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Dash lights keep blowing the fuse - thoughts?

sportsguy

sportsguy

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Nova Scotia, Canada
[font=verdana, arial]OK, so I know the following:

~ Rocking around pops the fuse - like when on the trail
~ Slow easy driving or idling is fine - onroad
~ Time doesn't seem a factor - can work for hours, or minutes
~ Fogs on or off, irrelevant - my Hella's are wired to only come on if the parks (at least) are on
~ Radio on or off, doesn't matter
~ I replaced the headlight switch thinking that was the problem - nope...

It's a 5 amp fuse, which is what is apparently supposed to be there from the factory (1994 Cherokee Sport, auto). This started about a month ago - I came out of First Aid training, pulled the light switch and nothing in the dash lit up. I have no centre console lights, no NVAC lights and no dash lights. All gauges work fine and the headlights and park lights are fine. Signals all work as do hazards.

What the heck is popping this fuse?

I'm thinking there's a wire worn through behind the gauge cluster. Anyone care to offer some insight?[/font]
 
A buddy of mine was having this problem...It was the light to the tranny gear selector. The wire got pinched under the console. Might want to check there.
 
DrMoab said:
A buddy of mine was having this problem...It was the light to the tranny gear selector. The wire got pinched under the console. Might want to check there.
Click to expand...
...and I did have that off a while back...I'll check - thanks.

Duane
 
I had that fuse pop a couple times on my rig. I SHOULD have taken it as a sign that something was wrong, but I just replaced it (5 amp only) then I'm driving and smell acrid smoke. I look down at the fuse box and the 5 amp fuse has melted out and left a hole in my fuse box. Nice. I rewired that, hooked up the battery, still smoking. Shut it off QUICK before it started melting again. I traced the wires to the tail lights, found more burnt wires in behind the taillights and in the pannel behind the Spare tire. Replaced all that, connected the battery again, and the wires became hot to the touch in seconds. Quickly disconnected the battery again, and popped off the tailgate panel. Lo and behold just about the entire wire harness in there was melted together, most of the ground wires were burnt down to exposed copper wires. Yikes! I think what started it all is the rear window defogger. HI amps there, and since that fuse and line is high amp, that circuit "held" enough to cook the other circuits. When I replaced all that EXCEPT the defogger wires, it works great. I'm leaving the defogger off for now to prevent the problem again, and see if I actually need it there.

I truely hope this isn't hapening to you, but be aware of it anyways.

92 XJ loredo
 
I had the same thing happen, turned out to be an exposed wire in the hatch hitting something.
 
Well, I am hearing the rear light wiring harness banging around inside the body on the passenger's side of the rear compartment...behind the rear fender, if you will.

Bangs around while off-road.

Looks like I'm in for a bunch of blown 5 amp fuses while I try to work this out... ;)
 
perhaps try a larger guage of wire to handle the increased amps or the defogger. to be safe, you could also put in a smaller fuse, but then you'll probably get nuisance popping...


Beached Bones said:
I had that fuse pop a couple times on my rig. I SHOULD have taken it as a sign that something was wrong, but I just replaced it (5 amp only) then I'm driving and smell acrid smoke. I look down at the fuse box and the 5 amp fuse has melted out and left a hole in my fuse box. Nice. I rewired that, hooked up the battery, still smoking. Shut it off QUICK before it started melting again. I traced the wires to the tail lights, found more burnt wires in behind the taillights and in the pannel behind the Spare tire. Replaced all that, connected the battery again, and the wires became hot to the touch in seconds. Quickly disconnected the battery again, and popped off the tailgate panel. Lo and behold just about the entire wire harness in there was melted together, most of the ground wires were burnt down to exposed copper wires. Yikes! I think what started it all is the rear window defogger. HI amps there, and since that fuse and line is high amp, that circuit "held" enough to cook the other circuits. When I replaced all that EXCEPT the defogger wires, it works great. I'm leaving the defogger off for now to prevent the problem again, and see if I actually need it there.

I truely hope this isn't hapening to you, but be aware of it anyways.

92 XJ loredo
Click to expand...
 
i have the same problem but it seems to only be my dash lights, spedo, and fuel, (i have no other guage just idiot lights to tell me where the fire that i see is coming from). Where is the fuse for those lights? hopefully i don't run into the same problem. If i am hijacking this thread sorry.


mike
 
When I'm twisted upside down in my 94, the fuse I'm popping, the one for the dash lights, is the 5 amp one in the top right corner of the fuse box.
 
Do you have a setup for a trailer? Maybe the trailer lights are causing the issue....I also assume you're losing the tail lights when the fuse blows.
 
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