[Daytrepper]

I just bought a 97 Ram van yesterday.

I opened the door last night, no dome light. Upon looking into it further, there is nothing mounted on the ceiling in the drivers or passengers' area other than reading lamps with switches on them. It is a hi-top converted by Ger-Win. Just wondering if maybe these reading lamps are supposed to double as the dome light, or if I am missing the dome lamp(s) all together? There are no holes or ghosts in the ceiling where a dome lamp might have been mounted, other than just the reading/map lights. Thanks for your inputs.

 

[Dodgevanman]

They should double as dome lights as well.

The headlight switch controls the brightness of the dash lamps as well as controlling whether or not the dome light comes on. On my '94, if I turn my headlight switch all the way to the right, it shuts the dome lights off. Make sure switch isn't turned all the way over. If that's not the case, check fuses.

 

[Daytrepper]

Got it figured out. The two switches on the reading lamps had to be clicked on for them to double as dome lamps. I figured they were just to click the reading lamps on.

Also, how hard is the temperature cable to replace? The temperature control on my heater panel is very hard to move. It blows hot all the time.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Dodgevanman]

Not sure...never had to replace one. Look for a service manual on Ebay...I got one pretty darn cheap. Good to have if you plan on keeping the van and a heck of a lot better than a Chiltons or Haynes manual

 

[stev]

9832I,

The first step is to disconnect the negative battery cable since the SRS airbag system is installed in a 1997 model. Any jarring of hardware or causing static electrical current near it has a possibility to set it off!

For a 1997, the last year for the temp slider control, you will need to remove the two front screws on the face bezel. Next remove the bezel and unplug the lighter wires. Then remove the screws holding in the control unit. You will need to detach the cable and the electrical connector. If the control unit has vaccum connections carefully remove the hoses since they dry out over time. If you crack them, you will get a vaccum leak.

Now, after you get that far, look back in at the cable. Does the cable move easy? Then the problem is in the control unit. If the cable is hard to move, then check for any cable binding along it's path to the HVAC temp-door baffle and check the flag retainers along the cable if they get hooked onto anything. The Haynes book shows that floor carpeting or a dash mat inulation liner could be the issue.

That's about all I know per the Haynes Repair Manual #30065 on pg 3-10. The manual gives modest information, but nothing really too deep.

 

[Daytrepper]

I just got bored and tore into it.

The cable was bent at the heater control head. I straightened it out, moved it from hot to cold about 100 times, sprayed some WD40 into it, and it works fine now. Could not find anything binding, so I cant explain why the cable was bent.

Thanks for your help!

 

[Dodgevanman]

I think it was the Cable Gnomes that bent it.