2008 JKU Intermittent relay clicking causes big electrical draw.
01-06-2017, 11:50 AM
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2008 JKU Intermittent relay clicking causes big electrical draw.
2008 JKU
For the past several days I've been experiencing what sounds like a relay clicking in my dash. whenever the relay clicks on my headlights dim, blower fan slows, dash lights dim, etc. It generally clicks on and then right off again so the light dimming etc. happens very quickly, but occasionally the delay is several seconds. I have tried varying combinations of electrical on/off such as headlights on or off, combined with stereo on or off, combined with heater on or off. No electrical combination seems to change the symptoms. Even with every electrical thing turned off that I can turn off, the clicking continues.
The symptoms do seem to be affected by engine operating temp and throttle use. The clicking doesn't start until engine temp is above about 160-180 and there is no clicking when sitting still at idle (regardless of temp). When coasting downhill in gear but no throttle applied the clicking stops. On a long flat stretch of road at 50 mph with constant throttle the relay was consistently clicking every 8 seconds (this seem very odd to me). Varying rpm doesn't seem to have as much affect as throttle position.
Based on searching this (and other) forum the culprit "might" be the blower relay. Problem is that the clicking happens even when the blower is off.
Additionally, this started right after I installed a new cat-back exhaust. I know that old blower relays were vacuum actuated. I doubt that is the case in a 2008, but the ecu may be using some measure of vacuum to control the signal (???) and the new exhaust may have changed vacuum at some point. I have a flashpaq and reloaded the tune (Performance 91 octane) but that doesn't seem to have done anything. I've only driven the jeep about 30 miles since the re-tune so it may need more time to re-learn (???). This problem may not even be related to the new exhaust and just a coincidence.
Batteries and alternator seem to be functioning normally.
I'm getting pretty frustrated and want to avoid taking it to the dealer. Have any of you experienced anything like this? Any ideas on how I can narrow this down (without putting the old exhaust back on)?
thanks,
Croix
For the past several days I've been experiencing what sounds like a relay clicking in my dash. whenever the relay clicks on my headlights dim, blower fan slows, dash lights dim, etc. It generally clicks on and then right off again so the light dimming etc. happens very quickly, but occasionally the delay is several seconds. I have tried varying combinations of electrical on/off such as headlights on or off, combined with stereo on or off, combined with heater on or off. No electrical combination seems to change the symptoms. Even with every electrical thing turned off that I can turn off, the clicking continues.
The symptoms do seem to be affected by engine operating temp and throttle use. The clicking doesn't start until engine temp is above about 160-180 and there is no clicking when sitting still at idle (regardless of temp). When coasting downhill in gear but no throttle applied the clicking stops. On a long flat stretch of road at 50 mph with constant throttle the relay was consistently clicking every 8 seconds (this seem very odd to me). Varying rpm doesn't seem to have as much affect as throttle position.
Based on searching this (and other) forum the culprit "might" be the blower relay. Problem is that the clicking happens even when the blower is off.
Additionally, this started right after I installed a new cat-back exhaust. I know that old blower relays were vacuum actuated. I doubt that is the case in a 2008, but the ecu may be using some measure of vacuum to control the signal (???) and the new exhaust may have changed vacuum at some point. I have a flashpaq and reloaded the tune (Performance 91 octane) but that doesn't seem to have done anything. I've only driven the jeep about 30 miles since the re-tune so it may need more time to re-learn (???). This problem may not even be related to the new exhaust and just a coincidence.
Batteries and alternator seem to be functioning normally.
I'm getting pretty frustrated and want to avoid taking it to the dealer. Have any of you experienced anything like this? Any ideas on how I can narrow this down (without putting the old exhaust back on)?
thanks,
Croix
01-12-2017, 11:20 AM
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Problem solved
FWIW I solved this. It was exhaust related... sort of. After numerous attempts at different tunes with the flashpaq there was a hard failure where the relay continued clicking even when the jeep was turned off and key removed. I was able to isolate the clicking to a relay under the hood. Couldn't believe how much it sounded like it was in the dash from inside the vehicle, but it was mounted on the passenger fender under the hood.
This relay was for an aftermarket brake controller so I traced out all of the wires and discovered the new exhaust pipe slowly melted wiring to the 7 pin plug. I hadn't realized that the new exhaust exited on driver side so close to this wiring. Re-spliced, re-routed, and added a heat shield. Problem solved.
-croix
This relay was for an aftermarket brake controller so I traced out all of the wires and discovered the new exhaust pipe slowly melted wiring to the 7 pin plug. I hadn't realized that the new exhaust exited on driver side so close to this wiring. Re-spliced, re-routed, and added a heat shield. Problem solved.
-croix
