[firechick1435]

hello i have a 2008 dodge nitro, when i use the remote entry the headlights flash on the off several times and then the lights dont work. the fog lights work everything else is fine. why? once they have flash you cant put any high or low beams. nothing but they do flash once you start it or once you use the keyless remote...

 

[Guest]

Hi firechick1435
I use my remote entry to open the door and the lights come on and stay on until I put the key in the ignition and turn it on. They then turn off. I am assuming and probably shouldn't that your problem is in the remote receiver or computer and is not telling the lights to stay on until the key is in the ignition and turned on. It sounds to me like a dealer fix problem. Just my .02 worth.

 

[firechick1435]

thanks but my husband says i am wrong in my description. when you start the car and put the lights on the falsh on and off 3 times then no lights work at all only the fog lights. ...

 

[minitrucker007]

ok under the hood there is a module called the TIPM, its on the driver side right behind the battery, I shot you not pop the hood, hammer on the thing with your fist and see if the lights work, if they do the module needs to be pulled and the plugs on the bottom needs to be cleaned. The module is very problematic on the nitro, they did not put enough water protection on the plugs and water get in them.

This is what mine does when it gets dirty. My lights also do what your are doing, flash three times then will no longer come on until the key is turn on and off again then they just flash three time again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zob7Z4X3AW8

 

[firechick1435]

Well he went out and hit the black box that you did nothing happenend. where is the TIPM module? He wpould have plug and cleaned it off. he opened the box and it was the fuse panel. i looked in the owner manual and didnt see anything marked the tipm, or any fuses that run the lights. my truck only has the light flasing pronblem, nothing lese no horn, no windshield wiper problem. did you have or do you have to have the dealer install the TIPm or can you do it yourself? ofcourse it is out of warranty becuase of mileage, thanks for all your help.

 

[jeff67d]

The TIPM module is the fuse panel.

 

[Scar0]

Welcome to the forum firechick1435. :wave:
Sorry it is under these circumstances.

First, Do you have aftermarket light bulbs in your Nitro (HID)?
If not, Then there could be many different causes. It could be an issue with any one or more, of the following, as they all communicate with each other to illuminate the headlights.
The TIPM (Totally Integrated Power Module [fancy fuse box]), the EMIC (Electro Mechanical Instrument Cluster), the SCM (Steering Control Module [Switch]), the LIN (Local Interface Network) or the CAN (Controller Area Network) data buses.
There could also be an overload happening on the headlight circuit.
Do you have any codes?
Do the running lights still work?

The Nitro has a built in safety feature that will automatically turn off the headlights when they draw too much power. On first detection of too much draw, the system will cut the power, and they will go off temporally.
This will repeat a couple of times, then the TIPM will shut off all power to them, to prevent overloading the wires, and causing a possible fire. This is by design.

Before you mess too much with the TIPM read this thread (Read my posts carefully! There are a couple of warnings you need to know!).

What you can do is;
Back trace the wires from the headlights to check for shorts.
Check the TIPM connections for corrosion/shorting.
If you don't find anything, then it is dealer time, as they have the diagnostic scan tool needed for further testing.

 

[firechick1435]

Scar0 -

tahnks for the welcome.. i love my Nitro, we have not had any problems up until this. no everything on its motor (excpet i got fancy new wind deflector, gear shit knob, pedals -etc. body stuff) is all the way it came out of the factory. i drive 80 miles round trip to work and never ever any problems. so it has 50,481 miles as of this am.
i dont know about the codes. the fog lights work, the tail lights work, the blinkers and the running lights work. all inside lights are fine, i have no indicator lights on the dash board. it is weird it was just on morning i woke up and when i put on the lights to drive it flashed the headlights once then went off then flashed again then went off then flash once more and then no lights at all.but the fog lights work.. if i turn off the lights it does the same thing. no high beams either.

 

[Scar0]

Try changing the bulbs, then try what I suggested above.
Check the ground wire, look for shorts, wires that are chafed, etc.
Then take it to a dealer.

 

[firechick1435]

I stopped at the auto zone the nice guy put it on a machine no codes are being thrown. so he palyed with the box, went inside i played and pulled on the wires. he came out with a pair of pliers to look at the fuses when i started it and turned the lights on they worked.. drove home strted and unstarted 3-4 times they worked when using the remote like they are suppose to.. this am i got up at 6 to go to work. no dang lights again.. so frustrating.. going to trace the wires tonight. but i was told by some auto guys that nce this happens i should get rid of the truck... and get a new one.. ?????

 

[Scar0]

No new ride needed. Just a good look at the wires. Messing around with the wires made them work... So logic says it is a wire issue of some kind...
Keep us posted on what you find. It may help another member down the road. :smileup:

 

[minitrucker007]

I'm telling you mine was the TIPM. I would pull the TIPM and wiggle all the wires on the bottom and see if that works. I normally beat the crap out of mine till they start working.

 

[nitro4]

hello, well i am another frustrated nitro owner i started having the same problem with the lights.i havent been able to figure it out. so i was seeing if you had any new leads on what is causing it to do that.

 

[Shane.SA]

Hi all

Any updates on this thread?

Bough my CRD about a month ago , very happy with it ,then last night headlamps did the X3 flicker and then nothing ,have hit the TIPM ,no result ,wiggled the cables and topped up the battery water level ,not joy sofar.

Will check cable from battery to TIPM tonight ,otherwise will pull of the entire module to check connections , had the first of the South African August rain storms a few days ago so moisture may have gotten into the system somewhere.

 

[meder24]

Hi all

Any updates on this thread?

Bough my CRD about a month ago , very happy with it ,then last night headlamps did the X3 flicker and then nothing ,have hit the TIPM ,no result ,wiggled the cables and topped up the battery water level ,not joy sofar.

Will check cable from battery to TIPM tonight ,otherwise will pull of the entire module to check connections , had the first of the South African August rain storms a few days ago so moisture may have gotten into the system somewhere.

Are you running stock halogen bulbs?
Definitely check the connections into the TIPM. The Nitro will cut out the power to the headlights if it senses something wrong such as a short or overdraw of power.

 

[Shane.SA]

To my knowledge the bulbs are stock , will update after pulling the TIPM ,thanks for the response

 

[Mark Turner]

I've recently had the same problem. Once I hit the TIPM and the lights worked the next time I tried them. I replaced the bulbs but still the same. Had the battery checked (original stock battery that says not to open or add water), and they said it had a bad cell. Only about 440 amps rather than the original 600. Put in a new battery and still no lights. A day or two later, I hit the TIPM and tried the lights again. Success! And they've worked ever since (keeping fingers crossed). Eight days so far.

If they continue to work, my thought is that the original battery was no longer providing enough amps for the TIPM to do all it needed, so it chose to cut power to the lights. The new battery probably didn't come with much of a charge, so it took a couple of days of commutes to build it up and now all is fine.

Mine had the original bulbs and battery, so all were getting a bit old.

 

[meder24]

I've recently had the same problem. Once I hit the TIPM and the lights worked the next time I tried them. I replaced the bulbs but still the same. Had the battery checked (original stock battery that says not to open or add water), and they said it had a bad cell. Only about 440 amps rather than the original 600. Put in a new battery and still no lights. A day or two later, I hit the TIPM and tried the lights again. Success! And they've worked ever since (keeping fingers crossed). Eight days so far.

If they continue to work, my thought is that the original battery was no longer providing enough amps for the TIPM to do all it needed, so it chose to cut power to the lights. The new battery probably didn't come with much of a charge, so it took a couple of days of commutes to build it up and now all is fine.

Mine had the original bulbs and battery, so all were getting a bit old.

Interesting theory but as has been documented on here a number of times, when the battery doesn't live up to the bare minimum the Nitro needs, it flat out does not work at all. I do not think a vehicle manufacturer could justify conserving power by eliminating the headlights to allocate power elsewhere.
Just seems like this would be a huge safety hazard, especially if someone was driving in the middle of the night and their battery began to go bad.

 

[Scar0]

Interesting theory but as has been documented on here a number of times, when the battery doesn't live up to the bare minimum the Nitro needs, it flat out does not work at all. I do not think a vehicle manufacturer could justify conserving power by eliminating the headlights to allocate power elsewhere.
Just seems like this would be a huge safety hazard, especially if someone was driving in the middle of the night and their battery began to go bad.

Plus, once the rig is running, the generator takes over the job of providing power.

 

[Shane.SA]

Can vouch for the battery ,a while after topping up the water ,lights on , no issues since.Think the battery had to return to its normal amperage first.