flasher issues

Last week when I drove the XJ, I noticed that the right signal indicator on the dash just glowed bright and didn't blink when I turned right. I got out and looked, and I had lights everywhere except the right front running light (below the RF headlight). Figured it was the bulb, so I put a new one in just now.

It worked, but blinked slower and wasn't as bright as the left one. Once I started it up, it stopped blinking and I was right back where I started: no blinking, and just a brighter, solid indicator on the dash when engaged.

My next thought/guess was a signal relay, but I have no idea where it is or what it looks like or how to check it or where to get one or even if I'm leaning in the right direction.

Which means the only thing I have done right so far on this fix today is to post up here and ask for ideas. Hope your weekend is more productive-

what year is your jeep again Greg? its an early model right? check the bulbs on both ends front and rear, sometimes the filaments break and get crossed up and can cause the exact problem you're having.

the flasher relay is a silver canister looking deal in the fuse panel by your left foot under the dash. they're only a couple bucks at the parts store.

Mine's an 88. All of the other bulbs are lit and work fine. Hmmm....

Oh, and only one flasher relay works the whole thing? That means if the left flash OK all around, then it must be working fine?

yes. on some years there is a separate flasher for the hazards and the signals, but they both look the same and are in the same place there will be either one or two.

just because the other bulbs work doesn't mean they are fine. there are two filaments in the bulb if one breaks and makes contact with the other it may still work but cause a big draw on the system and cause the problem you are having. i had the exact same problem on my 87 MJ. it only takes a few seconds to check the other front bulb and the tail lights and it wont cost ya anything so in my book it's worth it for peace of mind at least.

Sometimes. Lol. Do the hazard's work correctly? If so switch out the relay and see if that fixes your issue. You may also want to check your harness. The plug is behind the drivers side headlight bucket. Look for a corroded ground. Actually check for any corroded wires. Normally when your turn signal indicator light stays on its because you have a bad bulb. BUT, bad ground, or relay will cause the same issue.

Beat me to it.

wgregt said:

Mine's an 88. All of the other bulbs are lit and work fine. Hmmm....

Oh, and only one flasher relay works the whole thing? That means if the left flash OK all around, then it must be working fine?

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I suggest unplugging EVERY electrical connection in the engine bay you can find, whether engine related or not, and spraying it out with a good electronics cleaner, visually inspecting the terminals making sure they haven’t retracted into the plastic holder, and then plugging it back together. There’s a critical 10-pin connector for the front lighting system located in front of the air cleaner and behind the left headlight assembly. Don’t miss that one. Also be sure that the connectors to the ballast resistor mounted near the air cleaner housing are clean and tight.
ALL of the relays should be removed, the terminals wire-brushed until shiny, and the receptacles sprayed out with contact cleaner. Then plug them back in. I do this on every Renix Jeep I purchase or work on for someone else.
Revised 07/23/2012

Why are you yelling? Lol

To point out the 10 pin connector part of the write-up. I'd post a photo if I could.

Click on the following link and go to Post #3 for a photo.

http://www.cherokeeforum.com/f51/cruiser54s-mostly-renix-tips-153657/

Tried the hazard lights today just for fun, and all 4 corners flash, though the right front (where I was having the trouble with the signal working) is really faint.

Maybe the replacement bulb is lower wattage (though I did just buy it new and it matched up fine, but the orange glass color is somewhat lighter than the original one.)

Looked at the fuse box and I see the round flashers Grimm spoke of, one in each corner of the fuse box. One is AL and one is plastic it looks like. Any idea which one is for the signal? I think one was upper left (AL) and one was lower right (plastic.)

Turn on the Flasher and listen for the one that clicks.

wgregt said:

Tried the hazard lights today just for fun, and all 4 corners flash, though the right front (where I was having the trouble with the signal working) is really faint.

Maybe the replacement bulb is lower wattage (though I did just buy it new and it matched up fine, but the orange glass color is somewhat lighter than the original one.)

Looked at the fuse box and I see the round flashers Grimm spoke of, one in each corner of the fuse box. One is AL and one is plastic it looks like. Any idea which one is for the signal? I think one was upper left (AL) and one was lower right (plastic.)

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I beleive they're labelled.
But, as suggested, turn on the hazards. Touch the flashers. The one clicking is hazard, the one not is turn signal.

It ain't the bulb, but probably a bad bulb socket.

the flasher cans are interchangeable i believe the part number is 552. switch them and see if the problem follows the flasher. if you're having a dim bulb though i'd put my money on a bad or corroded socket as cruiser is suggesting. also check the headlight harness plug for corrosion as well, also as cruiser suggested.

Yep. a bad flasher doesn't cause only one light to have a problem since it's common to other lights also.

The sockets on the XJ's are of a poor design as far as the ground in the socket. Had both go bad at diferent times on my 87. Autozone has an assortment of different sockets for GM, Ford & Chrysler. I found that the lugs that twist into the parking light housing are the same on the 3 popular sockets. I was going to use Ford truck sockets from a 70's pickup but settled on GM sockets, they aren't expensive.
Before changing the sockets I did a temporary repair by wraping a wire around the ground tang on the side of the socket where it contacts the bulb and ran it to a ground.

Well, here's what I did and what I know.

Cleaned the 10 pin connector and put on some dielectric grease. Checked all bulbs for broken filaments (none.) Turned on the left signal, felt the clicking relay, swapped the hazard replay for this one, turned on the right signal, and...it worked. Left one still worked too, so I'm thinking I'm done and only need a flasher relay.

BUT, why would the old one only work on the left and not the right? Odd. I checked the RF bulb again, cleaned the contacts on the holder. Still worked. Still thinking I only need a flasher relay.

But then, I turned the headlights on, and...the RF indicator on the dash glowed, and I did not have the right signals on. Flasher works fine on all signals until I turned on the headlights.

One more odd thing. When the headlights are off, hazard lights on, and the indicators flash, when standing behind it, both signals (L&R) flash in unison. But the front signals flash wig-wag...one, then the other, not in unison. This correct?

So now, though I can get them all to work correctly with a relay swap (apparently) I'm right back to where I started when the headlights are on.

>> I had the headlight switch swapped out a bit ago, but this did current problem did not happen until a few weeks ago. Coincidence?

I'm stumped Greg. Since your problems are localized to the front end though i would still suspect a problem with the headlight harness. either a short somewhere in that connector (tried giving it a shake around while the headlights on and see if anything changes?) or a wire somewhere in the harness that has rubbed the insulation off and is shorting out.

I double-checked the signal flasher by swapping it out with the hazard one. They both work fine. Pulled the front bulbs again, and they are all fine. Pulled both rear corner light units, and all bulbs on both sides are fine and working. Right now the RF signal light (below the headlight) is the only one that won't flash on/off when I lock/unlock the doors with the alarm fob, and the right signals still won't flash. Still just glows the right arrow on the dash. Any other wild geese I can chase on this? I'm stumped.

I'm betting the one that won's flash has a bad ground.

cruiser54 said:

I'm betting the one that won's flash has a bad ground.

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