Dash Lights No Joy
03-31-2013, 03:45 PM
#1
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Dash Lights No Joy
Hi Everyone,
New Guy to the Forum, Old Guy to Cars and Trucks.
Just got a 1999 Cherokee Sport for my Son.
The Instrument Back Lights are not working.
They flickered on once (green) then went out.
So far we have checked the #6 and #9 fuse which are good.
and
Replaced the in dash headlight switch.
My next guess would be the back light on the cluster?
Anyone have a vid or write up on how to replace the back light
on the cluster.
or
Any help on further tracking down the problem.
Tks
Willfulone
New Guy to the Forum, Old Guy to Cars and Trucks.
Just got a 1999 Cherokee Sport for my Son.
The Instrument Back Lights are not working.
They flickered on once (green) then went out.
So far we have checked the #6 and #9 fuse which are good.
and
Replaced the in dash headlight switch.
My next guess would be the back light on the cluster?
Anyone have a vid or write up on how to replace the back light
on the cluster.
or
Any help on further tracking down the problem.
Tks
Willfulone
03-31-2013, 06:52 PM
#2
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Year: 1990
Model: Cherokee
Engine: I6 4.0
When you say the "back light on the cluster" do you mean the dash lights for the gauges?
If so its easy to replace these gauge lights, there is one behind every gauge. You will need 74's for the gauges. You may also want to upgrade to LED lights. Here's the link for the dash light mod : https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f2/xj-...126507/index2/
To get to the lights you need to remove the dash bezel, should be 4 screws. Then there are a few screws that hold the cluster in. Pull the cluster toward you and disconnect the electrical connectors on the back. Then twist the bulb sockets out of the cluster and put new bulbs in.
If so its easy to replace these gauge lights, there is one behind every gauge. You will need 74's for the gauges. You may also want to upgrade to LED lights. Here's the link for the dash light mod : https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f2/xj-...126507/index2/
To get to the lights you need to remove the dash bezel, should be 4 screws. Then there are a few screws that hold the cluster in. Pull the cluster toward you and disconnect the electrical connectors on the back. Then twist the bulb sockets out of the cluster and put new bulbs in.
03-31-2013, 08:07 PM
#3
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Year: 1999
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When you say the "back light on the cluster" do you mean the dash lights for the gauges?
If so its easy to replace these gauge lights, there is one behind every gauge. You will need 74's for the gauges. You may also want to upgrade to LED lights. Here's the link for the dash light mod : https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f2/xj-...126507/index2/
To get to the lights you need to remove the dash bezel, should be 4 screws. Then there are a few screws that hold the cluster in. Pull the cluster toward you and disconnect the electrical connectors on the back. Then twist the bulb sockets out of the cluster and put new bulbs in.
If so its easy to replace these gauge lights, there is one behind every gauge. You will need 74's for the gauges. You may also want to upgrade to LED lights. Here's the link for the dash light mod : https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f2/xj-...126507/index2/
To get to the lights you need to remove the dash bezel, should be 4 screws. Then there are a few screws that hold the cluster in. Pull the cluster toward you and disconnect the electrical connectors on the back. Then twist the bulb sockets out of the cluster and put new bulbs in.
I assume it is the dash lights for the cluster. The warning lights all work when
you turn the key over.
If it is the dash lights, none of them work
Would they all be out at once?
Does it make sense that they would flicker on once and then go out...
Tks
Will
Last edited by Willfulone; 04-01-2013 at 09:08 AM.
03-31-2013, 10:01 PM
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I feel dumb even mentioning it, but you DO know you trun the **** to turn them on, off dim/bright? Believe it or not some people have hardly seen a ****! (everything now is buttons)
03-31-2013, 10:16 PM
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Year: 2001
Model: Cherokee
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I had an issue with mine I finally traced it down to a short between the 3 switches (under the HVAC controls) (namely the rear wiper) and the headlight switch. Im guessing the dash had been out and a wire got pinched .I traced the harness out from the fuse panel to the headlight switch. had the dash out 3 different times, I ended up running a seperate wire and an inline fuse up the the cluster. I lost all the lights : dash cluster shift indicater,radio,panel,4x4 shifter. It was a huge deal as the jeep was my wifes daily.
03-31-2013, 11:00 PM
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03-31-2013, 11:02 PM
#8
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I had an issue with mine I finally traced it down to a short between the 3 switches (under the HVAC controls) (namely the rear wiper) and the headlight switch. Im guessing the dash had been out and a wire got pinched .I traced the harness out from the fuse panel to the headlight switch. had the dash out 3 different times, I ended up running a seperate wire and an inline fuse up the the cluster. I lost all the lights : dash cluster shift indicater,radio,panel,4x4 shifter. It was a huge deal as the jeep was my wifes daily.
Will
04-01-2013, 12:10 AM
#9
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Year: 2000
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This is going to sound off but trust me on this one.
Take your headliner down and make sure the wires running to the map lights are in good shape. If the pink wire gets clipped you'll have these issues. Went through it with my 00.
I mean it could be a short elsewhere.
But it's something to think about.
There is a good possibility you have blown a fusible link also.. Which are a pain in the butt to track down.
Take your headliner down and make sure the wires running to the map lights are in good shape. If the pink wire gets clipped you'll have these issues. Went through it with my 00.
I mean it could be a short elsewhere.
But it's something to think about.
There is a good possibility you have blown a fusible link also.. Which are a pain in the butt to track down.
04-01-2013, 01:11 AM
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Do make sure your tale-lights are working. One early morning I wondered why my dash lights were out. About 17 hrs (and 300mi) later I got stopped, (and DUI'd), because the tale lights were out. On my 90 they use the same fuse. I had blown it the day before with bad trailer wiring. I sort of wish I'd have checked that fuse. Yours may well be different, but you might check the tale-lights anyway. I might hold off on pulling the headliner.
04-01-2013, 09:06 AM
#11
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Do make sure your tale-lights are working. One early morning I wondered why my dash lights were out. About 17 hrs (and 300mi) later I got stopped, (and DUI'd), because the tale lights were out. On my 90 they use the same fuse. I had blown it the day before with bad trailer wiring. I sort of wish I'd have checked that fuse. Yours may well be different, but you might check the tale-lights anyway. I might hold off on pulling the headliner.
and dash lights are some now connected)(I pulled every clear fuse in the footwell
and power distribution center and none were blown)
Where is that fuse? - is it one of the square fuses in the power distribution center)
Brake lights, turn signal and reverse lights work.
Will
Last edited by Willfulone; 04-01-2013 at 12:35 PM.
04-01-2013, 09:06 AM
#12
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This is going to sound off but trust me on this one.
Take your headliner down and make sure the wires running to the map lights are in good shape. If the pink wire gets clipped you'll have these issues. Went through it with my 00.
I mean it could be a short elsewhere.
But it's something to think about.
There is a good possibility you have blown a fusible link also.. Which are a pain in the butt to track down.
Take your headliner down and make sure the wires running to the map lights are in good shape. If the pink wire gets clipped you'll have these issues. Went through it with my 00.
I mean it could be a short elsewhere.
But it's something to think about.
There is a good possibility you have blown a fusible link also.. Which are a pain in the butt to track down.
Will
Last edited by Willfulone; 04-01-2013 at 10:05 AM.
04-01-2013, 01:08 PM
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We got it 
It was a 20A fuse in the PDC Mini Fuse.
Found it with a fuse tester. Could not see it when I looked.
We'll see if it holds or blows again
It blew when we were turning the headlight switch.
We replaced the headlight switch, first.
I'm wondering if it the headlight switch being bad could have
blown the fuse?
Tks for the help everyone
Will
It was a 20A fuse in the PDC Mini Fuse.
Found it with a fuse tester. Could not see it when I looked.
We'll see if it holds or blows again
It blew when we were turning the headlight switch.
We replaced the headlight switch, first.
I'm wondering if it the headlight switch being bad could have
blown the fuse?
Tks for the help everyone
Will