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2001 Sport Rear Hatch Light

N

NebraskaXJ

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Nebraska, USA
The light on the dashboard that indicates my rear hatch is open is on even when the rear hatch is not. The light flickers bright and dim but remains on whenever the Jeep is running. Ideas?
 
Sounds like a sensor problem. I don't have that much experience with this but there must be a sensor in the rear hatch that causes the light to go on.

Similar to the door ajar sensors
 
The 2000 FSM shows a 'tailgate' switch, as part of the interior lighting circuits (8W-44) Unfortunately, it doesn't show where it is located or what it looks like.
I have never noticed a switch when the rear tailgate's plastic interior cover has been removed, but then I wasn't looking for it.

A quick internet search turns up nothing about a 'tailgate switch', no information about it, what it looks likes or where to find it.
 
Last edited:
lazyxj said:
The 2000 FSM shows a 'tailgate' switch, as part of the interior lighting circuits (8W-44).
Click to expand...

Damaged tailgate and driver door wires are very common and can easily lead to 12 volts shorted to ground, or 12 volts shorted to other circuits in the wire harness.

IMO your first diagnostic step should be an inspection of the tail gate wire harness at the hinges. Look for cracked or chafed wire insulation, and damaged or broken wires.


.
medium800.jpg
 
Last edited:
Tim_MN said:
Damaged tailgate and driver door wires are very common and can easily lead to 12 shorted to ground, or 12 volts shorted to other circuits in the wire harness.
Click to expand...

Tim
Do you know where the 'tailgate switch' is located and what it looks like?
I cannot find any information about it other than being shown in the Factory wiring schematic.
 
I just replaced the 2 wires for the rear defogger in my son’s XJ. Both were broke where they went through the grommet to the hatch.
 
So, no one on the forum has clue where the 'tailgate switch' is located or how the interior light is triggered, when opening the tailgate?
I'm surprised.
 
I have a spare tailgate in the shed, I will take a look inside.
 
I looked in the FSM and found the lift gate switch on page 8W-40-12. There is no door jamb switch like the passenger doors, and no mercury tilt switch like the hood lamp. A proximity switch doesn't seem practical, so a switch integrated in to the latch mechanism seemed the most likely. I messed with the tailgate hatch on the daily driver and inspected the latch mechanism on the spare tailgate as much as possible in 3* weather, and came to the same conclusion.
 
Ralph77 said:
So how did you manual trip the hitch light?
Click to expand...

I tripped the tailgate latch closed with a screwdriver and watched the interior lights turn off. Opened the latch with the tailgate handle and the interior lights came on.
As Ralph77 pointed out, the switch is in the latch mechanism.
 
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