Prestin_xj Posted January 23, 2022 Posted January 23, 2022 HELP!! In the process of putting my dash back in my 88’ mj. I completely gutted the interior to swap in a different dash and do the heater core. Must’ve forgot some wiring somewhere when putting the dash back in but I have no idea where. Trying to charge the battery, and when the tender is turned on this is what happens when I turn the key on and off. When the key is off, the ac compressor clicks. When the key is on the compressor stops clicking and the fuel light/cluster gauges pulse along with the seatbelt light and radio screen. And one of the circular relays under the dash starts clicking. Gauge cluster and climate control lights also won’t come on. Also does different stuff when I have the headlight switch pulled out. I’m thinking some kind of ground but like I said I’m lost. Everything seems to be plugged back in… Any ideas?? 😔
Ωhm Posted January 23, 2022 Posted January 23, 2022 Check on the braided strap between CAB and ENGINE block.
Prestin_xj Posted January 23, 2022 Author Posted January 23, 2022 This is all I have there.. but, this has never happened before until I swapped the dash. I’m thinking it’s something under the dash.
MiNi Beast Posted January 24, 2022 Posted January 24, 2022 Hots touching me thinks. a/c and blower share wiring on that side. So between dash switches to the heater box to the engine bay relay box to compressor. Always double check whatbyou worked on last before notice of issues. Sometimes we all have brain farts and plug it wrong, or not at all. But if your swapping wiring harness ensure the combabilty between harness years.
cruiser54 Posted January 24, 2022 Posted January 24, 2022 CRUISER'S MOSTLY RENIX TIPS IMPROVING THE INSTRUMENT PANEL GROUND NOVEMBER 17, 2015 SALAD 27 COMMENTS EDIT The ground point for the complete instrument cluster on your XJ or MJ is located up under the driver’s side dash. If you lay on your back and look up under there with a flashlight, without wearing a hat, you will see a black wire attached to a shiny piece of metal almost directly above the hood release knob. The screw will have either a ¼” or 5/16″ head on it. This ground point is responsible for handling the ground circuit for the following items: Dome lamps, seat belt and key warnings, transmission power/comfort switch, wiper switch, headlamp switch and delay module, fog lamp switch, cargo lamp switch, all instrument panel grounds and illumination, power windows and door locks, cruise control dump valve, and a few more things. The problem is that where the ground point is located does not share good contact with the chassis where the ground should be. The solution is simple: Make up a jumper wire with #10 gauge wire about 10″ long. On one end, crimp on a ¼” round wire terminal. On the other end, crimp on a 3/8″ round wire terminal. Remove the screw from the existing ground wire and attach the small terminal of your jumper so that the original wire and your new jumper share the same attaching point, one over the other. Look above the driver’s side plastic kick panel just forward of the top of the hood release knob. You will see an 8mm stud there. Attach the large terminal end there with a washer and nut over it tightened securely. Use a coating of OxGard at all ground contact surfaces when attaching the screw and nut. **Special note for Comanche owners: Make your jumper wire 12″ long and attach it on the driver’s side kick panel close to the fusebox on the 8mm stud.**
Prestin_xj Posted February 15, 2022 Author Posted February 15, 2022 @cruiser54 I had done some researching on these forums and had saw you recommended that to someone else. So I figured I’d try it, unfortunately it gave no positive results :/ I’m stumped 😣
OldSch88L Posted February 20, 2022 Posted February 20, 2022 You said you swapped in a new dash... Was it an XJ dash by any chance? Something similar happened to me, swapping a complete XJ dash with harness and fusebox in my MJ. The wires on the XJ bulkhead connector don't all line up with the Comanche one. I had to find pinout diagrams from both an XJ and MJ to know where to reposition the wires in the connector.
Prestin_xj Posted February 21, 2022 Author Posted February 21, 2022 @OldSch88L it’s an mj dash. Kept all of my original electrical and cluster etc. just swapped the dash to put in a black one
Ωhm Posted February 21, 2022 Posted February 21, 2022 I'll take a shoot in the dark here. Is it possible that the cluster connectors can go in two different ways?
89 MJ Posted February 22, 2022 Posted February 22, 2022 IIRC, it can go in both right side up and upside down. It shouldn’t be too difficult to fix, but you will have to pull the cluster again.
Prestin_xj Posted March 4, 2022 Author Posted March 4, 2022 On 2/21/2022 at 6:25 PM, Ωhm said: I'll take a shoot in the dark here. Is it possible that the cluster connectors can go in two different ways? I wondered that.. I also wonder if the brown plug that goes on the back of the headlight switch could be backwards? Not sure where to find a diagram showing that. Tomorrow, I’ll look and see if my cluster is plugged in like the picture you attached 🤔
Ωhm Posted March 5, 2022 Posted March 5, 2022 17 hours ago, Prestin_xj said: Not sure where to find a diagram showing that. _mj1988electricalmanual_1.pdf
Fryedaddy Posted March 18, 2022 Posted March 18, 2022 Its very easy to pinch wires in between the steering wheel mount when putting the dash back on. Check there.
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