hwmson0413

Is there one - I went thru a big puddle last week and the next day the horn started blowing randomly then continually. pulled the horn fuse and then the electric door locks started going on/off/on/off continually. I suspect there is some sort of controller that has gotten some moisture inside. Am I correct? If so, where is it so I can pull it and open it to dry out some. BTW - it is a 1998 Jeep Cherokee Limited 4.0 L with automatic and 4 W/D. Many thanks for any help offered. Howard

rgr4475

Start by cleaning all of your grounds in the engine bay.

CoffeeCommando

It sounds like you have wiring issues, not just a bad ground. I had electrical problems that were erratic and all over the place. If I hit a bump the rear windshield wiper would turn on and off at whim, as well as the door locks locking and then unlocking. Now that I think about it I developed those problems after a pretty in depth wheeling trip of two days in Ocala down here in Florida. Mud certainly got in the engine bay and I wasn't tech savvy enough to know what to troubleshoot, but I did pry open the PCM at one point for a reason I can't remember. It was forever open to moisture and I bet that was actually the problem now that I think about it. I've seen others open theirs and find corrosion and corroded apart copper lines that needed resoldering (YouTube has the videos).

Also, we've been finding rats have chewed up stuff in our vehicles down here. The harness on a 2016 Tacoma had to be replaced for $4000. Peppermint is a smell that repels them (if you have them that is). But they'll simply go somewhere else you don't want. Get rat traps and kill them, then rig up some vegetable glycerin with peppermint oil and spray it all around the outside of the vehicle and maybe in the carpet if you like the smell.

BTW, the one I had the electrical problem on I never figured out was a 98 too.

hwmson0413

Too rainy here - I didn't try to troubleshoot over the weekend. Now have 3 sunny days ahead, so I'll get a chance to investigate. BUT the one thing I'm thinking of now is the security system. When I use my key fob to lock, the horn beeps, to unlock the headlights flash. At least they did before this. Where are these things linked together?

CoffeeCommando

When it comes to electrical a lot of things can be linked. Remember how your battery's negative is on the chassis of the vehicle as well as the engine block? Electrons flow from negative to positive. Only it takes is a faint touch of a positive for that circuit to activate. The only things that are going to activate when the Jeep is off is the alarm system. You have other issues as well.

Write down a list of everything that malfunctions on a piece of paper, and when it does it. Pull out your electrical wiring diagrams and find out if they're related. Common areas I am familiar with on XJ's when it comes to problem wiring are the doors (the wiring boots break where the door opens and closes and contacts the frame), and inside the the rear cargo hatch up at the top. There's a bunch of wires up there that also rub the frame around orifices.

Put the key in the Run position so accessories are on and go around moving wiring harnesses. When circuits start turning off and on you've found your problem. Something is damaged says me. I've had a 98 and a 2000 with wiring issues. You need to pay attention to when it's more noticeable and least noticeable. Does it do it more when it's cold/humid outside? If it does, I bet you it's a positive lead touching the body. The condensation helps it to have a path to ground if it's not already touching directly.

Simply having a dirty ground will cause things to either not function all or with degraded performance. Things going off when they're not supposed to is almost always a cut positive lead touching the body or engine.