Short Somewhere???!!??

[8Cherokee9]

Any help on this one would be great. I keep blowing the parking light fuse when I turn on the lights. And when that fuse goes so do my dash lights. All of the other light still work, headlights, turn, etc. The wiring diagrams say a whole bunch of stuff works off the headlight switch. I spent a day tracing wires and refrencing wiring diagrams and still I can't find anything shorted, crossed or grounded. Is there a way to test the head light switch or should I keep tracing wires? Oh and it is a 89 xj if that helps any.

 

[XJ_ranger]

Any help on this one would be great. I keep blowing the parking light fuse when I turn on the lights. And when that fuse goes so do my dash lights. All of the other light still work, headlights, turn, etc. The wiring diagrams say a whole bunch of stuff works off the headlight switch. I spent a day tracing wires and refrencing wiring diagrams and still I can't find anything shorted, crossed or grounded. Is there a way to test the head light switch or should I keep tracing wires? Oh and it is a 89 xj if that helps any.

hate to be a jerk -

did you check the bulbs? if they are broken and shorting - fuse goes POP!

OEM tech btw...

 

[8Cherokee9]

hate to be a jerk -

did you check the bulbs? if they are broken and shorting - fuse goes POP!

OEM tech btw...

Yes....even tried brand new ones and i am still blowing the fuse with no bulbs in. I even clean the connections in the socket.

 

[Runnin'OnEmpty]

It could be a short in one of the sockets, or the light switch itself. It's hard to test because of the fuse immediately blowing. Try disconnecting the parking light wiring, and re-pluging one by one until the fuse blows. If the fuse blows with all sockets unplugged, then I'd suspect the switch.

Don't forget the side marker lights.

 

[8Cherokee9]

Thanks...I will try that and see if it works. And I did forget about those side marker lights. DUH!

 

[csr_011]

Just a thought, but if you have trailer hitch wiring exposed, check that out. That was my problem awhile back, I stood on my hitch(wiring wrapped around it) and it was arcing out there, shorting the fuze..

Cory

 

[8Cherokee9]

Just a thought, but if you have trailer hitch wiring exposed, check that out. That was my problem awhile back, I stood on my hitch(wiring wrapped around it) and it was arcing out there, shorting the fuze..

Cory

Hmmmm....good idea.

 

[8Mud]

The diagram I´m looking at shows the park fuse (10 amp) doesn´t affect the dash lights (seperate fuse) and is fused after the headlight switch. The park fuse (on my diagram) supplies power to the clock group illum. though.
Whole bunch of places for the park circuit wiring to rub through, on sharp edges. Right around the rear of the headlights is spagehetti, also behind the left rear cargo panel and where the tail light wiring goes through the body.
I´ve gotten in the habit of keeping a whole box full of that protective plastic cable cover (that I scrounged from the junkyard) and spending a few minutes covering most of the exposed wiring, anytime I have a trouble spot exposed (especially near sheet metal), to avoid future problems.
The only way I can see to trouble shoot it, is to seperate every connector, I can get to and plugging them in one at a time until the fuse blows. Once you´ve segregated the short, things get easier. Unplugging them until the fuse stops blowing could use a bunch of fuses.
Under the carpet on the drivers side is a good spot to look for shorts (but I don´t beleive the park light circuit runs there) anyother good spot is the door sill kick panels, I´ve often seen the sheet metal screws holding down the kick panels, screwed right through the cable harness.

 

[wilcharl]

had the same problem on an 88 was the light bulb socket.. popping the fuse... got pulled over by pentagon police over here in arlington so i feel your pain

 

[Dirt]

dude change out the switch. promise. I've seen it to many times

 

[8Cherokee9]

I FOUND IT!!!! When I was working on my wiper motor I "accidently" grounded the wires back there that happen to work my parking lights and int. dash lights. Problem solved!