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Multiple wiring issues, or same?

hh65flyer

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Kalispell, MT
New to this Jeep (98 XJ, Limited, 4.0, 160K, Auto).

I hate for my first post to be of the 'help' variety but here we are... Picked up the XJ last night with known electrical issues.Specifically, a battery drain.

Pulling the 15A fuse at the top right corner (labeled IOD?) from the underhood panel seems to remove the drain. With this fuse installed and the engine off I can hear the Cruise module humming along with the Fuel Pump relay slightly buzzing.

Here's the weird part, again with the engine off and the above mentioned buzzing/humming, if I open a door (interior lights come on) all the buzzing/humming immediately stops and the drain seems to go away. Close the door, buzzing/humming starts again.

Maybe related: While driving with the 15A fuse installed, the back hatch seems to move slightly causing all the interior lights to come on intermittently. With the back hatch 'closed' (and interior lights off), the rear hatch ajar warning light stays on. When the liftgate bumps 'open', the interior lights come on and the 'Ajar' light extinguishes.

The PO put in a new battery and several new ground cables. The Jeep appears to be very well taken care of and runs great otherwise.

I believe this to be two different problems, one having to do with the rear hatch/handle switch mech...the other?

Thanks in advance for your replies and suggestions. Someone has to have seen this before right? (I did several hours of searching already).
 
Sounds like a short circuit to ground. One at a time, unplug each door wire harness from the main body wire harness. When the strange symptoms go away, you are getting warmer. Start with the drivers door and then the tailgate.

Door and tailgate wire harness issues are very common. Inspect for chafed wire insulation, failed wire splices and broken/damaged wires.
 
Thanks Tim...the rear tailgate seems to be the most likely culprit at this point as it's somewhat 'loose' and I can push it forwards and back while it's 'closed' and make the interior lights flash.

Question, where is the best place to unplug the door harnesses from? Does the door card need to be removed? Sorry if it's an obvious answer, it's raining now so further inspection is prob not going to happen tonight!
 
IOD- ignition off draw. If not dome lights could be, short it visor lights, stereo memory, under hood light/ mercury switch.
 
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Update: After a lot of fooling around with the rear hatch I discovered several weird things so I decided to open up the loom where it passes through the door frame and into the door (pivot point). Found six wires chaffed and/or completely broken including what looks like a big thick ground wire (black).

I will need to do some splicing it looks like but this is certainly a good place to start!

Most of these wires are very stiff and brittle. I'm not sure how long repairs are going to last. Has anyone had success pulling this loom from a junkyard or are they all like this? My only thought there is this was an Arizona rig that saw a lot of high heat...

Thx.
 
I found a decent tailgate wire harness at the junkyard after the original shredded itself. Like the door harnesses, it unplugs, and your snake it out of the body.


The front door harnesses disconnect just inside the body behind the trim plastic trim panels.

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