Dashlights and taillights do not work

[sixditchoffroad]

Long story short.... Went wheeling and the dash lights and tail lights don't work anymore. I've checked all the fuses, wires, took the taillight housing off checked around in there, I've just got done taking the the dash out and (that sucked) checked the wires there and all the wires leading into the headlight switch it all looks good.. I'm guessing that I have to change the headlight switch itself, how the F' do you do that? I got as much of the dash out that I can, thats as far as I've gotten. ( 1993 cherokee sport 4wd)... thanks

 

[xj jak]

Re: DASHLIGHTS AND TAILLIGHTS DO NOT WORK

that fuse is also tied into your front marker lights on older(mines a 88) models atleast.. check the wiring going to your tail lights and to the marker lights or just hard wire it onto a switch with an inline fuse like i did and dont worry about the marker lights

 

[sixditchoffroad]

Re: DASHLIGHTS AND TAILLIGHTS DO NOT WORK

that fuse is also tied into your front marker lights on older(mines a 88) models atleast.. check the wiring going to your tail lights and to the marker lights or just hard wire it onto a switch with an inline fuse like i did and dont worry about the marker lights

fuses are good, hardwire maybe if I cant get it to work.

 

[xj jak]

did u chase the wires down both directions? like stated earlier i just got lazy and hardwired mine but today i was ripping out all of the useless junk off my jeep aka about a million wires and it was the marker lense wire just chewed up enough to make contact w/ the body and ground out..

 

[sixditchoffroad]

What color is that wire? I'm about to go take the rest of the dash out and see what the heck I can find. I did find a headlight switch with a lifetime warranty at O'rileys for 21.99. I just want to make sure that I've done everything that I can before I do all that ( buy parts or hardwire) thanks aaron

 

[jesusjeep19]

I am having the same problem as youl; no running lights or gauge lights. But I slid in to a snow burm as big as my jeep and it did it. But I did get a new headlight switch and it still does the same thing. But I found that if you pull the switch level out very slowly, right before it clicks in to the running lights position I hear a click and the gauge lights come on and so do all running lights.

 

[jesusjeep19]

Bump

 

[djt81185]

Im having the same problem in my 1989. No tail lights or dash lights. Weird thing is I can turn the gauge dimmer like almost 2 whole turns. Also my left turn signal was actin burnt out. Where are both of the fuse panels so i can check em when i get home today?

 

[jesusjeep19]

One of the fuse panels is in the upper left foot area on the drivers side. The other is under the hood just above your battery. But like the other guy siad, fuses didn't seem to fix the problem we are having.

 

[8Mud]

Im having the same problem in my 1989. No tail lights or dash lights. Weird thing is I can turn the gauge dimmer like almost 2 whole turns. Also my left turn signal was actin burnt out. Where are both of the fuse panels so i can check em when i get home today?

To the left of the brake, is the fuse block for the Renix.
The path is from a fusible link to the park lamp fuse, to the headlight switch and then to the parking lamps *and* from the headlight switch through the instrument light dimmer, back down to the fuse block through the instrument light fuse, back up to the instrument lights.

The dimmer coil in the rear of the headlight switch, is a coil type resistor, with a wiper arm (primitive variable resistor). The coil gets red hot and is uncovered on the back of the headlight switch, if the coil twists, breaks, shorts or whatever, it can fry the connector or some wiring.
This can blow the instrument light fuse and the parking lamp fuse. The wires get hot and can actually relax the spade connector that the fuse plugs into and or melt the insulation off of the wires. Especially if someone tried a bigger fuse as a fix. Or even blow the fusible link.

 

[8Mud]

I am having the same problem as youl; no running lights or gauge lights. But I slid in to a snow burm as big as my jeep and it did it. But I did get a new headlight switch and it still does the same thing. But I found that if you pull the switch level out very slowly, right before it clicks in to the running lights position I hear a click and the gauge lights come on and so do all running lights.

Probably the switch rod isn't seated all the way in. There is a stack of switches, the centers have to line up and the rod has to be all the way in. With cheap switches I've had to depress the rod button under the dash and knock the switch/rod all the way in with the bottom of my fist. Hoping the whole works doesn't shatter on me.

 

[jesusjeep19]

So my dad decided to tear into the problem while I was at work today. He said he found a short in a wire somewhere. I didn't catch where but I will post up once I find out more information. And thanks for the help 8Mud.

 

[djt81185]

replaced the switch and a blown 10 amp fuse...I now have parking lights and dash lights. But i think i broke the turn signal stalk as I now dont have low beams and the hi beams only come on if i hold the switch in. Also broke apart the rear defroster switch and lost the spring in side of there...I think i broke more then i fixed today.

 

[sixditchoffroad]

UPDATE: Took the time to tear apart the dash and take the headlight switch out ( not as hard as some members made it seem) to replace it. I got the new switch from O'riley's 21.99 lifetime warr. Didn't even fix it, I do have a new headlight switch tho!! I still need to know what color wire it is running in the harness that runs down the kick panel so I can hard wire this thing, at this point I dont care if I have dash lights. Aaron

 

[Maz]

Probably the switch rod isn't seated all the way in. There is a stack of switches, the centers have to line up and the rod has to be all the way in. With cheap switches I've had to depress the rod button under the dash and knock the switch/rod all the way in with the bottom of my fist. Hoping the whole works doesn't shatter on me.

I just joined in with the "no dash & tail lights" crowd. It happened right after I had a shop tighten the 4 bolts in the steering column. It could be pure coincident. I don't know.

All fuses in the fuse box (next to brake pedal) are good. Is there a secondary fuse box under the hood for Renix era?

Is the consensus here that the headlight switch is the cause of this problem?

8Mud, are you talking about the headlight switch?

 

[89xj]

had the same problem with the tailights and dash lights on my 89 with 5speed. problem was the clutch master was dripping fluid on the fuse block. the fuses checked out good, but there was no power going through them. the problem was the fluid eat the inside of the block and lost power to the fuse. had to pigtail the wires in the back of the fuse block and re-run the wires to the fuse. it was a real pain in the ass because of how short the wires are in the back of the fuse block.

 

[downunderxj]

I had a similar problem with no instrument panel lights, or tail lights - cause was a blown fuse in the block under the dashboard on the right hand side.

I had removed the stock rear tyre carrier, and decided to move the license plate back to the original position so had also removed the license plate light, pulled the wires back through the hole but had not finished off the job, just left them dangling there and closed the back door. They must have shorted out, and blown the fuse.

So all good now :laugh3:

 

[alfman]

Maz,
Up to 1990 there is one fuse box under dash on drivers side. you have relays under hood under cover by battery. One relay under hood on driver side for fog lights.

 

[Maz]

Maz,
Up to 1990 there is one fuse box under dash on drivers side. you have relays under hood under cover by battery. One relay under hood on driver side for fog lights.

Thanks alfman for clarifying that.

BTW, replacing the headlight switch cured the problem.

Cheers

 

[Serveck]

i too have this problem, pull out the switch and it blows the fuse instantly, checked all light sockets, all are good (even REPLACED the passenger rear one) im pretty sure it may be the headlight switch. but how do you take it out! there is nothing i can find between 3 manuals, online or ANYTHING that tells me how to get it out. i need to figure this out before i wind up destroying the entire dashboard.