radio acc wire and hot wire makes dome lights work again hum

[TimWestTx]

ok, this one stumps me...

a little background history:

The dome lights have never worked since I have been around this Jeep.
(1994 Jeep Cherokee "Country") with 4.0 power locks and windows etc.

My aunt bought the jeep new, then, gave it to my wife about 2 years ago.

a 15 amp fuse keeps blowing out when either opening the door OR pressing the driver side lock
button.

I pulled a no brainer and put tin foil on the fuse due to running out of them while
narrowing down the short, that made it to where that fuse is no longer "hot" on either
side of the fuse block under the dash.
Yes, I pulled a no-no and did not get away with it this time.
Anyway, I plan to take my circuit tester and multimeter and attempt to find what I shorted, fix that, then find the original short.

I assume the door locks is one issue, like maybe those lil relays under the dash that click when a door lock button is pushed. In any event, the door locks do not work.

The dome lights - over head push button map lights do not work.

The new findings today.

I was in the middle of putting in a new radio because the original one does not work.
I cut and stripped all the wires (later to solder and heat shrink), and,
the orig jeep radio has the wiring diagram on it, and, like most of us know,
you wire up the "always hot" hot wire, and the accessory wire to make the radio work
via the ignition key.

now, when I put those two wires together from the jeep wiring harness,
the dome lights work!!???

What gives?

it was dead dome lights, dead radio, dead door locks, me blowing the fuse block,
then the hot and acc wire for radio when touched together make dome lights work perfect!
Even the drive side door jamb switch works!

It may not sound like it, but this lil jeep is very cherry, I guess the years have just caused needing a few things fixed. I am a professional mechanic, yet, I do not mess with wiring anymore than I have to because this is my weak area. I rebuild motors, etc.

To keep talking and be too long winded, I have a sweet lil jeep for the wife, but dome lights,
door locks, and radio are dead. and now the new prob of me frying the fuse block.


so

1)
any ideas on why the 2 wires put together make the dome lights work?
(this is with radio out of the jeep, on the ground outside)

2) ideas where to start of door locks?

3) ideas where to start of fuse block not hot on either side of fuse now?


and a little more info:
I salvage yard here has a few jeeps, I plan to get those 2 door lock relays from a couple jeeps,
and the ignition switch on the lower left side of steering column.
You know how it is, at the salvage yard, we grab tons of goodies for cheap!!!


MANY thanks in advance of the 3 different issues above!!!!


Tim in Texas

[Saudade]

I would suggest you invest a few bucks at your local auto parts store and get a manual. I have a Haynes and it has usable schematics that have helped me track down a few electrical gremlins in my '88.

[TimWestTx]

yes,

that was/is planned for sure!!


thanks!!!!

oh,

i had a 97 grand Cherokee loaded with the 4.0

and this 94 "country" with the 4.0 RIPS compared to the one i had
meaning, much faster take off etc, yet,
not as good of gas milage,
i wonder if it was bought with yaht pulling rear end ratio lol



Tim

[JeEpBoY95]

i had the same gas milage prob when i went from a 4.0l GC to a cherokee, try cleaning the throttle body and give it a general tune up. that helped me a little but what i found was that with the new power i was much more often more on the accelerator than not....this led to bad gas mileage oh well....