Greg Smith Power door locks writeup PRE-1991

[XJEEPER]

I want to do this today and need the article that was posted on the OEM forum sometime ago. HELP!
XJEEPER

[Greg Smith]

Here is a current version of the writeup.

Power Door Lock Fix for Reluctant Locks on Pre 1991 Jeep Cherokees
(for post 90 models with a similar problem I woud check the relays in the passenger side kick panel)

The Problem:

Some (usually not all) of the power door locks stop working, or more commonly work inconsistently on the lock and/or unlock position. The problem usually starts when the Jeep gets older and the locks become stiffer. Cold weather seems to cause the most problems. The rear hatch and rear doors seem to the most troublesome since they are on the end of the circuit and experience the largest voltage drop.

The Cause:

The cause is a design flaw which causes a loss of 2 volts. As the Jeep gets older and the locks become stiffer and the connections develop some resistance the amount of voltage that gets through the system is no longer enough to work the power locks near the end of the circuit. With the pre 1991 wiring all the power for the power door locks passes through the passenger door lock switch regardless of whether you trigger that switch, the driver’s side door switch or the remote keyless opener (if you have it). Power leaves that switch going to the door locks through the tan wire for unlock and the light green wire for lock.

The power goes from the passenger door switch to a splice in that door for the power lock in that door and then goes out the door and into the kick panel in front of the door on the passenger side. By the time the power gets to the kick panel it has lost about 2 volts. I replaced my passenger side switch suspecting a bad switch but still lost 2 volts out of the switch. I then did a full continuity and resistance test on the switch per the factory service manual and found no problems. I have never figured out why this happens but apparently Jeep could not either since they changed the wiring starting in 1991 to compensate for this problem. (Note the wiring change can be done like the post 1990 models but the fix I provide below is a lot easier in my opinion.) After the now lower voltage gets to the passenger side kick panel it goes under the carpet and over to the driver’s side and hits a master splice under the front floor carpet for the wires going to the driver’s side front and rear doors and the passenger side rear door. I unwrapped the tape around the splices and checked all the splices and they were clean and tight. Then I measured the voltage at the remaining power locks. By the time the voltage gets through the master splice is loses another 2+ volts and is not enough to power the locks consistently when they become stiff from old age or cold weather.

The Fix/Repair:

First make sure you are getting around 12 volts of power to your passenger side door switch directly or when you trigger the lock or unlock switch from the driver’s side or by the remote. You can test the voltage with a multi-meter at the wire harness connector in the passenger-side kick panel where the dark green, white and red wires go into the front door.

Assuming you have a full voltage supply to the passenger side switch, the fix is to install two relays in the passenger-side kick panel on the lock and unlock wires coming from the passenger side switch. The relays will increase voltage back up to 12 volts to compensate for the loss caused by the passenger side switch. With the voltage increase provided by the relays, the voltage at the remaining power door locks is increased by approximately 2 volts, enough to power all the locks, even in cold weather. This of course assumes that no wiring problems exist from the splices to the door locks. If you still have a problem at a particular door lock measure the voltage and make sure it is over 9 volts. With my fix it should be closer to 10 and perhaps 9 at the rear hatch.

The relays to use are 5 blade, 12 volt, 30 amp minimum rated relays with blades marked 85, 86, 87, 87a and 30. These relays are the same as those used for the keyless remote relays found in the passenger-side kick panel so you may find them cheap at the bone yard. You can also find them in automotive electric supply stores. Look in the section that has lighting upgrade supplies. For an easier install it is also best to buy wiring sockets that fit the relays. Here is a link to partsexpress.com an online supplier that has relays and sockets at reasonable prices. I used 2 bosch relays # 330-070 and 2 sockets # 330-075 (although 1 dual socket 330-078 could be used I believe). http://www.partsexpress.com/webpage.cfm?&Webpage_ID=3&DID=7&CAT_ID=47&ObjectGroup_ID=31&SO=2

Here is how I did the wiring: I used the two 12v relays. They have 5 blades: 86 is trigger pwr from the passenger dr switch; 85 is ground; 87 is the new pwr source; 30 is the path to the lock and 87a is to ground (in this application). I cut the Lgreen and tan wire about 5 inches forward (toward the front of the Jeep) of the wire harness connector that connects the wires to the wires coming out of the passenger frnt dr. In this example I attached the tan unlock wire coming from the passenger frnt door to 86 and 85 to ground; 30 is attached to the tan wire going to the door locks; and 87a is to ground. I used the new 10 gauge pwr line I had previously run to the battery/starter relay post with a 30 amp inline fuse. You can take off pwr from a splice on the red pwr going into the passenger door instead. (The same approach is used for the lgreen wire using the other new relay for for the lock circuit.) The key to making this work was 87a to ground. When the lgreen or tan wire are not in pwr mode they provide ground path to ground through the driver’s side switch. With my new relays I substituted a new body ground instead. As a result I increased voltage and created new better grounds. The locks now all slam open and closed even in very cold weather. Hope this helps. At least 30 people I have heard from have done this mod with great success. Greg

[2xtreme]

I am in the process of trying to fix my intermitent electric door locks on my 89 xj and found this artice. I was really excited, went and got all the relays and I in the process I thought there might be a problem.

This shows 87a as a ground and 87 as 12v power. Plain and simple this can not work.

Also, I found that it recommends 30 as tan to other locks instead of 12v power??

In any case, I am still in the process of trying to put it all back together and get it working and for the life of me I can not get it to work and up the voltage to the drivers side door locks.

Any help or anyone who has used this article I would really like some help on any clarification you might be able to provide. If I figure it out, I will let you know asap.

All in all the article is very helpfull.

Thanks,
Michael

[2xtreme]

No I am really confused!!

I tried several conbinations with the relays and could not find one that worked.

So I took them back out and put everything back to stock. Now they all work perfectly (even the rear hatch, that almost never worked). so I checked the voltages at both front doors and they are both over 12volts?? When I started the voltage at the drivers door was barely over 6volts.

I have no clue what I did, but I would still love any feedback on how to instal the relays because I have another jeep to do the electric locks on as soon as I figure it all out.

Thanks,
Michael

[Greg Smith]

Not sure what you did to increase voltage when you put everything back the old way but hopefully it is a permanent fix. In my experience I have made the locks to temporarily work better by cleaning some connectors but always it reverted to the problem later.

Anyway the wiring design I provided with the relays has worked for probably over 40 or more people on this forum and the jeepsunlimited.com board. You probably had the lock and unlock wires each wired wrong. As stated before you need two 5 blade 12 volt relays one for the lock circuit and one for the unlock circuit. Each relay has a pull side 85 and 86 and a switch side 30, 87 and 87a. The pull side pulls the switch from 87a to 87. On this application both 86 and 87a are wired to a ground. 86 is wired to the tan lock wire (in this example) coming from the passenger side front door switch - splice into the wire just after it goes out of the door and into the front passenger side kick panel. The other end of the lock wire that you just cut (the part going to the lock motors) should then be attached to blade 30 on the relay. ***That is often the part people get reversed. You 12 volt s*** Your 12 volt supply line should be attached to blade 87.

Once wired the lock relay at rest without being triggered supplies the needed ground path through blade 87a for the unlock circuit if that is triggered. Once you trigger the lock switch power goes from the passenger side switch out the door through the tan wire into the kick panel to your splice then to the relay blade 86 and to ground 85 completing the circuit and also pulling the switch side of the relay from ground 87a to power 87 allowing your better 12 volt supply to go to blade 30 which is attached to the other end of the tan lock wire you spliced and from there on to your lock motors. For the unlock relay it is the same only using the light green unlock wire instead. Good Luck. Greg

[2xtreme]

first let me say that your article is wonderful and I really appreciate all the work you did, because it made the whole issue worth fixing for me. When I put everything back together I did put dialectric grease on all the contacts and I did a splice that someone before me had obviously done (and I suspect this might have been the loss in voltage culprit). In either case I now have more than 12volts on both sides so I believe it will be a permanent fix.

However I still have my mother in laws jeep to do so I still want to understand how to do the fix with the relays.

I did use 2, 12volt 30amp relays (five blades each) and they are marked with the same numbers as yours. But from your description they definetly operated differently than yours. My relays utilize 30 as input 12volts (fused), 85 as ground, 86 as switching means, and 87 and 87a as output to accessories. So in my case I can obviously not hook them up the same as you have because I would short out the relays with power in 87 and ground on 87a. So what I tried to do was use your explanation and re-wire it with my relays. What ended up happening was that everything worked fine on the pass side door, but none of the other locks would lock or unlock.

I think that I will attempt the other jeep and see how it works, in the mean time I will do a little research and see if I can not fine another 5bladed 12v 30amp relays.
Thanks for your time and help.
Michael

[Greg Smith]

Michael,

Its great you found a fix for your problem without the relays. However, if you later need to do my fix I think you might want to give the relays another try. In my opinion your relays are the same as mine. These relays can be used in a couple of ways - one as you describe and the other as I describe. Yes you could wire the 12 volt to the 30 blade but only if you needed to switch 12 volts from the 87 to the 87a blade and back and forth to direct the current to two different accessories at different times. But that is not what you need to do here. Here you need your relay to provide power to the lock motor thru 87 and when not doing so it needs to function as a ground circuit through 87a. Thus here you need to have the 30 blade wired to the wire going to the lock motors and the 12 volt wired to 87 and 87a wired to a ground. The trigger wire from the passenger side switch is wired to the 86 blade and 85 to ground. All of which is described in more detail in my previous posts. Good Luck. Greg

[2xtreme]

I will definetely be trying again (just on my mother in laws jeep instead of mine) and I will let you know how it turns out.

Thanks again for yall your help.

Michael

[flexj]

Add another fix to your belt, Greg. I did have the 30 and 86 backwards first, but reread the post and got them switched around. Thanks a bunch.

[Greg Smith]

Add another fix to your belt, Greg. I did have the 30 and 86 backwards first, but reread the post and got them switched around. Thanks a bunch.


:cheers: Another satisfied customer!! Glad it worked for you. No more annoying reluctant locks. Greg

[Goonowsky]

Wich wire is the ground wire? What color? Anyone Know? My locks are getting annoying. Thanks.

[Greg Smith]

Wich wire is the ground wire? What color? Anyone Know? My locks are getting annoying. Thanks.

The only wires on the car that you splice into are the lock (light green) and unlock (tan)wires. You provide your own power wire and ground wires. Read my writeup again and it should be clearer. Let me know if you need help. Greg

[kevin s]

I tried several different combinations also with out luck...then I re-read Greg's instructions again r-e-a-l
s-l-o-w and started over. Greg is the man. Too bad the wife totalled it a few months later, LOL.

[Jay Welch]

Hi Gregg,

I'm glad this subject came up again. I tried this last summer....sweat pouring down while upside down in the passenger seat. I wasn't successful but will attempt once more very soon. I put the diagram into a Visio (.VSD) file to try to make it clearer for people like me that are electrically challenged :confused1 and have it to offer to anyone who is interested. I think it is correct. Anyone interested in the file can email me at either Jay_Welch@juno.com or Welch_James@EMC.com.

Thanks for offering your advice to us.

Jay in MA

[Jay Welch]

Hello Greg Smith,

Could you email me when you get a chance? I would like to send you the diagram I made using your handwritten diagram. I think I can get it into a Word doc that you can open and check for accuracy. Might help some people but I want it to be correct.

Thanks...Jay in MA Jay_Welch@juno.com

-----------------------

Hi Josh,

Sorry, I'm not the guy that created this solution. I couldn't get it to help my
problem with my first shot at it. I'll try it again at a later date.

All I did was take a hand written diagram (by Greg Smith) that I saw somewhere
and convert it into a Visio drawing. I'm not sure it is correct and hope that
people like you can tell if it is in fact correct. You need to make the four
ground wirees/connectors and then connect all four at the good grounding point
of your choice.

Jay Welch
Abington, MA
TR6s
Member Cape Cod British Car Club CCBCC http://www.capecodbritishcarclub.org/

-- Josh Almeida <goonowsky@yahoo.com> wrote:
Thanks for the diagram! It's great!I have just one
question. The black wires that meet at "four blades to
ground", where exactly are they? In my kick panel I
see two relays that were already there. Out of the one
closer to the front end of the jeep, there is a black
wire, but theat is the only black wire I can find. Is
that the one? Please help. Thank you very much.

[Greg Smith]

Jay you have mail. Greg

[PyroZona]

Just wanted to send a HUGE thanks to Greg Smith! I've been goin' out of my mind for the longest time trying to pinpoint the problem with the power locks in my '87 XJ...until finding his writeup. I actually bought three lock actuators off eBay before finally finding this thread, but they made no difference. Even taking out all 4 door latch mechanisms and cleaning them didn't help (although they did kind of need cleaning and re-greasing).

I think I may have woken up my neighbors with my celebratory shouts after finishing the 20 minute job, but oh well!! That first "chunk" sound of all 5 locks slamming from locked to unlocked was just.......sweet. I was totally amazed that all it took was about $7.00 in parts and a little time!

Greg - YOU ROCK!!

To anyone having problems with this fix, just read Greg's article carefully (maybe a couple of times) and maybe print it out for reference. My install went without a hitch. No problems at all! Worked the first time!! Just be sure to find a good +12V wire and a good ground.

Thanks again, Greg!

Pyro

[Greg Smith]

Pyro, Glad it worked for you. It is amazing how annoying those reluctant locks can be. Yes I danced around and screemed out loud when I finally fixed them after yrs frustration. With so many happy door lock fixers maybe we should start a new club -- the dancing door lock fixers! :party:

Greg

[Jay Welch]

I have all of the parts together, harness made/labeled and will be installing Saturday in my '89. I'll be using a new ground point and will pull a fused 12 volts from the battery.

I'll let you know how I make out with the upgrade.
Jay in MA

[xtremewlr]

You can add another notch to your belt there Greg :) Thanks for the good write up, works like a charm.

[Greg Smith]

You can add another notch to your belt there Greg :) Thanks for the good write up, works like a charm.


Glad it worked for you! :cheers: Greg

[Jay Welch]

Well Greg,

You're fix worked great. Thanks a million. I hoisted a few Buds to you yesterday afternoon.

I bought the parts from PartsExpress last year on your recommendation and they were great. I used the dual relay connector/harness. I think the problem I had last year might have been that one of the white wires was pushing out of the new connector/harness. I pried the tab out a bit and that locked it in better. It was also too hot at the time and had sweat dripping into my eyes.

If anyone else is considering doing this just use the diagram, follow Greg's instructions exactly and you'll have no problem.

A couple of things I will add that might help someone:

1. The original relays stay in the circuit so don't remove them. I was unclear on this when I tried the install last year.

2. Cut the light green and tan wires on both sides of the connector (close to the connector) in the passenger side kick panel. This will give a little more wire to work with.

3. Use butt connectors to make your connections. Don't bother soldering them (as I tried last year). Too much hassle and not really necessary.

4. Make sure if you are using the 12 volts that is supplied by the red wire in the kick panel that you are getting 14+ volts with the engine running and battery voltage of 12+ when not running. Measure across the battery for comparisons.

5. For the ground I used the 1/4" hex head screw that clamps the wire harness to the floor pan area. Remove the screw, scuff the area up good so that you have a clean metal area, place a star washer between the ground wire connector and the body. Then attach the plastic harness clamp over the connector and washer.

6. I would recommend making the assembly prior to install and labeling the tan and light green wires as to which side of the original connector they will be installed on. Then all you will have to be concerned with is the four lock/unlock connections and the 1 power and 1 ground connection. I installed mine with wire nuts first to make sure it worked then connected it permanently with butt connectors.

I wish I got to this earlier. My 17 year old daughter is a bit lax about checking the doors for being locked and she got her CD player ripped off at school....that's another story. She bought a CD player that was very deep with wire/heat sinks/large external components etc that it wouldn't install into that shallow XJ dash.

Greg I wanted to ask you....are you into electronics etc or are you just naturally proficient with this type of thing?

Thanks again Greg,
Jay in MA

[Greg Smith]

Jay I am happy :yelclap: that you got the fix to work. Those stinking annoying locks can really burn you up :flamemad: . No I am far from an electronic wiz. Just a Govt Atty who needs an outlet from the dailey paper pushing and adversarial battles. So tinkering w. the house and cars is my way to do something to see more immediate value added for my efforts. The locks drove me crazy for yrs. I was determined to figure them out. So after many hours of studying the wiring diragrams and testing the components per the fsm testing procedures I learned alot and came up with a solution that any electronics person probably would have come up with alot sooner. First order of business when I retire this summer and move to the new house w. a 3 car garage (13 ft ceiling) w. lift (!!!) is to take an auto electronics course at the local community college to get more proficient in all the other auto electronics stuff. Enjoy your now working power locks. :cheers: Greg

[tireroastin93XJ]

So what do you do with the relays on a 93? My rear passenger door doesn't like to unlock very well and I've already cleaned it. The drivers rear door is almost as bad, but the rear hatch works great. What do you do with a 93?
Thanks,
Mike Harris

[Greg Smith]

So what do you do with the relays on a 93? My rear passenger door doesn't like to unlock very well and I've already cleaned it. The drivers rear door is almost as bad, but the rear hatch works great. What do you do with a 93?
Thanks,
Mike Harris


Mike, Sorry but they changed the power lock wiring starting in 1991 and my only experience and thus the relay (additional relays) fix I suggest is for the pre 91s. However, I know a little about the rewire (they changed the wire colors also)they did and I suggest you test the system by checking the input and output output voltage of your stock relays in the kick panel on the lock and unlock circuits. Then check the voltage your are receiving at the actual lock motors in question. You will lose some voltage through the system to the lock motors but the questions is do you lose too muck to work the lock motor. Generally in my experience the lock motors should work well w. at least 8 - 9 volts. If your have less than that and have good volts coming out of the relays then suspect a bad wire splice or wire somewhere between the relay and the lock motor. Since more than one lock motor is involved I would suspect the relay, connectors, splices or input voltage. Good Luck. Greg

[JEEPZZ]

I did the now infamous 'Greg Smith door lock mod' on my 87 well over a year ago and have been very happy with it but only recently did I come to realize that now my remote rear hatch lock now works again too. .
..and all this time I've been using my key in the rear hatch not knowing that the door lock button was triggering it unlock/locked.

Your a celebrity Greg! :woohoo:

[Greg Smith]

Does that mean my idea finally "hatched" ? :jester: Greg

[azee]

quick question for greg or any other electrical guru...

in my quest to find the problem with my headlights, taillights, brakelights not coming on (another post) i've been tearing into the area near the fuse block at the drivers side on my 89 xj. seems like the previous owner tried to do the door lock mod on the *drivers side*, not passenger side, however, did it completely wrong (well, it didn't work and it was wired up differently). here's how they did it:

the green and white wires were spliced at the drivers side. there were 2 relays, which i will refer to as relay A and B.

relay A-
30-white wire to switch
85-daisy chained to power, 87, 87 from relay B, AND 86 from relay B
86-ground
87-see 85
87A-white wire to lock

relay B-
30-green wire to switch
85-ground
86-see 85 for relay A
87-see 85 for relay A
87A-green wire to lock

needless to say, it wasn't working, but im wondering if there is any logic in this? would there be a benefit to trying this out, wired "correctly", of course, at the drivers side?

i plan on removing it and reusing the relays at the passneger side this weekend.

thanks!

[Jay Welch]

I wonder if anything has been changed on the passenger side wiring :dunno:

Me...I would try to first put the driver's side back to its original configuration. Try the locks at each switch to see that it at least tries to trigger each door lock when asked. Once it has been confirmed that they do indeed try to fire as asked I would install the relays and sockets into the passenger side wiring.

Good luck,
Jay in MA

[mlanicca]

I just finished this fix yesterday, now all the locks work.

Thanks Greg.

The hardest part was getting the screw for the kick panel back in.

[Apanthropy]

anyone know how many amps the locks use?

I have a (new, in box) relay and socket from another piece of equipment that's DPDT .. however it's only rated 10A per circuit.

will this work for the locks?

[Greg Smith]

Not wired correctly and the wrong approach. The white and dark green wires are the lock and unlock wires from master switch to the door lock motors through the passenger switch. The problem w. the pre 91s is the the 2 volt loss at the passenger switch not before the switch. Consequently the relays are used in the circuit after the passenger side
to compensate for the 2 volt loss. Only reuse the relays per my fix article if they meet the specs I provided. Good Luck. Greg



quick question for greg or any other electrical guru...

in my quest to find the problem with my headlights, taillights, brakelights not coming on (another post) i've been tearing into the area near the fuse block at the drivers side on my 89 xj. seems like the previous owner tried to do the door lock mod on the *drivers side*, not passenger side, however, did it completely wrong (well, it didn't work and it was wired up differently). here's how they did it:

the green and white wires were spliced at the drivers side. there were 2 relays, which i will refer to as relay A and B.

relay A-
30-white wire to switch
85-daisy chained to power, 87, 87 from relay B, AND 86 from relay B
86-ground
87-see 85
87A-white wire to lock

relay B-
30-green wire to switch
85-ground
86-see 85 for relay A
87-see 85 for relay A
87A-green wire to lock

needless to say, it wasn't working, but im wondering if there is any logic in this? would there be a benefit to trying this out, wired "correctly", of course, at the drivers side?

i plan on removing it and reusing the relays at the passneger side this weekend.

thanks!

[Greg Smith]

Glad it worked for you! :cheers: Greg


I just finished this fix yesterday, now all the locks work.

Thanks Greg.

The hardest part was getting the screw for the kick panel back in.

[Greg Smith]

The fsm says to replace any lock motor that pulls more than 8 amps. Trouble is all 5 motors pull amps and the same time. That is why your locks motors are on a 30 amp circuit from the factory. Only use relays rated 30 amps or higher. See the specs on the relays in my article. Good Luck. Greg

anyone know how many amps the locks use?

I have a (new, in box) relay and socket from another piece of equipment that's DPDT .. however it's only rated 10A per circuit.

will this work for the locks?

[azee]

Thanks so much for the write up! Since I successfully fixed the headlight problem, I went ahead and decided to “fix” my door locks.

My locks slam open and shut now. For those fellow electrical morons (myself included), it’s a pretty simple install. I do, however, have a few clarifications/additions to your instructions that may help people like me. Others may find the info already in your write up, but I guess I’m a slow learner. ;)

-The tan and green wires are visible without removing the kick panel. Don’t splice there, however. (don’t ask me how I know)…..

-When you do remove the kick panel, the green and tan wires are visible. This is where you need to cut and splice.

-And finally, the cut end of the wires coming from the harness (not out of the door) goes to the #30 connection.

Thanks again Greg!

[CherokeeSam]

Add me to the list. I did Greg's fix for the power locks on my 89 Limited and it worked great! I never thought the locks would work this well.

Thanks Greg!

[Greg Smith]

:cheers: Greg

[MountainGoat]

Greg.... I did my locks after reading this thread a while back.... I just wanted to say thanks. It has worked ever since and saved us a ton of money I thought I would have to spend. It didnt cost me any more then 30 bucks.

thanks :)

[Greg Smith]

Happy it worked for you! :cheers: Greg

[phred]

Quoting from Greg:

"For an easier install it is also best to buy wiring sockets that fit the relays. Here is a link to partsexpress.com an online supplier that has relays and sockets at reasonable prices. I used 2 bosch relays # 330-070 and 2 sockets # 330-075 (although 1 dual socket 330-078 could be used I believe)."


I used the dual socket but had to switch the red and yellow wires in the socket to get the wiring to work properly. Easy enough to get the connectors out by releasing the spring catch with a paper clip. It would be quicker to use the two separate sockets ... A few crimp connections later and my locks were slamming open and shut!

Thanks for the great fix to an annoying problem!!

[Easy Xjer]

Did the power door lock rewire today no problems works great thanks for the article Greg. :cheers: :yelclap:

[Greg Smith]

Glad it worked for you both. :cheers: Greg

[PyroZona]

Hey Greg,

Ok, since you seem to be eager for new things to conquer, I don't suppose you've got a fix (or and idea for a fix) for geriatric-slow power windows, do ya?? My driver's window works just fine, but none of the others work from the switches on the respective doors...and even from my driver's door master controls, they're "reluctant" to do what I ask of them most of the time. I've replaced the motor and regulator in the passenger front door (with one obtained from eBay, after I cleaned/lubed it and cleaned the commutator and brushes of the motor) and have also replace the seal that the leading edge of the window rides in. It's a little better, but none perform like the driver's window. Seems similar to the original power lock problem to me. :shrug:

I've been thinking for a long time that maybe it's a weak ground, since the other up/down switches don't work (well, occasionally they do...but not very often), but I have NO idea where to start looking for potential problems. I've also changed driver's and passenger's front window/lock switch panels, but it made no difference at all.

I don't know if you'll be able to help with this problem or not...but hey, it's 'cause of you that my locks work better than they ever did, so thought it might be worth asking!! :) Any suggestions or pointers would be most appreciated.

MODS - Yeah, I know this should probably be a new thread. If it ends up that there is hope for a power window fix, too, I'll certainly put it in a new thread.

Thanks again for your help, Greg! You rock!

Pyro

[Greg Smith]

There is a simple fix that often works for slow windows that was first done as far as I know by Jay3000 on Jeepsunlimited and later by myself. JeepinJoe has a writeup on his website also w. some pics. Basically when motors and wiring get older the amp draw is not enough through the small gauge wires to power the motors and switches. The simple solution is to run a 10 gauge wire from the purple (per my 89 FSM) power wire (for pre 91s IRRC) in the driver's side kick panel. That wire should be the power wire going from the fuse panel to the master switch cut the wire and connect the end going to the switch to the 10 gauge wire going to the battery lug on the starter relay next to the battery w. an inline 30 amp fuse. Of course you will now even be able to use the windows w. the key turn off. Hope this simple fix helps. Here is a link with the discussion and other links on Jeepsunlimited. http://www.jeepsunlimited.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=561143
:cheers: Greg

[PyroZona]

SUPER DUPER!! Greg, you never cease to amaze, do ya? :clap:

Gonna try this tonight or tomorrow. I'll let ya know how it works out.

Thanks once again!

Pyro

[PyroZona]

Ok, I'm not sure if I'm the only one this is happening to, but probably so... :rolleyes:

My locks have worked fabulously since doing this mod, except for the fact that the relay that's wired to the "LOCK" side of the circuit has blown (I think) twice...making it so that "UNLOCK" still works great, but when trying to lock the doors, everything reverts back to "the little locks that COULDN'T". Of course, getting back into the kick panel and changing out that relay fixes it again, but this has happened twice now.

Greg (or anyone else), is there anything in particular I should check on that might be causing the relay to die? I'm thinking that I will probably be running a 10 ga. wire (with 30A inline fuse) from the battery to the relays for a stronger 12V source, since I have tapped into the red wire in the kick panel presently. Thinking that might help...but not sure if that would cause the relay (especially since it's only happening to the locking relay) to die.

Any helpful suggestions would be most appreciated! Haven't had the time to do the power window fix as of yet, but probably will when this incessant rain stops (my garage leaks like a beeotch!!).

Thanks all,

Pyro

[Greg Smith]

First I have heard of this problem w. the door lock fix. Possible causes: bad batch of relays, using relays not 12v 30 amp rated, relay getting wet, poor connections to and at the relay. I would check the connections and try a different brand of 12v 30 amp 5 blade relay. Going to a 10 amp line to battery lug on starter relay near battery w. an inline 30 amp fuse at that connection point helps for stronger power lock action on these old locks. Good Luck. Good Luck. Greg

[Jeep839]

ok so i have a question....i havea 90 and i have this same problem but it is to all locks not just the driver side. so the question when i do this relay install will it bring enough voltage to every lock to make everyone work or is this just a fix for the passenger side??

[oldmustangjunkie]

ok so i have a question....i havea 90 and i have this same problem but it is to all locks not just the driver side. so the question when i do this relay install will it bring enough voltage to every lock to make everyone work or is this just a fix for the passenger side??

Yes. I had the same problems you described and Greg's write-up fixed them all. This is a great cheap fix. I had more trouble with the kickpanel screws than anything else. Thanks, Greg!!!!

[burntkat]

well, I did this mod myself-- except I came up with the idea by myself <I'm one of those electrically-oriented folks>. Works great.

Regarding the blowing relay-- try putting a Bosche relay in there-- they are very stout and I'll bet you're just using low-end relays.

[Greg Smith]

Here is a link to the current writeup w. pics.

http://southeasternxj.com/tech/tech_locks.htm

Greg

[flag2442]

Another happy customer two years later. I was clicking them on and off all evening smiling and annoying my wife. :)

Thank you,

flag2442

[NotMatt]

Indeed, it's been almost 8 months since I did this to my rig and I still play with the power locks from time to time, admiring their smooth trouble free operation and satisfying "thud" when locking and unlocking. :)

[Greg Smith]

:cheers: Greg

[89LimitedXJ]

There is a simple fix that often works for slow windows that was first done as far as I know by Jay3000 on Jeepsunlimited and later by myself. JeepinJoe has a writeup on his website also w. some pics. Basically when motors and wiring get older the amp draw is not enough through the small gauge wires to power the motors and switches. The simple solution is to run a 10 gauge wire from the purple (per my 89 FSM) power wire (for pre 91s IRRC) in the driver's side kick panel. That wire should be the power wire going from the fuse panel to the master switch cut the wire and connect the end going to the switch to the 10 gauge wire going to the battery lug on the starter relay next to the battery w. an inline 30 amp fuse. Of course you will now even be able to use the windows w. the key turn off. Hope this simple fix helps. Here is a link with the discussion and other links on Jeepsunlimited. http://www.jeepsunlimited.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=561143
:cheers: Greg


Could this window fix be ignition switched/relayed for the ignition? That way it is only live when the key is in and in the ON position?

I am going to institute the lock and window fix this weekend. I am ready to turn this 89 Cherokee Limited over to my Father so he can start enjoying this ride.

This is a great write up you have going and these need to end up in a FAQ or Tips and Tricks section.

Great site and I enjoy it very much and look forward to learning more about this little XJ!

Matt

[Greg Smith]

Perhaps but you would have to find a ignition triggered wire of at least 12 gauge on a 30 amp circuit to get the benefits of the higher gauge for the needed additional amp draw that appears to be necessary. I preferred the easier way w. a 10 gauge wire direct to the battery lug on starter relay w. an inline 30 amp fuse. Besides I like being able to operate the windows w/o turning on the ignition. Good Luck. Greg

[DIGITRUCK]

Hey Anyone,

'88 XJ Cherokee Laredo 4.0L Auto 4WD.

Did this mod using the Double Sockets with Bosch Relays. Using a 10Gauge Wire from battery for power.

Start vehicle then locks won't open/shut. I do see the interior well lights dim slightly when I hit open/shut on right pass side as well as driver's side.

Did all connections exactly as the Schematic. The only thing I can think of that I wasn't too sure was for 86 and 30. The diagram shows 86 going to pass door and 30 going to the pass kick panel.

I wasn't too sure how to identify which wires are the pass door and which are the pass kick panel. I see the wires coming out of the grommet and I cut them before the connector.

Is the wires going into the connector the pass kick panel or the pass door?

Hope I'm making sense. Need Help please!

Thx, Phil

[Greg Smith]

The part of the wire going to the other door locks is the part going into the connector if you cut the wire just after it came out of the passenger side front door just before the connector. Of course the other part of the cut wire is the part going back into the passenger door. Look closely again at the wire diagram in the link to southeasternxj.com in my response earlier in this thread. Good Luck. Greg

[RTicUL8]

Who is this mystic person "Greg Smith?"
The last time he posted on naxja was three weeks ago.

But today, someone has a question, and BAM! -
he replies before the crack of dawn.

True, his sayings are wise and sure, but he's an enigma to me.

me thinks he's a genie!:thumbup: :laugh3:

[Greg Smith]

Who is this mystic person "Greg Smith?"
The last time he posted on naxja was three weeks ago.

But today, someone has a question, and BAM! -
he replies before the crack of dawn.

True, his sayings are wise and sure, but he's an enigma to me.

me thinks he's a genie!:thumbup: :laugh3:


Just the magic of email alerts that a thread I am participating in has a new posting and early morning attention to my emails before my daily adventures begin. Wish I was a genie though. I have three wishes I would like granted but can a genie grant his own wishes?! The life of a genie might be fun but only if I dont have to live in the bottle! :thumbdn: Greg

[DIGITRUCK]

Quoting from Greg:

"For an easier install it is also best to buy wiring sockets that fit the relays. Here is a link to partsexpress.com an online supplier that has relays and sockets at reasonable prices. I used 2 bosch relays # 330-070 and 2 sockets # 330-075 (although 1 dual socket 330-078 could be used I believe)."


I used the dual socket but had to switch the red and yellow wires in the socket to get the wiring to work properly. Easy enough to get the connectors out by releasing the spring catch with a paper clip. It would be quicker to use the two separate sockets ... A few crimp connections later and my locks were slamming open and shut!

Thanks for the great fix to an annoying problem!!


Hey Greg,

Thx 4 the quick reply with regards to which end is which after you cut the tan and lite green wires. Will probably ck them this weekend. But here is another question... according to PHRED who also used the DUAL SOCKETS said he swapped the red and yellow wires to get it to work.

Could that be my prob if my earlier question is corrected or ok to begin with? I'm not in the garage now so I'm not even sure which blade went to which wire. If memory serves I think it was Yellow went to 87 and Red went to 85? Do you think if I just swap the connections (put 12V feed to Red and 87 to Ground instead of swapping out the wires on the socket) it will work or will it cause a 12V Short/Fire?

btw - My 10 Ga (30A Fused) Power wire is direct to positive battery terminal thru firewall and then split into 14 Ga to Yellow (87) on both Dual Sockets. The 14 ga is around 2 feet long on driver's side and 4 feet long on pass side. Do you think the 14 ga wire would present any probs in delivering enough current to the locks?

Hope I'm making sense.

Thx, Phil

[Slo-Sho]

Could this window fix be ignition switched/relayed for the ignition? That way it is only live when the key is in and in the ON position?




Yes. Using a Bosch type relay you would wire it as follows;

#30 B+

#85 Ground

#86 Purple wire going to fuse panel
(cut purple wire)
#87 Purple wire going to master switch
(cut purple wire)

[ChipsXJ]

for those who when to the battery lug....where did you go through the firewall with the wire?

thanks

[Greg Smith]

Hey Greg,

Thx 4 the quick reply with regards to which end is which after you cut the tan and lite green wires. Will probably ck them this weekend. But here is another question... according to PHRED who also used the DUAL SOCKETS said he swapped the red and yellow wires to get it to work.

Could that be my prob if my earlier question is corrected or ok to begin with? I'm not in the garage now so I'm not even sure which blade went to which wire. If memory serves I think it was Yellow went to 87 and Red went to 85? Do you think if I just swap the connections (put 12V feed to Red and 87 to Ground instead of swapping out the wires on the socket) it will work or will it cause a 12V Short/Fire?

btw - My 10 Ga (30A Fused) Power wire is direct to positive battery terminal thru firewall and then split into 14 Ga to Yellow (87) on both Dual Sockets. The 14 ga is around 2 feet long on driver's side and 4 feet long on pass side. Do you think the 14 ga wire would present any probs in delivering enough current to the locks?

Hope I'm making sense.

Thx, Phil

12 gauge would be much better. The 14 gauge limits your amps which is part of the problem on the original wiring. The colors of the wires on these sockets varies so the important thing is to only go by which hole in the socket and its respective color wire hooks up to which numbered post on the relay when inserted into the socket. You are going to have to verify it all and not rely on wire colors on the sockets vs colors that worked for others on the sockets they used. Good Luck. Greg

[DIGITRUCK]

Hey Greg Smith or Anyone,

Stupid Question, How many relays are used for this project (two or four)?

I wired BOTH SIDES using FOUR Relays; the DRIVER'S SIDE exactly like the passenger side in the Schematic Diagram and it doesn't work. Was I supposed to do the Driver's Side too or no?


ChipsXJ - on my '88, below the Driver's side hood hinge on the firewall is a large grommet. Pull that out and you'll have enough space for any size wire to pass thru.

Thx, Phil

[Greg Smith]

for those who when to the battery lug....where did you go through the firewall with the wire?

thanks

I hooked it to the battery input lug on the starter relay which is the small metal can w. right next to the battery. As to the firewall issue I ran the wire from the engine compartment through a gap in the seam where the fender and inner fender bolt together at the back upper corner down into the inside of the fender outside the inner kickpanel area on passenger side and then pull the rubber plug through which the radio antenna goes from kickpanel into that fender. I used a piece wire hanger bent w. a hook and flashlight to fish out the wire I dropped down from above and pull it into the kick panel through the antenna rubber bung , reinstalled the bung and then hooked up the wire to the relays. Make sure you slip something around the wire where it goes into the fender from above to keep it from rubbing a hole in the wire and shorting out. Good Luck. Greg

[Greg Smith]

Hey Greg Smith or Anyone,

Stupid Question, How many relays are used for this project (two or four)?

I wired BOTH SIDES using FOUR Relays; the DRIVER'S SIDE exactly like the passenger side in the Schematic Diagram and it doesn't work. Was I supposed to do the Driver's Side too or no?


ChipsXJ - on my '88, below the Driver's side hood hinge on the firewall is a large grommet. Pull that out and you'll have enough space for any size wire to pass thru.

Thx, Phil

You use two relays and they both go on the passengers side. See the instructions in the southeasternxj.com.
http://southeasternxj.com/tech/tech_locks.htm

Good Luck. Greg

[UN-limited'89]

Mr. Jay welch:
I sent you a Email.
thank's
Rikck...

[DIGITRUCK]

You use two relays and they both go on the passengers side. See the instructions in the southeasternxj.com.
http://southeasternxj.com/tech/tech_locks.htm

Good Luck. Greg

Hey Greg,

EUREKA, IT'S ALIVE!!! MUHHAAAAA!!! LOL

I removed the Relays from the Driver's Side and put it back the way it was. Then I carefully checked the Pass Side wiring was ok but discovered that I had 30 and 86 reversed. Once I changed it, all of the locks were slamming open/shut (including the Trunk)!

First time it's done this since I bought her TEN YEARS AGO!!! Now, I won't hurt my back anymore turning around to open the lever letting someone in.

Greg, U R DA MAN!

btw - While I was at it, I added a switch to the antenna motor so I can shut off the antenna at will. Really handy since I rarely listen to the radio; mostly MP3's and CD's.

Thx, Phil

[DIGITRUCK]

Hey Greg,

EUREKA, IT'S ALIVE!!! MUHHAAAAA!!! LOL

I removed the Relays from the Driver's Side and put it back the way it was. Then I carefully checked the Pass Side wiring was ok but discovered that I had 30 and 86 reversed. Once I changed it, all of the locks were slamming open/shut (including the Trunk)!

First time it's done this since I bought her TEN YEARS AGO!!! Now, I won't hurt my back anymore turning around to open the lever letting someone in.

Greg, U R DA MAN!

btw - While I was at it, I added a switch to the antenna motor so I can shut off the antenna at will. Really handy since I rarely listen to the radio; mostly MP3's and CD's.

Thx, Phil

EDIT: Forgot to mention, when I had all the door panels off, I lubed everything, modified the rear pass door window brackets (now they almost go all the way down), and changed the door lock actuators with new ones seems like the old ones were rusted and sticking.

[Greg Smith]

The new door lock solenoids you installed will also help reduce the amp draw needed to run the system but doing so never fixed the inherent problem for me. Even after replacing solenoids I still had to come up with this relay fix. Very happy you got it working. It is amazing how great it is to have them working after so many yrs of being annoyed by the malfunction. :cheers: Greg

[DIGITRUCK]

There is a simple fix that often works for slow windows that was first done as far as I know by Jay3000 on Jeepsunlimited and later by myself. JeepinJoe has a writeup on his website also w. some pics. Basically when motors and wiring get older the amp draw is not enough through the small gauge wires to power the motors and switches. The simple solution is to run a 10 gauge wire from the purple (per my 89 FSM) power wire (for pre 91s IRRC) in the driver's side kick panel. That wire should be the power wire going from the fuse panel to the master switch cut the wire and connect the end going to the switch to the 10 gauge wire going to the battery lug on the starter relay next to the battery w. an inline 30 amp fuse. Of course you will now even be able to use the windows w. the key turn off. Hope this simple fix helps. Here is a link with the discussion and other links on Jeepsunlimited. http://www.jeepsunlimited.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=561143
:cheers: Greg

Hey Greg,

I was thinking about doing this but on that site it says to splice into the PURPLE Wire with a WHITE STRIPE you mentioned just plain PURPLE. Which is it? I'm confused.

btw - Someone at that thread said they got smoking wires when they ran the 10 ga wire to the purple or purple/white wire (don't recall which).

Thx, Phil

[Greg Smith]

Hey Greg,

I was thinking about doing this but on that site it says to splice into the PURPLE Wire with a WHITE STRIPE you mentioned just plain PURPLE. Which is it? I'm confused.

btw - Someone at that thread said they got smoking wires when they ran the 10 ga wire to the purple or purple/white wire (don't recall which).

Thx, Phil


According to my 89 FSM the power wire from the 30 ampt circuit breaker to the master pwr window switch in drivers door is purple (they call it vt-violet but it looks purple). It then goes through a connector in the left hand kick panel and then into the drivers door and to the switch. Beware FSM also says there is another purple wire going from that switch back to that connector but as it comes out of that connector it becomes a purple wire w. a white stripe. That wire is not the pwr going to the switch but rather the constant pwr out of the switch that goes to all the other pwr window switchs to allow the operation of those windows at those door locations. So you have to be careful about which purple wire you hook into by tracing the wire and make sure it is not the one that becomes the one w. the white stripe. Greg

[ChipsXJ]

:
Here is how I did the wiring: I used the two 12v relays. They have 5 blades: 86 is trigger pwr from the passenger dr switch; 85 is ground; 87 is the new pwr source; 30 is the path to the lock and 87a is to ground (in this application). I cut the Lgreen and tan wire about 5 inches forward (toward the front of the Jeep) of the wire harness connector that connects the wires to the wires coming out of the passenger frnt dr. In this example I attached the tan unlock wire coming from the passenger frnt door to 86 and 85 to ground; 30 is attached to the tan wire going to the door locks; and 87a is to ground. I used the new 10 gauge pwr line I had previously run to the battery/starter relay post with a 30 amp inline fuse. You can take off pwr from a splice on the red pwr going into the passenger door instead. (The same approach is used for the lgreen wire using the other new relay for for the lock circuit.) The key to making this work was 87a to ground. When the lgreen or tan wire are not in pwr mode they provide ground path to ground through the driver’s side switch. With my new relays I substituted a new body ground instead. As a result I increased voltage and created new better grounds. The locks now all slam open and closed even in very cold weather. Hope this helps. At least 30 people I have heard from have done this mod with great success. Greg


This worked exactly as described. That is once I re-read it. I reversed 86 and 30 and it did not work. Then I re-read and corrected MY ERROR then it worked perfectly.

Thanks Greg!

[Greg Smith]

Glad it worked for you. Enjoy!!! :) Greg

[ChipsXJ]

I found that I could protect the power wire that runs out to the battery lug by using a vacuum connector that I found lying on the ground at the local u-pull-it. here are a couple of pics:

Before:
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y16/ChipsXJ/DSC00078.jpg

just cut off the piece I needed to fit the hole I was drilling.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y16/ChipsXJ/DSC00080.jpg

I drilled a hole through just below the antenna boot behind the right kick panel.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y16/ChipsXJ/DSC00085.jpg

and another hole near the hood prop.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y16/ChipsXJ/DSC00084.jpg

This brings the power wire out very close the battery lug and keeps things tidy.

Just my .02 cents worth.

[UN-limited'89]

Hi there, Greg:
Took the jeep to a friends stero shop, to work on this issue over the weekend. follow the diagram, but I think I missed something in the process.
1) didn't had the multimer on hand so I didn't check the voltage.
2) hook the power to the relays from the current power source.

Would I need to find another power source and re-check the incoming voltage?

thanks.
but on the postive side, the process is very simple, and quick.

[FRAM]

I wanted to post this earlier. Great write up Greg. I installed this upgrade on my 90 XJ Limited with a rear drivers door that was sticking in cold weather. The install was a snap but in all fairness I was in the final stages of my alarm/remote start install so I was no longer green as I was about 7 relays in by that point.

Wow what a difference. I just tapped into the red near the lock relays which provides enough power for my XJ. The locks slam shut now. When I showed my installer friend he was all worried I going to wear out the locks sooner now. :lol:

So thank you very much for your time and energy.

Another ill-fated door lock system has been revised thanks to your great write up.

[burntkat]

any chance anyone haas a power window fix along similar lines?

[Greg Smith]

any chance anyone haas a power window fix along similar lines?

See my post on this subject on page 3 post number 45 in this thread. Good Luck. Greg

[RTicUL8]

Here is a link to the current writeup w. pics.

http://southeasternxj.com/tech/tech_locks.htm

Greg

Greg,

As of 9/26/06, this link is dead.
Do you know where else it's posted?
Link?

Thanks,

Craig :thumbup:

[Jay Welch]

Don't know what happened to the link but if you need the power lock info you can email me at Jay_Welch@juno.com. I can send you what I have. It consists of a document I wrote using Gregg's early drawing. I also have a later document by Gregg. You should have no trouble doing the mod using this info.

Jay in MA

[Kevin3151]

I did this today on my 88, works like a charm. After my brain figured out what was going on, it was a breeze.

Thanks!

KH

[Greg Smith]

I did this today on my 88, works like a charm. After my brain figured out what was going on, it was a breeze.

Thanks!

KH


:cheers: Greg

[Bryan C.]

Great write up Greg. I fixed a 88 XJ at the dealership today with this repair. Just for reference, I used 2 mopar ASD relays, part# 04727370AA and they worked great.

Ever think about submitting this for a FAQ subject?

Thanks again Greg!

[kemper]

Hello all! - In regard to Greg's writeup: I have an '86 that I have been trying to fix the locks on to no avail...first, inside the psgr door on this year jeep there is a splice for the tan and light green wires to the psgr door, the psgr rear door and to the rest of the doors/rear hatch. This is different than Greg's post of there being a master splice on the driver's side under the carpet..not the case here...hence there is no general wire harness connector once the wire bundel leaves the psgr door and enters the kick panel, but rather two sets of light green and tan wires, one set going to the left side of the car (and eventually rear hatch) and one set to the psgr side rear door. Anyway, I spliced the wires together to simulate Greg's general wire harness connector and undid the extra two splices on the inside of the psgr door. So, after I did this, I hooked up the circuit just as described by the post with the Part's Express parts, was able to operate the switch on the psgr door completely (lock/unlock both worked) again and the lock part worked on the driver's switch. So, I figured since the whole system was working much better, but not completely, I went ahead and redid some of my earlier crude splices (with good ones) and tried the system again. Well, the unlock works on the psgr door, but when I press the lock part of that switch I just here a clicking sound coming from the relays. Does anyone know what might be happening here? Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks

[Greg Smith]

Great write up Greg. I fixed a 88 XJ at the dealership today with this repair. Just for reference, I used 2 mopar ASD relays, part# 04727370AA and they worked great.

Ever think about submitting this for a FAQ subject?

Thanks again Greg!


Bryan, Glad it worked for you. I did have a nice writeup on southeasternxj.com but that site appears to have been taken off line. Don't know if it is worth doing a writeup now for the dwindling numbers of pre 91s w. this wiring problem on the door locks. This thread may be enough.

:cheers: Greg

[Greg Smith]

Hello all! - In regard to Greg's writeup: I have an '86 that I have been trying to fix the locks on to no avail...first, inside the psgr door on this year jeep there is a splice for the tan and light green wires to the psgr door, the psgr rear door and to the rest of the doors/rear hatch. This is different than Greg's post of there being a master splice on the driver's side under the carpet..not the case here...hence there is no general wire harness connector once the wire bundel leaves the psgr door and enters the kick panel, but rather two sets of light green and tan wires, one set going to the left side of the car (and eventually rear hatch) and one set to the psgr side rear door. Anyway, I spliced the wires together to simulate Greg's general wire harness connector and undid the extra two splices on the inside of the psgr door. So, after I did this, I hooked up the circuit just as described by the post with the Part's Express parts, was able to operate the switch on the psgr door completely (lock/unlock both worked) again and the lock part worked on the driver's switch. So, I figured since the whole system was working much better, but not completely, I went ahead and redid some of my earlier crude splices (with good ones) and tried the system again. Well, the unlock works on the psgr door, but when I press the lock part of that switch I just here a clicking sound coming from the relays. Does anyone know what might be happening here? Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks

Kemper, I will try to help but need some more info. Is it a 2 or 4 door vehicle and which passenger side door were you refering to if it was a 4 door? I only have the wiring diagram for 89s from my 89 fsm but it may be the same. Perhaps someone w. a chiltons or other book can let us know it the wire diagrams listed there for the door locks covers 86 to 89 as the same? Greg

[kemper]

Kemper, I will try to help but need some more info. Is it a 2 or 4 door vehicle and which passenger side door were you refering to if it was a 4 door? I only have the wiring diagram for 89s from my 89 fsm but it may be the same. Perhaps someone w. a chiltons or other book can let us know it the wire diagrams listed there for the door locks covers 86 to 89 as the same? Greg Hey, Greg...the jeep is an '86 4 door cherokee and I was referring to the right front passenger door. I am really at a loss right now because I have meticulously followed your instructions and cannot understand why the relays are clicking when the locking is switched, but it is certainly possible that something was misunderstood... who knows. If you think it will help I can take some pictures and post them. Thanks

[Greg Smith]

Hello all! - In regard to Greg's writeup: I have an '86 that I have been trying to fix the locks on to no avail...first, inside the psgr door on this year jeep there is a splice for the tan and light green wires to the psgr door, the psgr rear door and to the rest of the doors/rear hatch. This is different than Greg's post of there being a master splice on the driver's side under the carpet..not the case here...hence there is no general wire harness connector once the wire bundel leaves the psgr door and enters the kick panel, but rather two sets of light green and tan wires, one set going to the left side of the car (and eventually rear hatch) and one set to the psgr side rear door. Anyway, I spliced the wires together to simulate Greg's general wire harness connector and undid the extra two splices on the inside of the psgr door. So, after I did this, I hooked up the circuit just as described by the post with the Part's Express parts, was able to operate the switch on the psgr door completely (lock/unlock both worked) again and the lock part worked on the driver's switch. So, I figured since the whole system was working much better, but not completely, I went ahead and redid some of my earlier crude splices (with good ones) and tried the system again. Well, the unlock works on the psgr door, but when I press the lock part of that switch I just here a clicking sound coming from the relays. Does anyone know what might be happening here? Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks


Kemper, when people have had problems doing this fix it usually is due to hooking wires to the wrong connector blades on the relays or due to a bad wire to connector connection or bad ground. Typically it is a reversal of the 86 and 87 position connections on the relays. First confirm you have the part of the tan and light green wires comming from the passenger door lock switch connected to the 86 position on the relays and the remaining pieces of the tan light green wires that go on to the door locks are attached to the 87 postion. 87a and 85 are connected to ground and 30 is the new incomming power supply.

Note in my fix the connection to the tan and light green wires occurrs after the internal splice in the frnt passenger door because it occurs in the kick panel just outside the door. So my fix does not affect the door lock function in that door since the lock in that door usually gets plenty of pwr at the begining of the circuit and never has been part of the typical problem.

I wish we could come up with a wire diagram of the 1986 jeep xj door locks for comparison so I could provide better help. Anyone out there know if it is the same as the 1989?

Let me know how it goes. Greg

[kemper]

Here is how I did the wiring: I used the two 12v relays. They have 5 blades: 86 is trigger pwr from the passenger dr switch; 85 is ground; 87 is the new pwr source; 30 is the path to the lock and 87a is to ground (in this application). I cut the Lgreen and tan wire about 5 inches forward (toward the front of the Jeep) of the wire harness connector that connects the wires to the wires coming out of the passenger frnt dr. In this example I attached the tan unlock wire coming from the passenger frnt door to 86 and 85 to ground; 30 is attached to the tan wire going to the door locks; and 87a is to ground. I used the new 10 gauge pwr line I had previously run to the battery/starter relay post with a 30 amp inline fuse. You can take off pwr from a splice on the red pwr going into the passenger door instead. (The same approach is used for the lgreen wire using the other new relay for for the lock circuit.) The key to making this work was 87a to ground. When the lgreen or tan wire are not in pwr mode they provide ground path to ground through the driver’s side switch. With my new relays I substituted a new body ground instead. As a result I increased voltage and created new better grounds. The locks now all slam open and closed even in very cold weather. Hope this helps. At least 30 people I have heard from have done this mod with great success. Greg Greg, from your initial writeup you have the new power going to 87, not 30. And you also have 30 going to wires going to the rest of the door locks, not 87. This is what I followed along with the rest of the above quotation...is your most recent post just reversed on accident? Thanks

[Saudade]

Finally, my '88 is succumbing to this. Howver, since I have the keyless entry system, I already have door lock/unlock relays under the pass kick panel. Are the relays described in this fix, in addition to, or instead of or do I just need run a new source wire?

[Greg Smith]

Finally, my '88 is succumbing to this. Howver, since I have the keyless entry system, I already have door lock/unlock relays under the pass kick panel. Are the relays described in this fix, in addition to, or instead of or do I just need run a new source wire?


Sorry I misread my old instructions and they are correct. 87 is new pwr supply and 30 is path to lock. Greg

[purplexj]

In case anyone already has keyless entry as I do. Yes you can leave the relay and or remove it. Mine had very little on the open side only so I just eliminated that relay and used the fix for the open only. I'ts hard to undrstand untill you get in there and start cutting. Then , perfect. Mine is a 92, but then I rememberd I got the harness from an 89. Thanks Greg.

[Saudade]

I left them as I use my keyless entry. My issue was some corrosion on the contacts in the pass side switch. Once I cleaned them, all was well.

[Greg Smith]

In case anyone already has keyless entry as I do. Yes you can leave the relay and or remove it. Mine had very little on the open side only so I just eliminated that relay and used the fix for the open only. I'ts hard to undrstand untill you get in there and start cutting. Then , perfect. Mine is a 92, but then I rememberd I got the harness from an 89. Thanks Greg.



:cheers: Greg

[88xjchief]

I have 88 and my radio didnt have a constant 12volt power supply. When I ran power to it all my doors locked. I have the keyless entry. My door lock switches havent worked since I've owned it. Anyone know why this would happen?

[twisted_ed]

I wish to do this mod and was wondering if there is an updated and working link to the writeup, both links ion the thread lead no where and I was looking for a wiring diagram to suppliment the initial writeup.

Also Greg, any idea is this will affect my Car alarm that also functions as remote lock unlock?

[kevin s]

This has to be the best, most useful post ever. In looking through the posts, I myself posted almost 3 years ago thanking Greg for the super helpful mod. Now, here I am with a "new" 1990 in need of the same upgrade. Long live Greg Smith:clap: :clap:

[cherokee4fun]

GLAD THIS HAS COME UP AGAIN!!!
So, I am going to do my 90 with electric door locks with keyless entry.

Should I leave the relays that are already there for the keyless entry?
Can I just tap into the red wire or do I need to run a new power source?
Can I just run a new power source to the relays that are already there?

Going to check out the write up on the windows!!!

Thanks,
Bob:wave1:

[Greg Smith]

GLAD THIS HAS COME UP AGAIN!!!
So, I am going to do my 90 with electric door locks with keyless entry.

Should I leave the relays that are already there for the keyless entry?
Can I just tap into the red wire or do I need to run a new power source?
Can I just run a new power source to the relays that are already there?

Going to check out the write up on the windows!!!

Thanks,
Bob
Reply With Quote


Bob The answers are: Yes leave relays for keyless; You can tap into the red wire but running a 10 gauge wire w. inline 30 amp fuse to the battery is much better; no running the new power source to the keyless relays will do nothing to help. Good Luck. Greg

[Greg Smith]

I wish to do this mod and was wondering if there is an updated and working link to the writeup, both links ion the thread lead no where and I was looking for a wiring diagram to suppliment the initial writeup.

Also Greg, any idea is this will affect my Car alarm that also functions as remote lock unlock?

I have an after market remote car alarm w. remote lock and unlock and it does not affect mine so it probably will not affect yours. Good Luck Greg

[Greg Smith]

This has to be the best, most useful post ever. In looking through the posts, I myself posted almost 3 years ago thanking Greg for the super helpful mod. Now, here I am with a "new" 1990 in need of the same upgrade. Long live Greg Smith:clap: :clap:

:eyes: :cheers: :cheers: Greg

[purplexj]

Same here, alarm pwr locks not affected.

[marcoleo]

Thanks Greg, fantastic solution, it work perfect now!!!
Next step take more power to the windows.....
For who need I've drawn a schematic:
http://www.jeeptuning-foto.com/albums/userpics/10010/two-relays.pdf

[BigRonLM55]

JUST A FEW WORDS TO SAY I FOLLOWED THE DEAL HERE AND MY LOCKS WORK GREAT. FORGET ALL THE CRAP ABOUT WHERE TO GET THE RELAYS. I SCORED EM ON EBAY FOR ABOUT 4 BUCKS EACH.....AND JUST GET SOME FEMALE SPADE SOLDERLESS CONNECTORS TO HOOK EM UP...NO NEED FOR THE RELAY SOCKETS (WILL JUST BE MORE CRAP UR GONNA HAVE TO STUFF BEHIND THE KICK PANEL)

THANKS TO ALL WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED ON THIS ISSUE

BIG RON

[Greg Smith]

JUST A FEW WORDS TO SAY I FOLLOWED THE DEAL HERE AND MY LOCKS WORK GREAT. FORGET ALL THE CRAP ABOUT WHERE TO GET THE RELAYS. I SCORED EM ON EBAY FOR ABOUT 4 BUCKS EACH.....AND JUST GET SOME FEMALE SPADE SOLDERLESS CONNECTORS TO HOOK EM UP...NO NEED FOR THE RELAY SOCKETS (WILL JUST BE MORE CRAP UR GONNA HAVE TO STUFF BEHIND THE KICK PANEL)

THANKS TO ALL WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED ON THIS ISSUE

BIG RON


BIG RON,

Glad to see you cut the "crap" and got to the point!:) Who needs those time savings things anyway. :banghead: :cheers: Greg

[xjjk]

I don't know if I'm special :looser: or just got lucky, but I set out to do this the other day and one of the relays I bought was uh....*messed up from the factory* after I pressed on it too hard, and it didn't work. On a whim, I reconnected the tan wires before rushing off to the store to get a new relay. Lo and behold, it worked as described. Thought I'd throw that out there, that maybe just doing one relay is sufficient to provide a shorter path to ground. Maybe it won't last as long... either way, I called it good. Thanks, Greg! :cheers:

[albush1]

Greg Smith -my hero!
I just got done installing his mod to my 89 XJ with 223k and for the first time since I have owned this thing the locks all work better than new! I would have paid lots of money for this info, but you gave it for free and so many have benefitted from it. You have my vote for the single most helpful mod that has helped the most people on this forum - thanks again!
Adam

[Greg Smith]

I don't know if I'm special :looser: or just got lucky, but I set out to do this the other day and one of the relays I bought was uh....*messed up from the factory* after I pressed on it too hard, and it didn't work. On a whim, I reconnected the tan wires before rushing off to the store to get a new relay. Lo and behold, it worked as described. Thought I'd throw that out there, that maybe just doing one relay is sufficient to provide a shorter path to ground. Maybe it won't last as long... either way, I called it good. Thanks, Greg! :cheers:

Only one of your circuits was very bad. Likely your other circuit will need help in the future. Glad all is well. :yelclap: Greg

[Greg Smith]

Greg Smith -my hero!
I just got done installing his mod to my 89 XJ with 223k and for the first time since I have owned this thing the locks all work better than new! I would have paid lots of money for this info, but you gave it for free and so many have benefitted from it. You have my vote for the single most helpful mod that has helped the most people on this forum - thanks again!
Adam


Happy it worked for your. :cheers: Greg

[Gritts]

Great writeup Greg. After reading, I decided to do this mod on my 91 XJ laredo (usual story--lazy locks-- in my case rear passenger door lock). But when I pulled the passenger kick panel off, BEHOLD the modification had already been done. Looked like factory work to me, but I'm no expert. Just wondered if the factory made this change or maybe a dealership due to some TSB. At least I know I need a new actuator...

[TiRod]

Nope, you may be looking at the remote system. Do you have the mini overhead console?

Other posters have attempted to rework them - I wish it could be done - but the new grounds on the fix-it seem to be the best answer.

[Gritts]

Nope, you may be looking at the remote system. Do you have the mini overhead console?

Other posters have attempted to rework them - I wish it could be done - but the new grounds on the fix-it seem to be the best answer.

My 90 XJ had the remote lock/unlock once upon a time, but the key fobs disappeared before I bought the old gal. I'm going to have to take a closer look at this thing. Tinkering with an XJ is good for the soul. :sunshine:

[Gritts]

:eek: I did a little checking and I think the factory remote control relays in the kick panel esentially replace the action of pushing up or down on the lock/unlock switch. Since this is a parallel circuit I did a different sort of mod.

This requires running a pair of red/black wires from the passenger kick panel to the battery up front. You'll also need an inline fuse for the plus side. This mod provides an additional current path for the electric lock system.

For the POSITIVE feed all I did was carefully slice about 1/4" of the insulation away from each of the red wires on the two relays in the kick panel. THIS IS RELAY PIN NUMBER 87 WHICH IS NORMALLY OPEN. I THEN SOLDERED A SHORT JUMPER WIRE BETWEEN EACH RELAY AT THESE BARE SPOTS CONNECTING BOTH RELAY PIN NUMBERS 87. I THEN SOLDERED MY RED LEAD GOING TO THE POSITIVE BATTERY TERMINAL TO THE JUMPER. I insulated everything with electrical tape.

For the NEGATIVE feed I similarly sliced about 1/4" of the insulation away from each of the TWO CENTER wires on each relays. THIS IS RELAY Pin NUMBER 87a WHICH IS NORMALLY CLOSED.
I THEN SOLDERED A SHORT JUMPER BETWEEN EACH RELAY AT THESE BARE SPOTS CONNECTING BOTH RELAY PIN NUMBERS 87a I THEN SOLDERED MY BLACK WIRE GOING TO THE NEGATIVE BATTERY CONNECTOR TO THE JUMPER. I insulated everything with electrical tape.


As far as running the wire, I already had a hole near the radio antenna grommet (also in the passenger kick panel) for my CB radio so I ran the wire out through this hole and up the passenger fender and into the engine compartment.

I AM NO EXPERT BUT I THINK (NOTICE I SAID THINK) THIS SHOULD DUPLICATE RESULTS OF THE ORIGINAL MODIFICATION BY GREG SMITH. IF YOU HAVE THESE REMOTE RELAYS ALREADY INSTALLED BY THE FACTORY GIVE IT A TRY.
OR NOT.:variety:

[89CherokeePioneer]

I bet this would totally work if I had power locks.

[jaxes88]

I did this to my 88 xj wagoneer and it works great,

the wording in the instructions was kind of scary and not to specific sounding but i went at it slow and eventually i got to the point where it all kinda fell into place and now i have working door locks WOO-HOO.

thanks greg, now i wont have to tell my friends to lock their doors every time they get out, or almost wrench my back having to unlock them all from the drivers seat

[grimah1w]

Much thanks! Worked as advertised on my 1990 XJ. Couple of photos:

10Ga Power Cable from engine compartment through the passenger side panel
http://i700.photobucket.com/albums/ww10/grimah1w/4x3/IMG_0893.jpg

10Ga Power Cable attached to start battery cable
http://i700.photobucket.com/albums/ww10/grimah1w/4x3/IMG_0896-1.jpg

Find the tan and green wires from correct connector
http://i700.photobucket.com/albums/ww10/grimah1w/4x3/IMG_0903.jpg

Wires cut and ready for splice into relay(s) wires
http://i700.photobucket.com/albums/ww10/grimah1w/4x3/IMG_0905-1.jpg

Install complete (note 30amp inline fuse and 10Ga wire pass through)
http://i700.photobucket.com/albums/ww10/grimah1w/4x3/IMG_0906-1.jpg

[Greg Smith]

Glad it worked for you. Thanks for posting your great pics. I am sure others with find them very helpful. Cheers. Greg

[88JeepXJ]

Hey Greg, any chance you have any advice for a 97+ XJ with a nonworking Driver's door lock? I can't even push the lock manually.

[nomorecash]

worked great for me! thanks

[Property Mgr]

I have a 93 XJ Country (300,000 miles) with power door locks. The front doorlocks generally work well. The rear door locks do not work consistantly. In cold freezing weather they work seldom. In warmer weather I can get the locks to activate by using the electric switch about three times in a row. The lock moves slightly more each time until the third time when it moves to the full unlock position. The lock is also hard to operate manually from the inside manual button.
Would this be an electrical problem or a mechanical problem? Bad electrical relay? Is the lock worn out or just rusty/in need of lube? Is the lock electrical solenoid bad?
What are the steps to diagnois the problem.
Thanks everyone!

[Property Mgr]

I have a 93 XJ Country (300,000 miles) with power door locks. The front doorlocks generally work well. The rear door locks do not work consistently. In cold freezing weather they work seldom. In warmer weather I can get the locks to activate by using the electric switch about three times in a row. The lock moves slightly more each time until the third time when it moves to the full unlock position. The lock is also hard to operate manually from the inside manual button.
Would this be an electrical problem or a mechanical problem? Bad electrical relay? Is the lock worn out or just rusty/in need of lube? Is the lock electrical solenoid bad?
What are the steps to diagnois the problem.
Thanks everyone!

[Pelican]

Clean and lube. The 93 comes with separate lock and unlock relays (lower dash panel in front of your right knee) so the famous Greg Smith fix (that I used successfully on my 85 -- thanks, Greg!) does not apply per se. I assume that the newer system might still benefit from running larger wires to the rear locks but the difficulty in manual locking is a sure sign of a gunked up mechanism.

[Property Mgr]

Thanks for the reply. I'd rather start with the most likely fix first, and that sounds logical to me. Appreciate your opionion as someone who has worked on the related Greg Smith project.

This is a great forum! I appreciate all the knowledge out here!

[xjtrailrider]

OK, I want to do this to my 90 that has a Viper security, remote start, and remote door locks.

All of the doors are non functional except the hatch, go figure!

Since I'm use to working from schematics, does anyone have any I can get e-mailed to me. I get confused when I read "cut this LG wire and hook it up to this terminal.....etc" I work better from a wiring diagram/schematic.

PM me for my e-mail address if you have a schematic, thanks!

Jon

[marcoleo]

I've posted the link to schematic on page 7 of this tread, it's this one:
http://www.jeeptuning-foto.com/albums/userpics/10010/two-relays.pdf

[xjtrailrider]

I've posted the link to schematic on page 7 of this tread, it's this one:
http://www.jeeptuning-foto.com/albums/userpics/10010/two-relays.pdf

Thanks!

[neilp1]

Hey guys

Need a little help with this- anyone have pictures of the wiring inside the passenger kick panel of a 1990? i removed it and see a rats nest of wiring everywhere. im not exactly sure which connector im supposed to be splicing- i have a three wire bundle (light green, tan and black) that has a small connector (comes from the remote sensor in the headliner i think) and a big harness that goes to 2 relays (keyless relays i think).

i can take a couple pictues tonight and post them, but until then, id appreciate any help.

REally looking forward to getting my doors working again.

A kinda related question- if i hook up an aftermarket keyless system (i dont have a fob and a replacement is way overpriced) can i just splice intot hose wires coming down from the original sensor- the 3 wire green, tan, black bundle? If so, that would be awesome

Thanks for all the help

[neilp1]

Got it all working great- locks are slamming shut now. Its awesome. No problem finding the green and tan wires in the end. Was pretty obvious. I had everything all wired up, with only the 12v power line to connect to the battery. Popped the hood, closed the door then stuck the red wire on the post to hear a very satisfying clunk as all the doors locked. The joy lasted about a minute until i realised i was going to have to call AAA to help me get my keys back from off the drivers seat...:laugh:

all good though. Just delayed me in getting my back up lights wired in, but this way, i get to play with JC tomorrow too...

[MapleDitch]

Great mod...locks work like brand new!

[LifteDLife97]

Here is a current version of the writeup.

Power Door Lock Fix for Reluctant Locks on Pre 1991 Jeep Cherokees
(for post 90 models with a similar problem I woud check the relays in the passenger side kick panel)

The Problem:

Some (usually not all) of the power door locks stop working, or more commonly work inconsistently on the lock and/or unlock position. The problem usually starts when the Jeep gets older and the locks become stiffer. Cold weather seems to cause the most problems. The rear hatch and rear doors seem to the most troublesome since they are on the end of the circuit and experience the largest voltage drop.

The Cause:

The cause is a design flaw which causes a loss of 2 volts. As the Jeep gets older and the locks become stiffer and the connections develop some resistance the amount of voltage that gets through the system is no longer enough to work the power locks near the end of the circuit. With the pre 1991 wiring all the power for the power door locks passes through the passenger door lock switch regardless of whether you trigger that switch, the driver’s side door switch or the remote keyless opener (if you have it). Power leaves that switch going to the door locks through the tan wire for unlock and the light green wire for lock.

The power goes from the passenger door switch to a splice in that door for the power lock in that door and then goes out the door and into the kick panel in front of the door on the passenger side. By the time the power gets to the kick panel it has lost about 2 volts. I replaced my passenger side switch suspecting a bad switch but still lost 2 volts out of the switch. I then did a full continuity and resistance test on the switch per the factory service manual and found no problems. I have never figured out why this happens but apparently Jeep could not either since they changed the wiring starting in 1991 to compensate for this problem. (Note the wiring change can be done like the post 1990 models but the fix I provide below is a lot easier in my opinion.) After the now lower voltage gets to the passenger side kick panel it goes under the carpet and over to the driver’s side and hits a master splice under the front floor carpet for the wires going to the driver’s side front and rear doors and the passenger side rear door. I unwrapped the tape around the splices and checked all the splices and they were clean and tight. Then I measured the voltage at the remaining power locks. By the time the voltage gets through the master splice is loses another 2+ volts and is not enough to power the locks consistently when they become stiff from old age or cold weather.

The Fix/Repair:

First make sure you are getting around 12 volts of power to your passenger side door switch directly or when you trigger the lock or unlock switch from the driver’s side or by the remote. You can test the voltage with a multi-meter at the wire harness connector in the passenger-side kick panel where the dark green, white and red wires go into the front door.

Assuming you have a full voltage supply to the passenger side switch, the fix is to install two relays in the passenger-side kick panel on the lock and unlock wires coming from the passenger side switch. The relays will increase voltage back up to 12 volts to compensate for the loss caused by the passenger side switch. With the voltage increase provided by the relays, the voltage at the remaining power door locks is increased by approximately 2 volts, enough to power all the locks, even in cold weather. This of course assumes that no wiring problems exist from the splices to the door locks. If you still have a problem at a particular door lock measure the voltage and make sure it is over 9 volts. With my fix it should be closer to 10 and perhaps 9 at the rear hatch.

The relays to use are 5 blade, 12 volt, 30 amp minimum rated relays with blades marked 85, 86, 87, 87a and 30. These relays are the same as those used for the keyless remote relays found in the passenger-side kick panel so you may find them cheap at the bone yard. You can also find them in automotive electric supply stores. Look in the section that has lighting upgrade supplies. For an easier install it is also best to buy wiring sockets that fit the relays. Here is a link to partsexpress.com an online supplier that has relays and sockets at reasonable prices. I used 2 bosch relays # 330-070 and 2 sockets # 330-075 (although 1 dual socket 330-078 could be used I believe). http://www.partsexpress.com/webpage.cfm?&Webpage_ID=3&DID=7&CAT_ID=47&ObjectGroup_ID=31&SO=2

Here is how I did the wiring: I used the two 12v relays. They have 5 blades: 86 is trigger pwr from the passenger dr switch; 85 is ground; 87 is the new pwr source; 30 is the path to the lock and 87a is to ground (in this application). I cut the Lgreen and tan wire about 5 inches forward (toward the front of the Jeep) of the wire harness connector that connects the wires to the wires coming out of the passenger frnt dr. In this example I attached the tan unlock wire coming from the passenger frnt door to 86 and 85 to ground; 30 is attached to the tan wire going to the door locks; and 87a is to ground. I used the new 10 gauge pwr line I had previously run to the battery/starter relay post with a 30 amp inline fuse. You can take off pwr from a splice on the red pwr going into the passenger door instead. (The same approach is used for the lgreen wire using the other new relay for for the lock circuit.) The key to making this work was 87a to ground. When the lgreen or tan wire are not in pwr mode they provide ground path to ground through the driver’s side switch. With my new relays I substituted a new body ground instead. As a result I increased voltage and created new better grounds. The locks now all slam open and closed even in very cold weather. Hope this helps. At least 30 people I have heard from have done this mod with great success. Greg


will this work on a 1997?

[Pelican]

Quick answer is that 97s already have relays.

What problems are you having?

[Greg Smith]

As stated in the write up post 90 xj (including your 97 I assume) already have the relays for lock and unlock in your passenger side kick panel. If you are having a problem with a no lock or unlock after first confirming your fuse is ok then check out those relays. Greg

[Greg Smith]

I am out of Jeeps now. My 89 XJ served me, the family and two daughters through College well. We had it since new. But it was well worn and time to move on and cash for clunkers and the need for a light weight newer flat toweable high mpg vehicle for my motor home to tow meant my XJ went to XJ heaven. :angel: I probably will not be on the forum in the future since I no longer have a Jeep. I am very happy my writeup is helpful to many of you. Those locks can be very annoying. Like we don't have enough stuff bugging us? Not! Best wishes to you all. :wave1: Greg

[TiRod]

Thanks Greg, for the writeup and all your help. It worked for me!

[kevin s]

Thanks, Greg. Me too. Twice.
(You'll be back someday. The force is strong).

Sincerely,
THANK YOU.

[stevend510]

Hey Greg, any chance you have any advice for a 97+ XJ with a nonworking Driver's door lock? I can't even push the lock manually.

I'd like to know more about this too? I have the same problem.

[xjtrailrider]

I am out of Jeeps now. My 89 XJ served me, the family and two daughters through College well. We had it since new. But it was well worn and time to move on and cash for clunkers and the need for a light weight newer flat toweable high mpg vehicle for my motor home to tow meant my XJ went to XJ heaven. :angel: I probably will not be on the forum in the future since I no longer have a Jeep. I am very happy my writeup is helpful to many of you. Those locks can be very annoying. Like we don't have enough stuff bugging us? Not! Best wishes to you all. :wave1: Greg


I hate to see you go Greg but you know there are still a bunch of great XJ's for sale around our area. I finally got around to doing this upgrade to my 90 and I'm impressed thoroughly how well the locks work now!!

Thanks for all of your helpful input here on NAXJA

[stigman]

now the door locks works fine..switching relays....but some other relays were tested

[JEEPZZ]

Only made possible by the Greg Smith door lock fix: :)

You Tube Jeep Cherokee lock jam (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFybwg4wadI)

[MT Mike]

Only made possible by the Greg Smith door lock fix: :)

You Tube Jeep Cherokee lock jam (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFybwg4wadI)

:twak:

[kevin s]

That's Awesome!! :music:All hail Greg Smith:D

[Greg Smith]

Post 141 above.

Awesome video!:clap: Greg

[GregGA]

Thanks Greg and NAXJA!

My 87 slams the locks open and closed. Next step, power windows:gee:

[1990JEEPXJ]

i still need to do this, but wiring scares me :bawl:

[GregGA]

My 87 had slow power windows. Per post 44, I ran a 10 guage wire to the driver's kick panel. I spliced this into BOTH the purple and purple and white wires running into the door. Front and passenger windows rock, back are lots better. Guess I need to figure out how to "lube" these old babies.
Overall, a great improvement!! Working power door locks and windows. Life is good:cheers:

[GregGA]

My 87 Laredo had "slow" power windows. The back windows barely moved.
Per post 44, I ran a 10 guage power wire to the driver's side kick panel.
I spliced into BOTH the purple and purple and white wires running into the door. Passenger and driver's door rock, backs are lot's better. I need to
figure out how to "lube" the back windows now to get them up to the speed of the front ones. Power windows and locks are working. Life is good:cheers:

[indianajeeper]

Does this fix work on newer than 91 models? I have a 97 with some door locking issues

[cruiser54]

No.

[chad]

Ok, I got it all wired up but now nothing happens. When I use the switch in the passenger door I hear the relays clicking but locks don't move, and the driver's door switch does nothing. what the...

[cruiser54]

Double check yourself on everything. It's easy to get off track when doing this mod.

[chad]

I quadruple checked:roll: At first I tried some relays that I thought were right but they caused the fuse to the battery to pop so I switched them with the relays for the keyless entry (I don't have the key fobs)

[chad]

I bet there is a fuse in the fuse block hat popped too that I need to change huh?! I'll have to check that tomorrow :)

[chad]

Ok, did some testing. As far as I can tell I do have them hooked up right. I get 12.4 volts at the new power coming in to the relay. When I hit the switch I get 12.4 volts going to the door and 9.7 going under the carpet. but still now movement our sound from the locks. AND only the passenger door operates the relays, the drivers door still does nothing. ?????

[Racer~X]

Great info...
--> Any PICS or wiring diagram for this wiring fix.???
Please?

[Racer~X]

Pics? Diagram?

[cruiser54]

Just dive in. Follow the writen instructions and you'll be fine. Step by step.

[GregGA]

I agree with cruiser54. Mine worked the first time, and they SLAM open and closed. Take it slow and follow the directions.

[Glyphic]

I'm still looking for some answers on a fix for a 94. I know there is a guide, but it doesnt fix my issue. passenger and rear switches dont work at all. Also rear locks and passenger lock are stiff and dont always lock. Driver side i think the motor may be shot, it doesnt lock at all. Any suggestions?

[Racer~X]

Here is a link to the current writeup w. pics.

http://southeasternxj.com/tech/tech_locks.htm

Greg

What happened to www.southeasternxj.com (http://www.southeasternxj.com) ?
It seems to be gone.
-----------------------
Server not found


-- Firefox can't find the server at www.southeasternxj.com (http://www.southeasternxj.com).

I can't seem to find a diagram for this repair ... anywhere :bawl:

Does anyone have a saved copy of it they would forward to me??

Plz?

If so, send to: agentj6@hotmail.com , Subject: jeep door locks.

[bcmaxx]

What happened to www.southeasternxj.com (http://www.southeasternxj.com) ?
It seems to be gone.
-----------------------
Server not found


-- Firefox can't find the server at www.southeasternxj.com (http://www.southeasternxj.com).

I can't seem to find a diagram for this repair ... anywhere :bawl:

Does anyone have a saved copy of it they would forward to me??

Plz?

If so, send to: agentj6@hotmail.com , Subject: jeep door locks.




dId you find anything? I too would love to have this writeup, or anyother write-up on the repair

[cruiser54]

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showpost.php?p=11487&postcount=2