Dash lights!

[ChronicBrownie]

The dash light isnt turning on for me. Fuses seem fine and I took the time to take off the entire dash and check each light but none seem blown. The low gas light works though and before I got the new cd player the original light for the time on the dash would ight up and dim when I put the headlights on.

I have been trying for a while to fix this and it is making me angry nd it sucks driving down the road and not being able to tell how fast you are going unless you happen to get a light aiming at it right or turn on the overhead light (which I do).

I dont want to by an external light for it because when I get it I wont feel like fixing the internal problem. I was planning on getting a 6 inch strip light that will plug to the carlighter but I hope I wont have to do this.

Please Help!

[capt. apathy]

ok, a couple basic things.

1. I don't mean to state the obviose but my son had this issue with my jeep so I'll mention it anyway.

are they just turned down? when you pull the light switch on, turn the knob to set the brightness of the dash lights.

2. the next is that if the fuse is good, they're on and up on bright and all of the lights are out, it is most likely the switch, as I doubt all of the bulbs would go at once.

[XJnick]

There is a very good possibility it is a bad headlamp/parking/dash light switch assembly. The older cherokees used a rheostat, basically a coiled wire in a ceramic disc that would vary the resistance to the dash lights in order to dim them. The coil can break, which will cause the dash lights to stop working. This sounds like your problem if you're sure the fuse and wiring to the dash lights are good.

-Nick

[ChronicBrownie]

It isnt turned down.... I use that switch plenty and play with it plenty. When I pull it to the first stop then the parking lights come one... no problem... then the 2nd stop the lights come on... no problem. But the dash lights dont turn on.... when I need to see them... I turn the knob all the way past the click to make the back overhead lights to click on... so I doubt it is the dimmness.

I will look into this coil you speak of and tell you if it works.

[capt. apathy]

the coil is built into the switch assembly.

[cowseats]

Ive tried driving around for a little without my dash lights, not a real concern lately. But i guess my tail lights at night dont work either.
I was nicely informed by an officer, but because it was canada day he let me go.

So at night when i turn the head lights on the dash lights dont work, as well the tail lights dont work.

Its been mentioned it could be a problem with the switch assembely, sould the entire assembely have to be replaced?


Thanks for all your help guys, greatly appreciated

[irishsetter48]

Cowseats,
Did you solve the problem? I was stopped by a trooper in Maryland and informed that my tail lights were out. I thought it was just my dashboard also. So what did you do to solve the problem? Thanks for your help.

[cowseats]

Irish Setter 48
Yes, my problem was fixed, after looking through near ALL the fuses possiable in the jeep, i guess i missed one. There was a fuse under the dash on the fuse pannel marked somthing completely different from what I would have suspected. Turns out it had blown. Simple enough fix, my mechanic lauphed after he found how simple the problem was. Hope that helps. Just make sure you check ALL the fuses. If its not a problem there, theres a possiability there may be a problem in the switch assembely.

[irishsetter48]

Cowseats,
Mine wasn't as easy. It really was a wire grounding out in the wiring harness. After replacing the switch and blowing 15 fuses ( I tired everything) I finally by passed the wiring going through the body of the jeep and spliced into all 3 blue wires in the tail gate area. Now I have tail lights when I pull the switch for my headlights...yea!

[joshuaok]

Can you give a quick overview of how you did this? I've been trying to find my problem for 2 weeks and I'm sick of it. Thanks!

[1more88XJ]

ChronicBrownie, I have had my share of problems with lights working at Autozone. The most common problem is that fuses have fallen out, look and read the lettering on the fuse box to see if the fuse is missing. There is a panel right under the fuse box (have droped plenty of good and bad fuseses inside the panel) it probably hid the fuse from sight, and check to see if there are lose fuses. If nothing else, I talked to a friend and he explained the same thing that XJnick is talking about.

[95xjsport]

does anyone have a diagram of what each fuse is? my jeep dosn't have a fuse panel cover, also while poking around under the dash, I uncovered a small inline blade type fuse holder unmarked of course with a 4 amp fuse installed. Does anyone know what this goes to??

[dima4855]

XJNick:
Is that 411k on the 4.0l engine or the 2.5 or the 2.8l.
Still original or did you have to have the drivetrain rebuilt.

[shockerman10]

i have the same problem too! but with mine, mine have alwyas worked until today. i was putting in a new rear speaker, and after i was done, my speaker worked fine, but now my dash lights and tail lights dont work. i had the same problem with my pontiac grand am GT. but i never figured it out. and ended up putting trailer lights on my spoiler for at night. please help! i've tried everything. i dont know what to do anymore!

[dave92cherokee]

Shockerman10 please check the age of threads before posting in them and do not post in a thread that is more than 6 months old. This one has been dead for 4 years and will probably be closed very soon due to it's resurrection. Please start a new thread with all info needed and description of your problem and you will be able to get better help.