brettcatrin

Hello- my first post. I have a 99 Cherokee Sport we bought brand new. It has 334,000 miles, and I do almost all the work on it myself.

The left tail light won't work. The bulb is fine. I replaced the head light switch - and had to replace the head light switch connector because it was fried. All my main lights work.

Blinkers work R/L. Brake Light works R/L. Front head lights work high/low.

I have SEVERE issues in the back hatch - with worn/broken wires on the left side near at the top - but I can't figure out if this has anything to do with the L tail light.

I can't figure out if I should go after the dimmer switch, or the back hatch boot chafing, of if there is another angle. Appreciate any advice you all have. This is my first post.

Thanks, Brett

BlueRidgeMark

1. Welcome.
2. Fix what you know is wrong before you chase anything else.
3. The socket itself can go bad. New replacements can be found online.
4. It may also be the ground for that light. Find it, disassemble it, and make sure all metal is shiny clean, coat with dielectric grease, and reassemble. If the screw is rusted, don't put it back like that!

I'm not sure where that ground is, but scroll through the "Great info" thread and you'll find wiring diagrams and pics of ground locations. Hmmmm. Might be this page.


Or search for "ground" and username CCKen.

brettcatrin

Thanks for the advice! Quick followup:
When I depress the brake pedal, both filaments on the bulb burn brightly. My thought is that the ground must be good. Could the socket be bad for taillight use, but not for brake use?

fb97xj1

First post says the left tail doesnt work. Next post says both filaments burn bright. But then suggests the tails do not work, only the brake. So it is working intermittently?

Take care of whatever is wrong with the hatch first. Less confusion that way. Been there, done that.

The ground for the left taillight (G302) is behind the interior panel under the back window. The ground next to it (G304), is for the hatch.

Attachment 304798

brettcatrin

Thanks for the photo with the grounds, that helps a lot.

To clarify my original post - all the lights/bulbs work as they are supposed to for both the right and left tail lights with only one exception.

The bulb that is in the LEFT TAIL LIGHT top socket does not come on when I engage the headlight plunger. The bulb in the RIGHT TAIL LIGHT top socket does come on.

When I depress the brake pedal, BOTH Left/Right Tail Light top socket light up. When I let up on the brake pedal, the lower intensity filament on the right side still burns, but on the left side, nothing.

At first I thought it was the low intensity filament on the left top socket bulb. But it was ok, and a replacement bulb does the same thing.

I figured the ground was good, because the socket worked perfectly when the brake pedal was depressed.

Do the wires from the left tail light top socket route through the tail gate hatch or wouldn't they run straight forward?

Thanks again for all the help! I am very grateful!

fb97xj1

The driver side tail/brake, turn and reverse lights plug directly into C322 in that pic. The harness passes thru a rubber grommet just behind the taillight. Same for the passenger side.

Do you have a testlight or a multimeter? The taillight wire is brown and the brake light wire is white with a tan stripe. Black is ground. Turn the lights on and check the brown wire for power at the socket. The rubber plug inside the socket is removable if you like. Also, you may find colored tape wrapping the wires near the bulbs. Red is tail and brake, white is reverse, and orange is turns.

Or, if you dont feel like messing with any of that, try this. Remove both taillights and swap the driver side harness with the passenger side harness. If the driver side works and the passenger side does not, you narrowed it down to the socket or the wiring in the harness.

brettcatrin

I used my multi meter, and i removed the rubber grommet from the drivers side taillight/brake - and I got 11.75 V when then brake light energized against the ground - but 0.0 when the headlight switch was engaged. I tested the wires to the passenger side, and got 11.75 both ways. Not sure what to do now- Thanks for the advice so far.

Jamie57

Do yours have the trailer hitch package? The reason I ask is is I have had several 97-01 XJs. And every time I've had my left parking light out it's always been the fuse in the passenger foot well. IF they had a factory trailer package. Sometimes moisture gets into the socket and shorts out something and ONLY the left parking light goes out. Why I don't know.

jeeprscreeprs

Sorry to revive this thread but I'm having a similar issue however the fuse in the passenger foot well isnt getting power at all every other fuse tests good any clues as to what could cause that?

cpttuna

if all else fails, run a test wire from the license plate light to the left parking light. If the light then works ,rewire permanently.

mopars

Another one...
I'm not getting power at the body harness for the LR tail light. Fuse looks good. Anyone know where the next "power checkpoint" would be moving towards the front?
I had some corrosion on a few of the blades in the body harness / pigtail connector.