Chrysler Repair: 94 dodge dakota 4x xtra cab 3.9., tail lamps, headlamp switch

Question
all of a sudden my lights wouldn't turn on. also discovered the tail lamps and brake lights are out too as is the horn. for awhile the tach didn't register but it does now. everything else seems ok. the pull switch seems to have some kind of short because when i pull it in the middle position i get a light buzz. checked fuses they look okay. tore dash apart but couldn't find the problem without some help. had a friend investigate but he couldn't figure it out without the schematic which i haven't been able to get. any ideas, suggestions?

Answer
Hi Jim,
I don't claim any expertise in the truck line, nor do I have any manuals, but I suspect that you have a short in either the headlamp, tail lamp, brake lamp, or horn circuit. The light buzz is probably the circuit breaker built in to the switch which is opening and closing automatically due to the short. I would pull the plug(s) on the headlamp switch and see if any of their pins show a dead short to ground (disconnect the battery before doing any of this trouble shooting. If you can ID a wire that shows a dead short to ground, let me know the wire color and maybe I can tell you which of the circuits that serves. Chrysler engineering is good about preserving color codes for various assigned circuits so an auto manual of the same vintage will probably be accurate for at least that purpose. When you find out something that way, ask a follow-up or new question at the Chrysler repair site.
Roland