Hi All; New member and naturally, I have a problem.

'99- XJ- 4wd- 4.0- AutoTrans- 4dr- Pwr. Windows & Locks- 190k miles.

Out of the blue, while in first gear (before up to RPM) the vehicle began to stutter/stall.
Pushed it up to revs, ran fine.
At stops or when any electrical item is used, it caused the vehicle to stumble or stall.
Power window unit use (on the driver's door), stumbles or kills the engine dead.
A* Pull all leads running from inside door through A-pillar. Still stumbles when low revs. or electrical use:
(best-- radio, overhead lights, fan, headlights, power windows --worst),
so an electrical draw issue.
B* Checked voltage using an analog (needle) ohm/volt meter, and both the battery and alternator seem to check out.
C* Bought a new battery anyway, installed it, worked briefly, same issue.
D* With a charger on the battery while running (start mode), it finally starts and runs. Remove the charger, and shortly it stumbles or eventually dies.

Okay, so alternator right?

Before i go that route, I noticed something else worth noting.

A** When I opened the driver's side door, front OR back, the vehicle stumbles and overhead light is dim.
B** When I open the passenger side doors, front or back, the vehicle keeps running, and the overhead light is bright.

A*** I disconnect the front door ajar button, it eliminates the door opening issue (front, NOT rear).
B*** Reconnecting the other leads through door/pillar, does not have an issue opening door (A***), however, rear still does (still connected). Use of power window controls (driver's door) still overloads system, stalls.
C*** Power door lock button, drivers door, suddenly will only unlock doors. Will not lock them... BUT, passenger side door lock switch will open or close locks.
D*** JFTR, the drivers window lock button has been unusable, locked, for years... Meaning, I now cannot get windows up on the passenger side using their controls (so can't test that).

Any thoughts or ideas? I don't want to go the 200-part-step route if I can help it. I also am limited as to electrical diagnostic equipment (analog multi-meters, sticking my tongue to two bare wires, dropping a wrench over two terminals... )

Thanks for any suggestions. The whole 'front & rear' drivers side door control thing has me baffled. I would rather not purchase an alternator to discover it's some obscure short in the thingamajigger box.

Thanks for any help.

B.E.F.

 

The very first thing to check out are your grounds and live cables. Don't look at them, take them apart, clean them and use a grease, preferably dielectric to help keep moisture away from the freshly cleaned metal.

Check out Cruisers tips, here's the ground refreshing: http://cruiser54.com/?p=19

 

Yup. What he said. Those are classic bad ground symptoms.

Start with the one on the engine block, near the distributor. Sort of between and below the distributor and coil. (I think you still have a coil on a 99??)

That's where the PCM grounds.

 

Thanks boxburn & BlueRidgeMark for the reply;

That's what worried me, though I should have mentioned the vehicle is stock. AND, that a number of components have failed I never cared about fixing (rear speakers, hatch upper brake lamp, rear hatch is loose, etc.. So, I'll just disconnect them and call it good. The vehicle is very rough***). Elsewhere it was suggested that I work over every lead on that right side, I'll check grounds where items mount as well. It was also suggested that I load test the alternator, but since I'm at it, I'll remove it and clean mounting points for its grounds. I meant for it to be a disposable vehicle, intending on parting it out when the day came, but why do the smart thing when I can fight this to the bitter end.

***This Jeep has been used for 20-years to just run dogs and hunting in the woods and swamps daily. So you can imagine that the body and especially the interior is beyond rough... pee-eew!

I'll do as you suggest and get back with what I find.

Thanks again,

B.E.F.

 

Ditto on bad grounds and likely rotten battery cables. I'm willing to bet you'll see a few volts if you measure between the engine block and the battery negative terminal, or between the body and the battery. When you hooked up the charger, you put the ground on the block or body? If you have a jumper cable, try temporarily jumping from the battery to the engine block, and/or body.

 

Okay, so here is the situation now:
1. Replaced the Battery and Alternator (needed)
2. Found the main problem, which WAS a bad ground mount in the wiring harness behind the spare.
3. In that general area there were (2) larger ground leads to the body, and (2) small. I stripped them back some, and made (2) leads of (1)large+(1)small, and attached them to the same point, on a new bolt, through a new hole.
4. The major problem vanished... BUT...
5. The right rear tail-light/running light (brake okay) and BOTH backup lights ceased working. They previously worked before fix.
5a. I checked the bulbs which test 0-ohm.
5b. I checked current to the run-light, 12v came through.
5c. I checked for current to the RR backup light, 0v.
5d. Flashers work fine.

Is there some connection to the RR running light (not brake) and backup lights? Could maybe one of those grounds I fixed perhaps now not be making contact? OR?

Thanks for your help, it's getting there due to it!

B.E.F.

 

The right rear lights harness is running down the right side under the door sills. Also the ground is somewhere on the floor on that side. Either under the rear seat or the front seat I think. Possibly the high mount stop light I think is powered from the right side harness. I’ll have to go out and take a look. It’s been a while.

 

Oh. And the connector on that right side commonly gets very corroded. It’s down just behind the wheel well above the lower rear quarter which commonly rots and allows water and mud in and onto the connector.

 

Thanks for the help. I'll check, though it is confusing me as to 'why' the RR running light and backup lights would fail, immediately, when the LR grounds were fixed (which fixed the LR running light issue, and the previous power issues). Perhaps I should rework those grounds, just in case one of them was poorly done and is the culprit. I'll rip out the right side as well.

Thanks for the help.

B.E.F.

 

https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f2/rig...orking-223682/

this has a couple diagrams. I’ve seen a couple of the c321 connectors corrode so bad the pins stick in the wrong side when pulled apart.

 

So I checked, and though it likely came apart when I pulled the RR connector apart, it was corroded. What's odd is, the second I fixed the left side, the right failed. In any case, I cut out the connector and spliced the lines, and now, the tail lamp works. But, the back-up lights on both sides still are not. Again, odd in that they were until the initial fix. More so, the wiring runs on opposite sides. Naturally, the ground on the right and left are good now... So, my guess is 'miraculously,' the neutral safty switch must have decided that it was it's turn. Everything else is good.

I'll mess around with it when I can make time (hopefully before IT kills the vehicle too

Thanks for everyone's help. Don't you hate it? About the time you are getting close to knowing 'everything,' you'll hopefully never use those skills again.

You guys really made a difference though in getting it done. Thanks again.

B.E.F.

 

you should be able to probe the NSS harness connector, looking for 12V in & out for Reverse