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Electrical question, NO gauges/odometer/radio/int. lights/underhood light work ??

TurboGoKart

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Columbus, OH
Hi. This is my friends 97 XJ. I installed 2 Hella lights for him yesterday. Pre-install, everything worked. POST install, I've got NO gauges (all cluster lights work, but every gauge is parked on the left), odometer readout is dark, no radio, no interior lights, and no underhood light.

I physically checked ALL the fuses, both underhood and inside the pass. kick panel. None were blown. None of the relays described any of those functions so I didnt replace any. I checked the voltage specifically on fuse # 9 and 17. Key off read 0v., and key ON read +12v (on one side of course).

I don't currently have an FSM and wiring diagram, however, I need one to trace those fuses to where they go so I can check for a break somewhere. As far as installing the lights, I drilled a hole for the switch in the dash panel just to the right of the ign. switch and the only thing I can think of so far is that maybe I clipped a wire doing that??? I still don't know why all those random things failed though just by adding a wire to the positive terminal on the battery, a body ground underhood, then another ground on under the dash, and tapping the power for the lighted switch from the +12v on the OBD service port. None of that by itself should cause those things to fail.

Any ideas please?
 
You need power on both sides of the fuse, in and out. Fuse 17 at the junction block would be my best guess. But when doing after market connections and possibly a poor ground someplace, you may get a sub system crossed and get measurable voltage into a fuse, but little to no amperage, it can fool you. In a nutshell you can measure the voltage out of a light bulb as power into a fuse, if a ground is bad or sub systems get crossed up. Fairly common screw up when installing after market sound systems.

You may have a bad main fuse in the PDC, check power in and power out, don't trust a visual test, they can look good and still be bad.

Be careful of that air bag, pocking around under the dash, you may get a painful surprise.
 
I can't remember where it is exactly, but on the left of the steering wheel under the dash is a big mass of wire loom. Wiggle that. I have a buddy that has a late model who had to fix the ground in that area. Mine has lost all gauge reading as you describe but I have been too lazy to fix mine yet as it has only happened twice in the past year and I just reach under there while in the seat and wiggle till it comes back.
 
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Well it turns out the jager was making me blind apparently. My buddy checked the IOD fuse in the under hood fuse box and it was blown. Lol. Smh. So we replaced that and got everything back except the radio. Once I find a good labelled fuse box diagram for the one in the pass. kick panel, I'll replace that fuse as well.
 
You need power on both sides of the fuse, in and out.
With the fuse in I understand that. I should have specified that I was testing those with the fuse out (measuring voltage where the fuse goes in). My thought was if the fuse was good, but it's not even getting power to that fuse (circuit) that it was something else before that fuse. If both sides of the fuse plug read +12v something is wrong lol. There'd be no need for a fuse at that point. :spin1:
 
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