Blinkers/reverse lights flashing
Thread Starter
CF Veteran
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,152
Likes: 7
From: Minnesota
Year: 1999
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0L
Alright, I work on cars for a living but electrical is not a strong suit of mine, especially in this sort or situation. Long story short my 99 XJ with the brake lights on and the left blinker on, the right reverse light flashes as we but dim. Same for the right blinker, however then the left reverse bulb flashes as well. The brakes have to be applied for this to happen & sometimes it has to be moving? Only "modification" to the tail lights are LED reverse bulbs, and have had no issues for 6 months. I've checked the wiring behind the tail lights and all is good, getting the correct voltage. I'm at a loss here.
CF Veteran
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 10,489
Likes: 24
From: Nor-Cal Coast
Year: 90,84
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0,2.5
See Marks sig, #1.
__________________
When electrical things get weird, check your grounds.
Once I clamped one end of an old vacuum cord to bat negative and went back and poked it on bulb sockets. Easy way to find a bad ground if you have the wire.
It's trying to ground back through other bulbs.
__________________
When electrical things get weird, check your grounds.
Once I clamped one end of an old vacuum cord to bat negative and went back and poked it on bulb sockets. Easy way to find a bad ground if you have the wire.
It's trying to ground back through other bulbs.
Thread Starter
CF Veteran
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,152
Likes: 7
From: Minnesota
Year: 1999
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0L
Originally Posted by DFlintstone
See Marks sig, #1.
__________________
When electrical things get weird, check your grounds.
Once I clamped one end of an old vacuum cord to bat negative and went back and poked it on bulb sockets. Easy way to find a bad ground if you have the wire.
It's trying to ground back through other bulbs.
__________________
When electrical things get weird, check your grounds.
Once I clamped one end of an old vacuum cord to bat negative and went back and poked it on bulb sockets. Easy way to find a bad ground if you have the wire.
It's trying to ground back through other bulbs.
CF Veteran




Joined: May 2012
Posts: 7,965
Likes: 964
From: Lost in the wilds of Virginia
Year: 1998 Classic (I'll get it running soon....) and 02 Grand
Model: Cherokee (XJ)
Engine: 4.0
Search on username CCKen. He has posted photos here many times. He's got all the photos and diagrams of every electrical component from every year of every Cherokee made, I think!
CF Veteran
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 10,489
Likes: 24
From: Nor-Cal Coast
Year: 90,84
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0,2.5
Both my 90's, I leave the 3/8 bolt under the tail lens out. Makes it very easy to remove the lens and change bulbs. In the time it's taken you to look for a diagram I likely would have found the bad ground. Btw one of my 90's had a fubar ground in the taillight. I forget exactly, but remember thinking that it was a funky design.
Thread Starter
CF Veteran
Joined: Jan 2015
Posts: 2,152
Likes: 7
From: Minnesota
Year: 1999
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0L
Originally Posted by DFlintstone
Both my 90's, I leave the 3/8 bolt under the tail lens out. Makes it very easy to remove the lens and change bulbs. In the time it's taken you to look for a diagram I likely would have found the bad ground. Btw one of my 90's had a fubar ground in the taillight. I forget exactly, but remember thinking that it was a funky design.
Trending Topics
CF Veteran
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 10,489
Likes: 24
From: Nor-Cal Coast
Year: 90,84
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0,2.5
I'd try grounding the metal of the bulb socket, or checking resistance to ground with a meter. Might at least let you know if that's your issue or not. Good luck!
Senior Member

Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 560
Likes: 25
From: West Covina, Ca.
Year: 1988
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
Last edited by djgrayxj; Mar 29, 2017 at 02:52 PM.


