FusePanel/Wiring swap, noworking lights, and a laughing wife

[nickel]

My Jeep: 1987 Comanche, 4.0l, 5-spd

 

I replaced my fuse panel and complete under-dash wiring harness with one from a 1989 cherokee limited(auto tranny). I did a lot of research on here during this swap, and have resolved most issues with adapting the rear wiring harness and whatnot…however…..

 

Truck runs fine now, its just that I have no headlights, dashlights, running lights or taillights/brakelights. However, the blinkers work fine front and rear. Go figure. But wait: no hazards.

 

This is especially frustrating because the lack of working brake lights (caused by a melted fuse panel) was what prompted the whole swap! Now I don’t even have headlights. Needless to say the wife finds the whole thing very amusing. Yeah, she’s a funny lady. Ha ha. I am tempted to go unplug a few of her spark plug wires and see who is laughing tomorrow morning...But before I ruin my marriage:

 

Any suggestions? I have checked the grounds under the dash, inside the fender, behind the rear taillight, and the main one under the dipstick. All connections appear to be plugged in.

I will take any suggestions at this point. I have searched this forum and a couple others up and down, but no luck.

[1987Comanche]

Really your best (if most time consuming) option is to start at your headlight (or tail light), probe the contacts with a multimeter to check for voltage and work your way back to the fuse panel. Perhaps you have a connector that didn't seat fully somewhere along the way.

[shelbyluvv]

You sure the head light switch was a good one?

 

Did you wire the white wire into the harness to get the brake lights to function properly? Did you adjust the brake light switch?

[nickel]

I'm pretty sure the headlight switch was ok before I started messing with stuff. I wouldn't necessarily bet the farm on it though...

 

As for the white wire...I am not sure on that one. I spliced the connections on the MJ body plug for the rear of the truck (tail lights plus fuel pump) into the correct locations on the new XJ harness. I used an EXTREMELY helpful diagram that was posted here, and I followed it to a T. After this the blinkers worked properly (well, sans hazard flashing mode) and the fuel pump was all good; however still no tailights. I do not recall a white wire in that MJ body plug either. Which white wire would this be?

 

I am dreading having to go through the whole truck with a multimeter...meh. My plan isto go through and remove the trailer ligh wiring that the previous owner put in there, and start tracing wires back from the tailights up to the brake switch. When I last left off this project I was in the process of removing the brake switch. I took it apart and manually pressed the connection together and still nothing.

 

This damn truck. I love it to death, and my wife doesn't understand. To tell you the truth I don't either, but I would get rid of my TJ waaay before I would part with this stupid truck. It's like a fat chick with a great personality. You love her to death, and nobody else understands.

[shelbyluvv]

http://www.comancheclub.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=19695&start=15

 

Read the post from me about half way down this page about the brake light wiring.

[nickel]

That thread was the one I was using to adapt the rear harness (which major props to mfpdm on that one...I bet it was time consuming but oh-so-helpful). The thing is, I don't recall having an extra wire when I was done. Just the regular ones that were to be left unused

 

Here is the part I thought was odd from mfpdm's original post:

 

"# Pin 3 on XJ C118 connects to pin 5 on XJ C119. This will provide proper wiring for the brake lights."

 

This was the only wire I really had "left" over. Could this be the mystery wire you speak of?

Re-reading over your post, it looked like it was talking about adapting things to an HO dash harnes...this was an 87 to 89, so it should have all been Renix.

I apologize if I read it wrong. At any rate, I will be investigating tonite.

[Jeep Driver]

That thread was the one I was using to adapt the rear harness (which major props to mfpdm on that one...I bet it was time consuming but oh-so-helpful). The thing is, I don't recall having an extra wire when I was done. Just the regular ones that were to be left unused

 

Here is the part I thought was odd from mfpdm's original post:

 

"# Pin 3 on XJ C118 connects to pin 5 on XJ C119. This will provide proper wiring for the brake lights."

 

This was the only wire I really had "left" over. Could this be the mystery wire you speak of?

Re-reading over your post, it looked like it was talking about adapting things to an HO dash harnes...this was an 87 to 89, so it should have all been Renix.

I apologize if I read it wrong. At any rate, I will be investigating tonite.

 

 

 

The last 89 XJ I had was a mix of AMC and Chrysler parts, this was an early year model. The 89 I had prior to that was all Chrysler. Don't know that I would assume anything in a 89 model.

[JeepcoMJ]

all of that should run through the headlight switch at some point.

 

assuming your fuses are good, I'd start by swapping another headlight switch in.