Happytrails
NAXJA Forum User
- Location
- USA
My 96 XJ Sport came with power door locks and power windows, but no cruise control. Last week I dug out the parts from another 96 Sport in the junk yard. Turned out the whole thing is plug and play. The Sport wiring harness in my XJ had the four wire connector already up by the battery for the vacuum solenoid. At first I did not think it was there. But tucked tight under the power distribution box was the connector taped back out of sight. Vacuum solenoid just screwed right the inner fender well. Prepunched holes were already there for the bracket. Vacuum line up the right inner fender already has the T connector for the vacuum solenoid connection. Just pulled out the plug in the T and connected on the short line from the solenoid. Cable bracket for the trans cable and throttle cable already have a space for the cruise control cable. Snapped it in no problem. Even the throttle assy has the lever with the unused connector for the Cruise control cable. Just hooked it right up.
I removed the lower steering column shroud (hidden screws are small torx screws) and found the four wire connector to the clock spring was already there. Cruise control takes a specific clock spring unit. So be sure to harvest that out of the junk yard as well if you want to mount the switch assy back on the steering wheel. I opted to add some wire extensions and just mount the switch assy on the left edge of the console ahead of the seat. This way I did not have to remove my steering wheel and pay the extra they wanted for the clock spring. The cruise control switch assy easily comes off the donor's steering wheel. On the 96 XJ, and the 95 Grands, its all the same. They have the inertial, rather than electronic air bag. To get that off to access the cruise switch and wiring, remove the plug on the top of the steering wheel behind the air bag and unscrew the arming pin. Doing so also lifts an intentionally obstructive plate that rests in front of the top two air bag nuts. You cannot get those nuts off without this step. Undo the four air bag nuts from the back side of the steering wheel, stand aside, and pull off the airbag. Best not to toss it across the yard, since it operates on inertial impact. On the other hand, hmmmm.......
Once the air bag is off, the switch and wiring can come right out. If you want the clock spring, bring a steering wheel puller. If not, cut the wires at the clock spring and take as much of that short harness as possible with the switch assy. On the lower side of the back of the clock spring is the other connector in that circuit. For some reason that was plugged into the clock spring in my XJ, but the airbag side of the clock spring did not have a wire harness and connector for the switch assy. Weird, but I worked around that by noting which wires belong to which on the donor. The in and out wiring on the clock spring are different color codes. Make notes or take pictures.
This whole project was a lot easier that I thought it would be. And it looks like most 95-96 Mopar vans, sedans, jeep, trucks use the same switch assy and vacuum hdw. They seem very plentiful in the junk yards and very easy to install.
Works amazingly well. Kicks in at 35 mph just like is says in the owners manual.
Hope this helps others thinking of the same project.
Also, I don't know if the SE harness is the same. It might be dumbed down and not have the wiring already built in.
Next are the power mirrors I salvaged. Does anyone know if wiring for this is already in the 96 Sport?
I removed the lower steering column shroud (hidden screws are small torx screws) and found the four wire connector to the clock spring was already there. Cruise control takes a specific clock spring unit. So be sure to harvest that out of the junk yard as well if you want to mount the switch assy back on the steering wheel. I opted to add some wire extensions and just mount the switch assy on the left edge of the console ahead of the seat. This way I did not have to remove my steering wheel and pay the extra they wanted for the clock spring. The cruise control switch assy easily comes off the donor's steering wheel. On the 96 XJ, and the 95 Grands, its all the same. They have the inertial, rather than electronic air bag. To get that off to access the cruise switch and wiring, remove the plug on the top of the steering wheel behind the air bag and unscrew the arming pin. Doing so also lifts an intentionally obstructive plate that rests in front of the top two air bag nuts. You cannot get those nuts off without this step. Undo the four air bag nuts from the back side of the steering wheel, stand aside, and pull off the airbag. Best not to toss it across the yard, since it operates on inertial impact. On the other hand, hmmmm.......
Once the air bag is off, the switch and wiring can come right out. If you want the clock spring, bring a steering wheel puller. If not, cut the wires at the clock spring and take as much of that short harness as possible with the switch assy. On the lower side of the back of the clock spring is the other connector in that circuit. For some reason that was plugged into the clock spring in my XJ, but the airbag side of the clock spring did not have a wire harness and connector for the switch assy. Weird, but I worked around that by noting which wires belong to which on the donor. The in and out wiring on the clock spring are different color codes. Make notes or take pictures.
This whole project was a lot easier that I thought it would be. And it looks like most 95-96 Mopar vans, sedans, jeep, trucks use the same switch assy and vacuum hdw. They seem very plentiful in the junk yards and very easy to install.
Works amazingly well. Kicks in at 35 mph just like is says in the owners manual.
Hope this helps others thinking of the same project.
Also, I don't know if the SE harness is the same. It might be dumbed down and not have the wiring already built in.
Next are the power mirrors I salvaged. Does anyone know if wiring for this is already in the 96 Sport?
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