i've got a 90 limited. there's alot of wires stuck into my fuse panel under the dash. i started removing these wires that weren't needed. the electric fan was stuck in the rear window wiper motor fuse and i left that one alone. now the radio won't turn on until the light switch is pulled out, and by lights i mean the running lights and head lights. any thoughts anyone? i don't know if there was something i messed up. suggestions on were to start looking?

 

After market radio?

 

yes, the radio wiring is cobbled up as well.

 

I would start by putting everything back and the getting a wiring diagram and rerunning everything. Sounds like you f'ed everything up...

 

for starters, it was like that when i bought it. i've got most everything fixed. just the radio left to figure out. to put everything back would be dumb.

 

That is simple. In the wiring behind the radio area there is a radio power wire that comes from the fuse box and there is also a power wire that comes from the instrument panel lights (which are controlled by the headlight switch). I stock radio had panel lights that are controlled by the headlight switch. When whoever wired up that aftermarket radio, they used the panel lights wire rather than the original power wire. That is why your stereo only works when the lights are on.

 

the power wire is plugged into a empty fuse slot on the top part of the fuse block. then it goes straight to the radio. still think it may be related?

 

Sounds like the previous owner wired the switched power lead for the radio into the dimmer wire for the factory radio. I would pull the radio out, and rewire it. The wiring diagram can be found online (both factory and for your radio) with a little bit of searching. It's possible that the po installed a relay to run the radio after the key is turned off, but that does not matter - Do a search and check the wiring!

 

Is that empty spot that wire is plugged into in the fuse box labeled "Instrumant LTs"? I bet it is. I believe there is an extra plug in on the fuse box by the Instrument lights fuse that is for plugging in a lead for panel lights on new accessories.

 

search wiringdiagrams21 on the forum and it will pull up the wiring diagram for the 88 cherokee

sorry about the previous comment it just sounds like you were pulling wires out not knowing what they did or what would happen if you put them elsewhere

 

the fuse the electric fan wire is stuck in, rear window wiper, and is not hot anymore as well. this happened the same time as the radio problem. before removing a few abandoned hot wires in fuse block, the fan kicked on when i turned the key on. i'm not kidding, there were many wires stuck under fuses that weren't hooked to anything.

 

sounds like we are in the same boat my friend... My 90 is giving me nightmares right now.