Parking lights stay on... WHY...

1998, no DRL, no foglamps, automatic, tow package, police package (FML)

Well guys so far this is the be-all end-all of electrical problems. I have been chasing my tail for countless hours and still have literally nothing but a bunch of clues pointing at each other.

Long story short: The parking lights stay on. All the time.

Here's a list of what's going on.

-Switch has no control over the parking lights. On/Off, doesn't matter. They're on all the time no matter what.
-Blinkers work fine.
-Hazards work fine.
-Headlights work fine.
-When you turn the headlight switch on, they parking lights do get a tad bit brighter. So whatever's feeding it can't be a full supply.
-Headlights switch has no control over the circuit. Meaning I took the damn thing out, and they stayed on.
-There is ONE fuse under the hood that will kill the entire circuit. I've found multiple others in the junction block that will take out sections, but so far the 50amp ACC fuse underhood will kill the circuit. Now when I say 'kill' I mean, it takes the system back to normal operation (wtf?). 50amp maxi-fuse removed the system works totally normal. Headlights, blinkers, parking lights, the whole charade.
-Recently the brake lamps and reverse lamps have stopped working as well. Completely, under any circumstances. They just don't come on when they should.

I've got access to Mitchell, Alldata, as well as the FSM. Have literally 50 diagrams printed out that literally lead to nothing. If you guys have ANY ideas or suggestions that would be awesome!

Re: Parking lights stay on... W... T... F...

Somewhere in between that 50 amp ACC fuse and the parking light wires, current is connected.

When you say that other fuses will take out sections, do you mean sections of parking lights?

You have the books, do you also have a multimeter?

Re: Parking lights stay on... W... T... F...

Yea, the problem is the diagrams aren't real clear on EXACTLY what the 50amp fuse controls. It says "JB", which I'm assuming means junction box. So when I pull that I'm probably disabling a whole bunch of circuits within the junction box. It's a HUGE circuit, but I printed a few more diagrams hopefully I'll be able to tell just what protects what soon.

Yes, other fuses will take out sections of the parking lights. I believe there's about 3 fuses, and none of them will knock out the entire system.

Yes, I do have a multimeter, along with test lights, current clamps, scopes, etc, etc.

Im out working on it now, I'll try and get a few more things narrowed down.

EDIT: Forgot to add another big clue. When the parking lights are all on, the instrument illumination is also lit. This includes everything. The cluster, HVAC controls, gear shifter, and t-case shifter.

Re: Parking lights stay on... W... T... F...

Sounds like you have a power short into the lighting circuit--sort of like putting a 12 volt test lamp in series between the battery terminal and the negative cable. There would be a dim glow in the 12 volt light from radio memory and PCM memory, as the load is increased the light gets brighter.

You probably have something rubbed through or melted through in the harness.

Re: Parking lights stay on... W... T... F...

Yea that's what I figured. Somewhere I have a 12v feeding into something, and it's using the entire lighting system as a series circuit. I also noticed that as you turn the dimmer knob on the headlamp switch: dimming the cluster makes the parking lights brighter, and brightening the cluster makes the parking lights dimmer. So they're all connected, just have to find out where

Re: Parking lights stay on... W... T... F...

DanMan2k06 said:

I also noticed that as you turn the dimmer knob on the headlamp switch: dimming the cluster makes the parking lights brighter, and brightening the cluster makes the parking lights dimmer.

Click to expand...

This makes me think that its using the dimmer as a ground somehow.

Was this ever setup as an actual cop jeep or just spec'd out as one?

Re: Parking lights stay on... W... T... F...

Those 97+ wiring diagrams are a PITA to read.

Looks like fuse 7 and 23 control the power feeds to the left and right side. Pull them and see what happens. If the lamps are still on, the short is downstream, Fuse 7 also powers the fog lamp relay coil. According the diagram, it goes to the relay first, then to the lamps.

Re: Parking lights stay on... W... T... F...

Have you pulling the connector from the headlight switch itself? That might (at least) eliminate that from the long list of possible shorts.

Re: Parking lights stay on... W... T... F...

Headlights switch has no control over the circuit. Meaning I took the damn thing out, and they stayed on.

Click to expand...

Yes, I disconnected the connector. Didn't do anything. While the switch was out I even bought a new one :raying:: it would solve the problem. No such luck.

Was this ever setup as an actual cop jeep or just spec'd out as one?

Click to expand...

It was a cop jeep. When we first bought it I though oh man this thing is badass. Now it's turning into WAY more of a headache than it's worth. So far I've taken out countless wires leading to nothing, a "gun lock release module", 2 foot pedal switches, and had to replace a door jamb switch that they completely removed. There is also no CHMSL. The connector was there, bulb-less, and the transparent red cover was painted red. So no light can pass through it. So many things on this car just blow my mind lol.

Re: Parking lights stay on... W... T... F...

wheeling365 said:

This makes me think that its using the dimmer as a ground somehow.

Was this ever setup as an actual cop jeep or just spec'd out as one?

Click to expand...

X2. Check your grounds, and try the fuse pulling as well - divide and conquer.

I believe that 50 amp fuse runs the fuse block / junction block under the dashboard, but I'm not sure.

Re: Parking lights stay on... W... T... F...

Man I guess you guys skip over some of the info at the top? If the dimmer switch is completely removed, it can't use it as a ground. Taking the switch out does absolutely nothing.

Yes, the 50 amp fuse goes to the junction block under the dashboard. Which circuits it actually protects, I can't tell at the moment.

Re: Parking lights stay on... W... T... F...

DanMan2k06 said:

Man I guess you guys skip over some of the info at the top? If the dimmer switch is completely removed, it can't use it as a ground. Taking the switch out does absolutely nothing.

Yes, the 50 amp fuse goes to the junction block under the dashboard. Which circuits it actually protects, I can't tell at the moment.

Click to expand...

He was talking about the headlight switch.

Re: Parking lights stay on... W... T... F...

......You clowns lol. I'm gonna play subaru games and start calling the instrument cluster the combination meter

Ok well groundbreaking news. I've decided this jeep is totally F'd.

Went to the back hatch, took off the cover, took out the plastic connector harness. One of the 3 connectors was undone. It had 2 wires, both looked to be 12 gauge. One solid black, one black with white tracer. Both go to the heater grid. I plug it in, and all the lights immediately die. Like the title says w...t...f...

So I then started checking normal operation. Everything works great. Fuse 7 controls left hand side of the lights, along with license plate lamp. Fuse 23 controls rights side. Good as gold. Lights are on when switch is on, off when switch is off.

NOW, still don't have brake or reverse lights. I check voltage at the switch, supply was good. Checked it going out and got nothing. Jumped the pins together to bypass the switch, still nothing. Piss. I'm guessing the reverse and brake light issues are related to each other.


Question of the day: does ANYONE know where connector 322 is?!? All the lighting is tied into it (listed as Trailer Tow), and of course all of my sources list the location as Not/Supplied.

Re: Parking lights stay on... W... T... F...

DO NOT leave that plugged in! That is a common mistake, they go to some option not installed on your XJ and are its power and ground.

EDIT: I may be misunderstanding you, did you plug the two barrel connectors together or was this a single 2 pin connector that plugged into something else?

Re: Parking lights stay on... W... T... F...

No no, this was a single connector, 2 pin. Had a 12BK and 12BK/WT wire. The opposing receptacle for the connector has the same wires, so I think it's safe to assume they belong together.

This info is pissing me off more and more. Every location that I need right now is listed N/S.

Re: Parking lights stay on... W... T... F...

Actually my parking lights were doing the same thing a few weeks back, along with lots of other randomness. Mine turned off by pulling the starter relay fuse, which didn't matter because I rewired the starter the week before because the starter relay was shorting out. The current problem is that the engine won't shut off without removing the radio fuse.

I traced my problem to water in the fuse block under dash. Something to do with submerging it every now and then. Still waiting for a new fuse block to replace it with. But I would start looking for your problem around there under the dash, look for corrosion on the fuses and relays, or loose wires or connectors.

Re: Parking lights stay on... W... T... F...

Does this jeep have a rear hitch? Does it use the module that plugs inline from the brake lights to the trailer plug?

My 95 did and the box went sour and F'd up my lights. If you have the light controller, try unplugging it.

Re: Parking lights stay on... W... T... F...

Wow where is said controller?

I does have a hitch, and looking at the wiring it all ties together with the lighting system and the brake controller.

Re: Parking lights stay on... W... T... F...

Mine is bolted up inside the rear bumper under the driver tail light. If you pull the tail light, you may see where the controller wires are spliced into the brake light wiring. Follow down from there; or up from the trailer plug.

Re: Parking lights stay on... W... T... F...

Mine was a Hoppy box under the trim in the rear left quarter. Never worked right and was very corroded so I just bought another and stuck it in there.