99 XJ - Electrical issue

Here's the deal. It's a 99 4dr. 4.0 auto, 231,etc.

I did a search but didn't find anything specific, so I'm hoping someone can help me. I did see a thread about the TSB on cleaning the contacts behind the cluster, but I have a blown fuse. That seems to be just poor connections.

I lost the gauges the other day and found a blown fuse. The #16 fuse in the PDC blows immediately. Checking it with a DMM it is shorted to ground on the load side of the fuse.

If I unplug the c7 connector on the Junction block, the short goes away. Also it goes away if all the doors are shut, but grounds when any one of the doors opens or I operate the rear dome light.

There seems to be some circuits that show continuity at the JB, which I find odd, but may not be the issue.

I suspected the door jamb switches, but have since figured that that circuit is picking up the ground through the lamps. Right?

I've been wondering about the circuit board in the dome light, too.

Any ideas? I've been chasing this for 2-3 days. TIA !!!

Broken wires and failed switches in the drivers door are common. The power locks and possibly the power windows are hot and you switch ground to activate them, so I would suspect a broken or damaged wire(s) causing a short circuit. The dome lamp switches in the doors are another weak spot and the cargo area dome lamps also likes to overheat and melt the switch contacts.

The circuit board in the dome lamp is the key-less entry receiver module.

haha pretty much said the same thing on maine4x4. great minds think alike :cheers:

Thanks guys, I'll keep digging tonight after work.