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Need to get lis. plate light working

S

SINCITY192

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Bronx, NY
Anybody have a short to ground in there lis. plate lights before that they couldn't find for the life of them
on the meter I am showing continuity going toward the lis plate light wires
but i dont see any broken wire at all the only wire I cant see is when it passes through the lift gate and when i test those wires disconnected from the lis. plate light i dont get continuity
what should i do
unfortunately in the state of PA i can't get my inspection without it
 
Go back to N.Y.?

Just kidding.

Always post the year of your vehicle, 84-96 hatch is fiberglass, 97+ steel, these little things can make a difference.

Do you have a ground at the lic. plate lamp socket? If not, run a ground to the unibody.

Do you have power at the lic. plate lamp socket? If not, run a power lead to the socket.

Get your inspection, and correctly fix the problem later.
 
sorry 88 cherokee, 4.0 6cyl
Remember my posting a lil while back(fuse keeps blowing, or need help with these lights) well unplugging the lis. plate light (behind the spare tire mounting area) fix my lights problem
So that means my short to ground was in the lis. plate wiring
If i plug those wires back in I will blow the fuse again
 
So, eliminate BOTH of those wires.

Go to the salvage yard and get a new lamp socket with a short piece of the wires.

Solder on two new wires, one for ground, one for power.

Locate a spot on the unibody, drill a hole, remove the paint around the hole, and attach the new ground with a self-tapping screw. Locate the taillight power feed, use a tap, connect the new power wire for the lic. plate lamp to the taillight power feed with the tap.
 
sounds like i'll just have to do that now time to research how to use a tap!
thanks I'll go to the yard asap i just came from the yard a few days ago I had to get a multi-function switch for my high/ low beams there not working either. i wish i would have grab this then lol
 
Self tapping screw means that you don't need a tap. You probably don't need a new lamp socket or a tap (based on your PM's). Take a bulb and measure the resistance on ohms. Then put the bulb into the socket and test the ohms between the power and ground wires with the rest of the harness disconnected. If it tests the same, your socket is good. Your power wire is shorted out in the metal body before you get to the fiberglass liftgate.

Joe's way will work for sure, but I don't think you really need to go that route.
 
So the short is definitely between the connector(1) behind the spare tire mount and the connector (2) immediately at the beginning of the hole(for the wires) on the light gate
 
look inside your tailgate on the drivers side and see if you have a male terminal (on a blue wire) and a female terminal (on a black wire)

these two wires are for the tag lamp if you were equipped with a tire carrier and should be hanging free (assuming you don't have a tire carrier) Make sure no one has connected them together and check the blue wire for 12V with the lights on. If it's got power, use it with extended wire to power the tag lamp.
 
If I absolutely had to have the plate light working and couldn't figure it out, here's what I would do - use a relay.

Find a wire in the dash that is power on when the XJ is on (radio, cig lighter, etc).
Buy a relay.
Use the wire that is hot when XJ is on to provide power to the relay. Also clip into a ground.
Run the switched hot from the relay to the "+" on the plate light.
Ground the plate light in the tailgate or rear of the XJ.

Whenever your XJ is on, so is the plate light. You won't notice in daytime and it will work in nightime. If that matters, use the power to the parking lights as the power to the relay.
 
Ok progress lol
I put a new wire with some alligator clips on both sides skipping the wires between the suspect spot and pulled the switch and it works fuse doesnt blow
even though i must admit if it wasnt for my brother noticing the suspect alligator connection i would of posted the fuse is still blowing lol
but after i put a screw to secure the the wire tightly to the clip it was good fuse no longer blue and the light stayed on

one problem though what type of screw is this? and how do i get it out?
(refer to link):
http://img203.imageshack.us/img203/3060/wires.jpg

i circled the screws guys thanks
 
SINCITY192 said:
Ok progress lol
I put a new wire with some alligator clips on both sides skipping the wires between the suspect spot and pulled the switch and it works fuse doesnt blow
even though i must admit if it wasnt for my brother noticing the suspect alligator connection i would of posted the fuse is still blowing lol
but after i put a screw to secure the the wire tightly to the clip it was good fuse no longer blue and the light stayed on

one problem though what type of screw is this? and how do i get it out?
(refer to link):
http://img203.imageshack.us/img203/3060/wires.jpg

i circled the screws guys thanks
Click to expand...

That looks like a rivet. You drill it out and replace it with a new one. Go to Harbor Freight for a cheapo hand riveter.
 
Hey just a update I fixed it.
For some odd reason my lis plate bulb blue wire (power) was grounded by a connector that look like it belong right where it was
after some help from winterbeater
I figured why is this power line being sent to a group of grounds and also is sent to light
 
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