand to be called a thief, or an Incompetent, based on the Notion in your helmet, that all is good.
What you buy, who fixes it, and how much you paid, are of No concern to me....I'm a Tech, I make NOTHING from parts sales, and even less if you install it yourself......I dont get paid to answer questions on this forum, and as long as you arent driving towards me on a Dark road , without headlamps...You are pretty much on your own with No care from me...

Just one more note.....The Upper left corner of this web page says Chrysler Enthusiasts Forum.......We can all share our entusiasm, But I will say this...there is NOTHING anyone here can do about Chryslers Public relations policies... whether we agree with them or not....So if you came here to Cry about your misfortune...You are barking up the wrong tree, Because even if someone cared, there is Nothing to be gained by alienating the Professionals here, who dont have the power to grant you the freebie youre looking for.

Recall appears to be in the works, finally
 

Well, happy to report that my T&C still has headlights that come on and stay on when I need them and no spontaneous combustion or any fuse issues with my highly criticized temporary "fix". But more importantly to me and the hundreds of others experiencing the same problem, Chrysler is now being probed by the Fed and it looks like a probable recall is finally on the horizon.

The article in the link below sheds light on this critical situation that has been held in denial by Chrysler for years now. If you are having this problem, please contact the NHTSA and add your name to the growing list.

I'm not interested in provoking more criticism, just want others to know what has developed due to the perseverance of honest consumers who just want a fair shake. Hopefully, an engineered permanent solution will solve this defect correctly for all of us in the near future.

DK

Feds Probe Chrysler Minivan Headlight Failures - Money News Story - WDIV Detroit

My lights went off yesterday while driving my family from a grandparent's visiting. During the night ofcourse. I instinctly pull and hold the multifunction lever towards me to at least have a blend light. Then i stopped my vehicle and the firmly tap on the lightswitch and the lights came back on and intermittent off again. Very dangerous and life threathning. You have my signiture. And any other well crafted technicans on this forum, well a message for you: Obviously you are not crafted enough to recognize a true lifetreathning problem but instead you are crafted enough to badmouth people who are trying to do something about it. A sad story for chrysler.

http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2011...sler-minivans/

Chrysler corp does not come here and read, respond, etc. If you want to inquire about how to fix your car that's cool. That's why we come here. Go ahead and search around and see how many people we have helped get back on the road...FOR FREE!!

We do not work for Chrysler therefore we DO NOT care if you are angry with them. We do not field complaints and pass them on. We did not build the car. We did not sell you the car. We are not reponsible for getting your car fixed before you run off the road. That is YOUR responsibility. You want to play that victim garbage go ahead. It's just stupid. Get it fixed, save your receipts, then go complain to Chrysler.

Flaming at the techs on here does you absolutley no good whatsoever. Makes about as much sense as complaining to the Electric Company that your water heater costs too much money to operate.

Dealership does not find any error and they are claiming that everything is fine. They are just too hardheaded to understend that NOTHING is fine. We do not make up stories like my headlights just went out without a warning! And if there are several complaints about this problem then for once you should listen! But instead you are defending dealers and calling us unresponsible becouse we are trying to fix it ourselfs believeing everything is better then a sudden blackout in the middle of the night. And since the delaer claims there is nothing to FIX and customers knows that there IS something to fix we try to share our experiences over the forum. So if you do not have anything helpfull to say about this PROBLEM then keep all other out of context comments to yourselfs. It simple as that.

Wow. Third major argument on this forum and I've only been here a few weeks.

As for the problem at hand - erratic headlights, remember? Here's one fix someone came up with in his driveway and it didn't cost him a dime: Headlight flicker / shutting off problem - Fixed
Repairing or just disassembling and cleaning that switch has been posted on fourms for quite some time.

A reminder. Chrysler as with all manufactures have a bottom line to worry about. Recalls don't help that so they avoid them when they can. Here's where the public comes in. Anyone can file a complaint with the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. ANYONE. When they collect enough complaints on a particular problem on a particular vehicle they investigate. If they determine the problem is a hazard to the public they force the manufacturer to issue a recall. No complaints filed - no recall. Simple.

Thanks for something usefull at last. I was at the mechanic today and his first tougth was it wasn't a switch. What a surprise! After a while of playing around with the switch it was pretty obvious that the contacts are worn out. So, we went to order a new switch and surprisengly realised that there are none available in our country! They believe such parts do not need to be on stock becouse they do not fail! Yeah... right. So my car is parked once again... I'm so angry about this vehicle and the attitude of Chrysler mechanics that I can not help my self to flame anyone who defends profesionallity of them and put down on us customers for being stupid and unresponsible for trying to do fixes ourselfs!

BTW: I tried to file a complain but I was unable to do so becouse I'm not the resident of US.

Well, almost ANYONE.

Living out of the US trying to get a US spec van fixed can put up a brick wall most of us don't have to deal with. I can understand your angst better now. Where are you?

Any friends who may be the type to tackle fixing your switch? There is a thread posted a year ago or so on another forum explaining how to do it with pics. I'll try to find it if you think that's an option.

I live in Slovenia, EU. In general I love american cars but our country does not have enoug representatives for US cars and so if you want do drive anything else then overpriced EU uglyness or Koren KIAs then you are pretty much on your own when it comes down to repairs. And anytime I ask for a advice here on forum I get the same answer - take it to the dealer. We have TWO dealers for Chrysler in whole country and everytime I put my car there to service they mess something else up or just don't find the source of the problem. But they know how to charge you big time every time. And that is really giving me headache so everytime there is something wrong with my vehicle I first go to find some online help and educate myself about a problem as much as I can. Only then I dare to take my car to the dealer becouse otherwise they will fix something else or broke something else and then charge you for that. That is why I try to do fixes myself. But as for the light switch I do not dare to tackle with it. I do have some friends that might be able to fix it but I would never be 100% sure that the fix is reliable. And as a result I would never feel comfortable driving at night and hence I want a new switch.
Furthermore, when I was browsing to find a switch online and import it to our country I could not find the one with an additional spinner for setting headlight height. I suppose only voyagers for export had that kind of switch? And that makes it even more hard to find it.
That is why I'm sometimes overwhelmed withy my angry feelings becouse I seek for concrete answers and solutions trying to educate myself about the problem but all I usually get is remarks about my unresponsibillity and cheapness. I would LOVE to pay someone who knows what and how to repair and do that in the reasonable time.

Yup, sure wish some in the US would educate themselves a bit more about their vehicles. I've read too many posts involving throwing part after part at a problem without fixing it. Sad thing is just a little system knowledge and a learning how to use a simple multimeter would save them time and a good chunk of money. Glad to see you make an effort.

Looks like I'm of little help. Maybe someone at this forum can help. I've seen folks write in from all parts of Europe. The Chrysler Minivan Fan Club

Thanks, I will check it out.

I'm new to this forum and don't want to get caught up in the middle of the feud I've been reading in this thread, but here's my situation. I have a 2010 Town and Country. I bought it used last month, so it's only a year old. I am having similar headlight problems to the ones posted here. Sometimes the headlights work, sometimes they won't. The van has 37000 miles on it, so it is just past the factory warranty and that isn't an option. I have taken it back to the dealership but they couldn't duplicate the problem. I don't want anyone to pick up the bill for me or anything like that, I just want to know what the problem is so I'll atleast know what I'm up against. I've read numerous reports about older Chrysler vans having similar problems, mostly 2005 models and older. I haven't been able to find a single other instance online for a 2010 model. I'm no mechanic, but from what I've been able to gather online, the newer models don't have the FCM like the older models did. Once again, I'm not looking to place any blame here, I just have a problem and am looking for some help.

Well in my 2004 it was headlight switch to blame. Contacts inside closed unit got worn out. But like you already find out yourself, this problem was a common for 2005 and older so I don't think your problem is related to that. And even if it was, 2 years and 37000 miles is nearly not enough to worn contacts out. So if I were you I'd start looking elsewhere for the problem.