tuc8458

Hi all,

New to the jeep world as of March and having fun - Hoping to get some help with a lighting issue.

The lights on the center panel are not working (HVAC, buttons).
The lights on the Gear Shifter are not working.
The lights on the instrument panel do come on just fine and are dimmable via the stick.

A few weeks back while driving, the center panel and gear shifter flickered a bit and finally just won't come on anymore.

Checked all fuses and they are not blown.

Thoughts??

Thanks in advance!

4x4Jesus

Maybe the dimmer switch is bad ?

tuc8458

That's whats weird... The dimmer works fine with the instrument panel (MPH, RPM, etc...). It is just the lights on the center console that are out including the gear shifter (PNRD12).

14Sport

There's a connector under the front passenger seat for the center console, at least on mine. Maybe loose.

tuc8458

And the plot thickens...

I checked all fuses related to these interior lights and all are goof.
I took the center dash apart and unplugged all the connectors. Used a circuit tester grounded to the Jeep and power is getting to the panel.
What I also noticed was the ESP and hazard lights switch are not working either. When using the circuit tested and closing the loop the hazards would turn on.

I took the advice provided and the light bulbs are not blown, the cicruit board for the switch panel is an LED, connectors are solid under the seat.

So now I am thinking there is a relay issue or something else? REading some other forums I am seeing similar issues but no answers. Here are some links:

Rubicon Locker Swaybar and ESP Switches Stopped working

Not working: ESP button, Hazards button, interior light - JeepForum.com


Thoughts?

14Sport

Based on that I would say a ground problem. Check all the ground lugs around there and make sure they are tight.

tuc8458

Thanks for that advice -

I checked all the lugs to the ground points on the foot wells. They are solid. In fact I was using them both when using the circuit tester as a ground. No changes on the lights working.

Next steps:

1. I completely unplugged the battery to reset the system.
2. I am disconnecting the after market HID Headlights, LED Light Bar, Warn Winch, Stereo, and amplifier. This will return the Jeep to the way it was when I first purchased it in March.
3. REconnect the battery.
4. Use my Super Chips to read the diagnostic codes to see if anything shows up there.

All bets are there is a short. Interestingly enough the lights starting flickering around the same time the rain started here in AZ. the Jeep is kept in the garage but has seen some water in the past 60 days.

I'll post my results of the above once I have them.

14Sport

Interesting that when you provide an alternate ground path with the meter they work. I would check the ground strap to the tub as well.

tuc8458

The ground that I used for the circuit tester is the same ground used for all the lighting based on the wiring diagram and connection points I downloaded. Here is a picture:


What do you mean when you say "Ground Strap to the Tub"?

14Sport

What I mean by alternate ground is that the ground from the connector doesn't seem to be working because when you bypass the harness with your testers for ground by going directly from the connector to the grounding lug it works. If it's not loose at the ground lug connection then maybe the ground pin in the connector itself isn't seated or possibly a break in the ground wire itself. If it were me I would run a jumper wire from the grounding lug back to the connector and see if it fixes the problem which I suspect it will. Then you will know it's a bad ground wire.

The frame, engine, and tub are all connected to the negative battery terminal via cables or straps. I know my YJ has straps at various points as I pulled most of the dash apart on that and saw them. I'm not sure which the JK has. If one (not sure if there are more than 1 for each in the JK) or more of those grounds makes a bad connection you could have a similar problem. To test that, you could use a large gauge wire, whatever you got, I've even used jumper cables, to ground the tub at the firewall to the battery. If the problem goes away then most likely a loose or poor connection at a grounding strap or cable.

Another possibility is that they all share a common ground and it's not the grounding lug you used.

If it was only one light out I would suspect the fixture or bulb but since it is more than one that is highly unlikely. I'm not saying that is your problem I'm just saying that is what I would check based on your statements.