problem with dash ilumination + other things ?

Hello guys, i am having a strange problem with my 88 xj.

It all started when i was driving in the highway at highspeed (can't tell exactly how high !! ) when all the suddently i lost all the illumination inside the car plus the Radio. The strange thing is that the radio and the dash ilumination are on a diferent fuse, so i must assume, a diferent... wire scheme ?

I have checked the fuses, all OK.

There is power in the fuse box, and there's power on the mentioned fuses.

Now, anyone has any idea why i have no radio + no lights in the dash, no interior ilumination and also, no light "under the gear knob" ?!

Help is really appreciated !!

when i lost dash illumination i also lost the rear lights. mine was do to loose wires in the back of the fuse box from hydraulic fluid leaking on to the fuse lox from the clutch master cylinder. i pretty much had to rewire a bunch of curcuits in the fuse block. although the fuses werent blown, there was no power going through them. use a test light to test the fuses.

could be a ground issue, check all ground wires you can find.

do you have an auto or manual transmission.

When this happens do you lose the heater fan also? This happened to me and it drove me frickin nuts trying to trouble shoot it. What it turned out to be is the ignition switch thing located on the steering column down under the dash. I think that thats the right name for it. It's the piece that bolts to the column and there is the steel rod that runs from the ignition key switch to it. and what is happing is it's worn out and moving alittle causing you to lose power to anything that runs off the acc location on the key switch. Hope this helps.

hello guys, thanks for the fast answers...

89XJ -> thanks for the tip, altough i dont think its from the wires behind the fuse box, anyway, its worth giving a look at. I have auto transmission.

Mikes Offroad -> i dont loose the heather fan, i "only" lose the things mentioned above...

my guess would also be the ignition switch.

by the way... i've looked for, but i cant seem to find exactly what i want, do you guys know where can i get a complete sheme\diagram for the xj electrical part ?

Kad said:

by the way... i've looked for, but i cant seem to find exactly what i want, do you guys know where can i get a complete sheme\diagram for the xj electrical part ?

Click to expand...

Chilton and Haynes manuals have them in the back.

Hey I have fixed two xj s with this same prob. The prob was the fuse box on both. the terminals in the box were dirty, britle, and loose. Try wiggling the associated fuses while the problematic accessories are on. I f they flicker, you have found the problem. I also have another friend that had the same prob. with the illumination lights, gauges, and heater blower. Hope this helps. thanks seth

Ignition switch does not control dashlights, as you can turn them on with the key out too.