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i'm totaly screwed

CrazyEli

NAXJA Forum User
Location
montana
i'm having an electrical problem and i can't figure it out. the right turn signal arrow on my instrument panel illuminates when the parking lights are turned on (only one pull out) and when the headlights are on too. I Thought it was a bad turn signal bulb, but they're OK. I turn on the right turn signal and all bulbs blink fine including the green arrow on the instrument panel. I turn it off and the green arrow in the instrument cluster goes out then glows faintly. i have checked many of the bulbs and the fuzes. both of the relays are good. i am starting to get very frustrated with this problem. so i figure that it has to be the turn signal switch. but today when i was redoing the trailer wiring the instrument pannel lights stopped working. so i finished the wiring cuz i assumed that it was just a fuze. well all of my fuzes are good, insturment pannel still doesn't light. i don't know what to do, and i need the jeep to be in working condition because its my dd.
any help would be appreceated, thanks.
 
i just fixed this on mine, you are not screwed. my turn signal indicator would light up when the parking lights were on, and i don't think that side would flash.

The ground inside the socket was bad. To properly fix it you need to replace the socket.
For mine i jumped the ground wire to the proper terminal on the front side of the socket (where the bulb screws in). this is only a temporary fix until i replace the socket.

It will be the front socket on the side that the indicator lights up on that is bad.
 
There is a ground common to a bunch of the illumination, signals, and such. It is located behind the panel where the spare tire attaches. It can really cause a lot of wierd things to happen. I have seen 4 vehicles in 10 years with the bolt loosening up.
 
I just fixed this on mine, too!

Test the resistance of the ground tab on the socket to the battery. You may get a high reading (>40ohms); I did.

I had to replace both front sockets, since the ground tab was bad on both. I also replaced the headlight switch, but I believe the new sockets fixed the problem completely.
 
It is definitely a bad ground and can be repaired as stated above or by running a seperate ground to each of those front sockets.
 
The wires that run the ground are usually in good shape. It's the small metal tab that runs up the length of the socket that rusts and goes poopy.
 
Definitely, check grounds. If possible, look at the elements of the bulbs themselves, and see that the correct element is working. The signal should light only the shorter element in a dual filament bulb, and the parking light the long one. If this is a pre-97, make sure that you check the connector that passes through the front bulkhead just ahead of the air box. This is a favorite spot for corrosion, and will play all sorts of tricks with your lights. Clean and lube the pins even if it is not the culprit yet. Sometimes they'll even rot right off, and need to be bypassed. Grounds in the lights themselves can also go bad. You can usually splice something in if needed.
 
The wires that run the ground are usually in good shape. It's the small metal tab that runs up the length of the socket that rusts and goes poopy.


that's what the problem is on mine. i spliced a wire from the gound on the back of the socket then wrapped and soldered it to the metal tab. works for now until i get to the scrap yard
 
ok i tested the sockets and the turn signal socket was 35 ohms and the marker light wouldn't make a clear reading on the ground or the power (the numbers jumped around). so does this mean i have a short? if so how would be the best to find exactly where it is.
Thanks
 
What part of the socket did you test? Did you test the tabs on the inside where teh bulb seats?

After that, pull up the little black boots that cover the wiring to the socket, and you should be able to test the wiring directly there too.

This will tell you if it's socket specific or wiring specific.
 
ok i tested the sockets and the turn signal socket was 35 ohms and the marker light wouldn't make a clear reading on the ground or the power (the numbers jumped around). so does this mean i have a short? if so how would be the best to find exactly where it is.
Thanks

it seems like you have a bad ground somewhere. gounds are very important on a dc light curcuit, as ehall said, lights have a constant ground with switched power so without a ground, the curcuit is open and the power is bleeding off somewhere in the curcuit.

look for rusted/corroded ground connections or broken wires on the light socket. also recheck the trailor wiring ground and all other connection on the trailer harness wiring. did you check/test the headlight switch. on my 89, i had melted wires/terminals on the head light switch. have you noticed any smell of burning plastic.

crazy lighting problems happen with bad grounds.
 
This may sound way too simple but, have you changed the bulb or just checked that it was working? I have had the same thing happen in the past on vehicles using **56 series bulbs (2 filiments in same bulb). What happens is the filiment breaks off of one post of the turn signal side and rests on parking light side, powering the turn signal when ever the parking lamps are turned on. If that aint the problem then I start checking grounds and lamp sockets.
 
its a 93 but i live in montana so the only rusty vehicles i ever see are shitter toyota trucks lol but my jeep has no rust and the sockets have no corosion in them. but i did pull the rubber boot back on the socket and found that one of the wires was broken off. it must have happened when i took the front end off to put the new engine in. but i reconnected it and everything works the way it is supposed to. thank you guys for all your help!!!
 
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