Electrical Problems Suck. Help please?

[Scruffy_Pirate]

First off I want to thank Everyone for helping me out last time with my Speedo Problem. It was a simple fix, but I'm a D.A and make things harder then they should be. Now I don't even know what I need help with. Let me real quick ask if anyone has a chassis wiring harness for a comanche with the fuel injected 4.0, Labeled as well? I have a 1988 , but the engine was swapped with a F.I engine out of an early 90's Cherokee and thats where the beauty ends... Wires everywhere.... some go to this some go to that some start nowhere and end nowhere. I have to flick switches here and there to make it run lol.

 

So my running lights are hooked up to a switch. well One day I decided to try and replace a light that hasn't worked since i had the truck, so Here I am replacing the Bulb and a peice of metal falls out of the socket thing, so I try to replace it to the best of my ability and think nothing of it. with the new bulb it still did not work ( something to do with the metal maybe, because I swapped bulbs the other day and it worked fine) anyway after I did that My rear running lights gave me the finger and decided not to work. Tried everything I could think of and nothing worked. So I looked at my fuse ( which is an inline one now) and swapped it with another 20 Amp one and blew the swapped one so I threw a 30 amp one in, it blew. So I threw a 40 in it did not blow, but I forgot that " There are two ends on a peice of string" and let the power go through my 20 amp switch with a 40 amp fuse, well to say the least I melted the switch. my question is Why would my switch all of a sudden be drawing more then 20 amps of power when it didn't do so for months working like that? Thats not the only electric issue but its enough of one lol. also would a chassis harness out of an early 90's cherokee work? I mean I 'm sure it would have extra connections and stuff? I don't know It's my daily driver so it kind of helps if my lights work so I don't get a ticket :/

[lostissues]

no real help on how to fix your problem. but you should never replace fuses with something bigger. the reason you switch burned up now is because you put in a bigger fuse and allowed the current to flow through the switch and burn it up. prior to the fuse swap when the circuit got overloaded it would blow the fuse to protect the other parts of the circuit (switch/wires).

[jimoshel]

Put away the shot gun and try a systematic approach. There is something in that circuit that is defective. First thing you need is a wiring diagram. It will tell you what you should have. Then do a inspection of what you have. If you don't have a multimeter then get one. It's your best friend when it comes to troubleshooting a Renix system, or any electrical circuit.

[64 Cheyenne]

So my running lights are hooked up to a switch. well One day I decided to try and replace a light that hasn't worked since i had the truck, so Here I am replacing the Bulb and a peice of metal falls out of the socket thing, so I try to replace it to the best of my ability and think nothing of it. with the new bulb it still did not work ( something to do with the metal maybe, because I swapped bulbs the other day and it worked fine)

 

 

Which bulb? Front parking light?

 

The sockets on these are problematic and frequently cause problems.

 

Here is the DIY on fixing them viewtopic.php?f=9&t=26001&hilit=socket+replacement

 

As Jimoshel said, a multimeter is your best friend and can be had for cheap example: http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsea ... multimeter

 

Suggest use your multimeter check your front turn signal hot pins in the sockets for continuity to ground, if so maybe

 

replace socket.

 

Lastly I suggest you get a handle on your spaghetti wiring mess. Worse comes to worse, do the HO conversion to

 

match your motor.

 

Here is a link to a 88 FSM viewtopic.php?f=9&t=12517&hilit=factory+service+manuals

 

I know the 88 electrical manual is around here or on the net, couldn't find the link, all else fails I could try send you a copy

 

of the one I got on my computer.

[Scruffy_Pirate]

Thanks guys . It seems the Electrical Gremlin is going to win this one. My engine is out of a 95' Cherokee so I've been at the junk yard ripping out a chassis harness and engine harness and am going to put it in my truck. I don't have time to do it the fun way, its a DD. Thanks For your help , oh and by the way I am going to pick up one of those meters...

[Naterenfo1]

Your switch isnt drawing any amperage, its just a method of completing a circuit. You have a short in your system, and you did exactly what you should not have done... replaced a fuse with larger fuse :roll: . I assume when you put the piece of metal back in you shorted out the circuit on accident. Start by taking that piece of metal back out, going back to a 20 amp fuse, replacing the switch, and go from there. Also look at the wires connected to that bulb and see if they look squiggly. if they look squiggly they are burnt, and could have an internal open from the wires toasting- generally wires connected to running lights/blinkers aren't rated for very much amperage, but you could have gotten lucky and they might still be able to be used! :brows:

 

anyway, hopefully that helps at least get the tail lights working in your truck again, good luck!

 

-Nate

[Garvin]

You will need a lot more than that to swap the harness into your Jeep. Assuming he used the HO intake manifold then the connectors will line up fine there but you will need the ECM then. If the intake manifold (and throttle body) are Renix then the HO wiring harness will not work.

 

If the engine block is an HO but intake/exhaust are Renix then you're better off just swapping in a Renix engine bay harness (or under dash also if that's been hacked up). There will be a few differences between a Cherokee harness and Comanche harness but they are easily fixed and have been documented multiple times (fuel pump and tail light wiring being the main issues).

[cz777]

Put away the shot gun and try a systematic approach. There is something in that circuit that is defective. First thing you need is a wiring diagram. It will tell you what you should have. Then do a inspection of what you have. If you don't have a multimeter then get one. It's your best friend when it comes to troubleshooting a Renix system, or any electrical circuit.

make a light and 20 amp circuit breaker [you can gang switch with lesser and greater amp.] box with switch ..when circuit breaker pops light turns on ...saving fuses and wiring etc cuss words too i love the ''power probe'' ..L.E.D. test lights the one with ''+'' and ''-'' leads ..i hope this helps you ..