Mira's '93 XJ 2-dr. build (11-year-old's first Jeep)

[crimsondragon]

Is the jeep shrinking, or is your daughter getting bigger? How long till she gets her license? Looking great Mira and Craig.

I was thinking the same thing. I had to check the front of the page to see when it was first started. Only 2 years and she shot up like a beanstalk like it's been 5. Guess puberty started.

 

[1x1_Speed_Craig]

Contortionist Mira performs some under-dash work. Mira's base-model Jeep XJ now has under-dash courtesy lights, and we got some of the wiring run for the Gentex Temp/Compass mirror. We were not able to get her lighted visors working, as the plug for the harness differs between her 1997 model, and the 1999 donor model. That's OK, though...she'll still get (non-lit) vanity mirrors.

However, it's typically 2 steps forward, one step back. Now her gauges/stereo aren't working. We'll address that another day.

We also got the new later-model (1999) headliner, sound bar & speakers installed today. This replaced the old, sagging headliner.

 

[jamiemac]

Excellent! Going to be a great Jeep!

 

[Begster]

However, it's typically 2 steps forward, one step back. Now her gauges/stereo aren't working. We'll address that another day.

There is a fuse under the hood in the PDC that controls the gauges and stereo, I would check there.

 

[1x1_Speed_Craig]

Excellent! Going to be a great Jeep!

Thanks jamiemac!

There is a fuse under the hood in the PDC that controls the gauges and stereo, I would check there.

Thanks Begster. I just dug our Haynes Manual out of storage, and haven't had the chance to look into this yet. Thanks for the heads-up...we'll start there first! Much appreciated.

Craig & Mira

 

[Goose_XJ88]

Hey thats the most comfortable position when working under the dash, Ive been upside-down like that many times in my jeep. The problem comes when you have to get out and almost always fall on the ground. Jeeps looking good though.

 

[VAhasnoWAVES]

There is a fuse under the hood in the PDC that controls the gauges and stereo, I would check there.

QFT

what year is the jeep?

i installed a later model head liner with the molded sound bar into my '97 and had the same issue. i believe the fuse operates the dash, stereo, and interior lights. jeep isnt around, so i cant check my FSM, but if it keeps happening you might have 2 wires backwards in the dome lights. the colors werent plug and play from my '97 to the donor light connectors.

 

[jeeperjohn]

Great to see this project progressing. She will have a great ride that she will be rightly proud of.

 

[1x1_Speed_Craig]

Great to see this project progressing. She will have a great ride that she will be rightly proud of.

Thanks, jeeperjohn! :cheers:

There is a fuse under the hood in the PDC that controls the gauges and stereo, I would check there.

QFT

what year is the jeep?

i installed a later model head liner with the molded sound bar into my '97 and had the same issue. i believe the fuse operates the dash, stereo, and interior lights. jeep isnt around, so i cant check my FSM, but if it keeps happening you might have 2 wires backwards in the dome lights. the colors werent plug and play from my '97 to the donor light connectors.

Bingo...thanks guys. The 15-amp fuse in the engine bay was blown. I replaced it, and it blew after 10 seconds or so.

VAhasnoWAVES, Mira's Jeep is a '97, as well, and the dome light wires were reversed, as you mentioned. I fixed the rear by swapping (carefully) the wires within the plug. The front one wasn't blowing fuses, but would stay on when the door was closed, and turn off when it's open (opposite from normal behavior). I replaced the entire harness that runs up the A-pillar (also to get the lighted visor wires), and that did the trick.

SO, Mira's Gentex Temp/Compass mirror is now installed & working, the lighted vanity mirrors are now working, and the instrument cluster/stereo is working again, as well. It was a very productive weekend! Big thanks to my fiancee Amy for freezing her tush helping out with the work...greatly appreciated.

[/IMG]

 

[crimsondragon]

Hey thats the most comfortable position when working under the dash, Ive been upside-down like that many times in my jeep. The problem comes when you have to get out and almost always fall on the ground. Jeeps looking good though.

I would rather just remove the seat. Only four bolts. Of course I've snapped one of the rear bolts before but let's not discuss that, or how much of a pain it was to fix it either. :gee:

 

[VAhasnoWAVES]

I would rather just remove the seat. Only four bolts. Of course I've snapped one of the rear bolts before but let's not discuss that, or how much of a pain it was to fix it either. :gee:

x2

 

[1x1_Speed_Craig]

I would rather just remove the seat. Only four bolts. Of course I've snapped one of the rear bolts before but let's not discuss that, or how much of a pain it was to fix it either. :gee:

x2

I somewhat agree. However...

Show of Hands - Who here feels that I would be lacking in my parenting skills if "contortion" wasn't one of the key, fundamental teachings for a young Jeep owner?

:wave:

 

[N8N_99xj]

I somewhat agree. However...

Show of Hands - Who here feels that I would be lacking in my parenting skills if "contortion" wasn't one of the key, fundamental teachings for a young Jeep owner?

:wave:

I agree completely!

However, just to be contrary, an opposing viewpoint would be that it is also important to teach the importance of removing fasteners in the driveway and reinstalling with grease or anti-seize, so that when removal out and about is necessary it does not turn into a Huge Project (tm)

By the way this whole thread is making me feel like a lazy sack of crap. I'm pretty sure that it was you that sold me some parts something like a year ago; I just finally got around to installing the front lighting harness over the weekend and now have fog lights. I have serious powers of procrastination.

 

[1x1_Speed_Craig]

I agree completely!

However, just to be contrary, an opposing viewpoint would be that it is also important to teach the importance of removing fasteners in the driveway and reinstalling with grease or anti-seize, so that when removal out and about is necessary it does not turn into a Huge Project (tm)

By the way this whole thread is making me feel like a lazy sack of crap. I'm pretty sure that it was you that sold me some parts something like a year ago; I just finally got around to installing the front lighting harness over the weekend and now have fog lights. I have serious powers of procrastination.

LOL. The seat removal (and anti-seize) is just around the corner, actually. We'll be replacing the carpet with darker (more practical), nicer carpet from the '99 donor XJ.

On-deck prior to that, though:

• Reinstall headliner (after painting of of the inner roof panel underneath that didn't get coated well with primer). I'm not a big fan of POR-15 anymore (I have used it a lot in the past), but have a small can that I'll use because it's easy to brush on vs. spraying Eastwood paint inside the vehicle.
• Reassemble dash
• Turn signal lever/cancel switch swap (current one doesn't cancel after turning). Replace steering wheel with nicer one in the process.
• Fix driver door speaker wiring (shorting out from door opening/closing).
• Attempt to fix "open hatch" light on dash (stays on all the time). I'm not sure what's causing this - a bad switch, bad wiring at the body/hatch interface, etc. The indicator light does not flicker/flash, so I suspect it's more switch-related than wiring. We'll see what we can find.

Regarding the procrastination, I get it, brother! We have progressed pretty slowly with things due to me getting a new (old) house, kids' school/sport schedules, etc. Congrats on getting the new lighting harness installed (finally). LOL

Craig

 

[N8N_99xj]

Somewhere on jeepforum I made a post about installing one of those fancy rearview mirrors with digikey part nos. For the terminals and connector... I have one in mine too & just finally got the outside temp working while I hooked up my fog lights. I need to look at my hatch too, the dash light works OK but dome light doesn't come on.

 

[VAhasnoWAVES]

I somewhat

Show of Hands - Who here feels that I would be lacking in my parenting skills if "contortion" wasn't one of the key, fundamental teachings for a young Jeep owner?

:wave:

i LOL'ed.

 

[1x1_Speed_Craig]

Progress today...sort of.

We painted the inside roof over the driver area with Eastwood Rust Encapsulator paint, as there was a faint tinge of surface rust starting due to the thin OEM primer inside the cab. It probably wasn't necessary, but it gives us some peace of mind, and it was the time to do it.

We also replaced the steering wheel, and multi-function switch, but found after getting everything back together that the turn signals aren't working.

Cruisin' around the yard (which is when we realized that we now have no turn signals, and that the air bag light is also on). Two steps forward, one step back.

 

[1x1_Speed_Craig]

Turn signals and cruise is working again. The turn signals must have just been a connection issue. The old cruise switch (from a different vehicle) was the culprit for the non-working cruise; I switched the switch, and it all works great now.

I got the headliner reinstalled, and the new (all dark) dash swapped in today. All electrical is working with the exception of the driver door speaker (next to be fixed). The center console will be replaced with a dark one to match the dash, and dark carpet will be swapped in, too.

 

[Ben824]

Every XJ I have seen with the driver door speaker having gone out, the cause was a cut wire in the harness boot in the door jam.

 

[1x1_Speed_Craig]

Every XJ I have seen with the driver door speaker having gone out, the cause was a cut wire in the harness boot in the door jam.

I'm certain it's just that, Ben. I checked the harness in our 94K '99 donor XJ this weekend, and it was broken clean, as well. We'll get it fixed.