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99 XJ Interior lights problem

R

rickg

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Indiana
My son has a 99 XJ and the interior lights will not shut off, except for the two overhead reading lights that work properly by clicking them. We've had to remove the fron dome, rear dome, and floor courtesy light bulbs.
Any suggestions? Thanks
 
this may be a silly answer but make sure all your doors and trunk is shut tight. my friend drove mine around all night with the dome lights on because he didn't shut the trunk tight and didn't hear it rattle with the stereo turned up.
silly but it can happen.
 
On my 98 if I hit the rear cargo light, push it till it clicks, the interior lights will stay on. Drove me insane the second week I got it new..
 
rickg said:
Do you know if there is a timer that shuts the lights off after a certain period of time?
Click to expand...

If you have the keyless entry system, the interior lights do stay on for some time after you unlock. They should go off again after a while, or when you turn the key to start, or when you lock again. It's possible, I suppose, that this system is malfunctioning.

First thing I'd do is check each of the door switches, and look for shorts in the wires to them, and check for a malfunction in the interior light portion of the headlight switch.
 
We unkooked all the door switches but that didn't help. The next step is to check the head light switch. Thanks for the info.
 
Has anyone found a solution to this yet? I have a 1998 XJ and this week my interior lights did the same thing. I have checked the switches and they all work (plunger moves in and out) I checked the rear cargo area switch, it doesn't matter how many times I try to switch the lights on/off it does nothing. Tomorrow I want to check the switches with a circuit tester and see if they are still functioning, and at the same time clean the contact point between the switch and the body. Any help would be appreciated.
Daniel
 
BOOTLEGGER said:
Has anyone found a solution to this yet? I have a 1998 XJ and this week my interior lights did the same thing. I have checked the switches and they all work (plunger moves in and out) I checked the rear cargo area switch, it doesn't matter how many times I try to switch the lights on/off it does nothing. Tomorrow I want to check the switches with a circuit tester and see if they are still functioning, and at the same time clean the contact point between the switch and the body. Any help would be appreciated.
Daniel
Click to expand...
Because the door switches work on the ground side of the circuit, any short in any part of the wiring will turn on the lights. You might have to start tracing wiring to see if you can eliminate sections of the wiring leading to switches, one by one. I'd start at the switches themselves, though, in the hope that there's a defective switch or a bad connection at the switch end. Tracking this kind of thing down can be a very tedious job.
 
Had the same problem in my 99. Somehow the rear dome lightbulb was causing it. Took me weeks to trace it down. Dealer was clueless. I replaced the bulb and the problem went away. Makes no sense but it worked.
 
On my 90 XJ the switch for the tailgate is operated off the latch in the tailgate. I was having an intermittent interior lights coming on while driving untill they came on and wouldn't go off. The switch broke off the latch and eventually grounded itself so the lights stayed on. Also had on another XJ the wiring for the switch goes into the gate comes in at the top left (driver side) and runs down the pillar to a plug in the rear 1/4 panel. The wire insulation cracked in the loom between the main body and the gate causing a short. That plug is behind the interior panel behind the spare tire, disconnect the plug and the lights go out you know it is in that harness or switch.
 
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Thanks for the feedback, tonite I noticed that the window switches on doors, other than the Drivers were working again any how I hooked up the lights and they are working again. I've got no clue, the three window switches normally don't work now they work and the interior lights are working correctly, for how long is anyones guess.
Daniel
PS alfman I'll check the switch in the quarter panel next time it acts up
 
Well tha saga continues the lights went back to not shutting off in a matter of hours while it was sitting, and now to top it off the the whole circuit they are on is now not able to keep a fuse. The dash/guages, radio, remote door locks, and clock are all out, if I replace the fuse it burns out immeadiately. Any insite will help.
Thanks,, Daniel
 
Found it actually my mechanic found it, there was a wire for the cargo light that was behind the right rear interior panel, it was wrapped around a bare metal support that wore its way thru the insulation. Why Daimler / Chrysler ever did it that I can't understand. Anyway now I'm happy!
 
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