2000cherokee

I have inherited a 2000 Cherokee Sport, 4.0, 4wd automatic. Unfortunately some mice took up residence somewhere under the dash and/or in the duct work. There is a short circuit that burns the 15 amp mini-fuse (#16 I believe - under the hood on top of the right wheel arch) that powers the instrument cluster and (I think) also the transmission control module. I have read of problems with corrosion on the instrument cluster connectors on some earlier cherokees. I will not know for sure why the fuse is burning until I pull the cluster and have a look. Smoke comes from under/behind the cluster when the circuit is powered up.

My question is: If this circuit (#16) is left unpowered, will the transmission operate normally enough to drive the jeep on the highway? What do I lose if this circuit is unpowered (beside the instrument cluster)?

I am presently in AL and the jeep is in CT so this is a long distance diagnosis. Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

BlueXJ

I think on the year model you have the tranny control is integrated into the ECU so if it starts and runs then you should be ok tranny-wise. The smokeing wires concerns me as the fuse should pop before the wires begin to create any smoke. You might reserve the assessment until you see what has burned behind the cluster, which is JMHO.

2000cherokee

Thanks for the good advice. It starts right up and idles well. We briefly held a 20 amp fuse across the slot so we could read the mileage.