Okay so I just got off work and ran down to the parts store to pick up my CCV elbow/grommet. Go back out to the Jeep and fire it up. Get half way down the road and realize... All the electric inside the Jeep is dead. Gauge cluster completely dead, no lights, no moving needles. Radio... Dead. Dome light... Dead. Nothing worked. Not even the a/c blower.

Strange thing is... The exterior of the jeep was functioning normally. Headlights, worked. Brake lights, worked. Wipers, worked... No loss in power at all. Jeep was driving normally, just dead on the inside.

It's been pouring rain out today, and I don't know if that has something to do with it... No engine light came on. When I turn the key before ignition... The dash light do come on (check engine, oil, etc). Then they go away normally. I'm thinking a bad ground or blown fuse somewhere...? I don't have a volt meter and was wondering if this was a common occurrence, and where to start looking.

 

Do a search and it will come up with several write ups on the commen problem.

 

Freshen all engine grounds and check all fuses for starters....

Can't tell a thing by looking at grounds. Must disassemble, clean, reassemble.

 

So there's a ground coming off the engine block... Looks like a flat piece of metal tape, one at the top of the firewall, and one somewhere around the steering column. I just bought a set a fuses, so I will pull those as well... Be back an a few minutes.

 

There is also the ground at the end of the negative battery cable at the end opposite of the battery.

 

Yeah I found a few more. Just looked at them to see which would be suspect right away. The one by the oil filter, and the tape looking one coming off the engine block. The rest are spotless :/ I'll start with those. It's just raining like a son-ofa-gun.

 

I'm going to have to wait until it stops raining. Maybe let the jeep dry out. Neighbor was telling me it could be the gauge cluster... Not so sure about that. To kill all the electric inside the jeep? Even the doors and windows are working. No lights, no gauges, no courtesy lights even. Just weird.

 

I guess since it's free to get codes read you might as well throw that in the pot. Don't know what different fuses or relays might "go down", with something like one of the 02 heater wires shorted.

 

Code read was 442 evap leak.

Went over my dilemma again... The ONLY things without power: gauge needles, radio, dome light, floor light, visor mirror light. The back lights on the gauge are working, the back lights on the shifter and radio are working. Heat/AC works, Cigarette lighter, locks and windows all working.

Its there a specific fuse or ground that ties off the gauge needles, radio, dome light, and other courtesy lights?

 

Chewck the IOD (Ignition Off Draw) fuse in the PDC. The location of the fuse is shown on the underside of the PDC cover.

 

Found it.

The number 16 fuse in the power distribution center. Was fried. Swapped it out and all is well.

Used this chart to help me narrow down the problem: http://www.lunghd.com/Tech_Articles/...tification.htm
Given to me by another CF member a while ago.

Now with this stupid evap leak. Again.

 

Yes, F16 is the IOD fuse I mentioned. It, and the O2S heater fuse, F24, shown in the pic below are troublesome. You may want to replace these standard mini fuses with self-resetting circuit breakers or the mini fuses that light up when they blow. I'm sure you'll be chasing O2S and IOD related problems in the future (it's an XJ) so you can go right to the respective blown (glowing) fuse without trying to remember where it is.

Reference to the ASD fuse in the pic is from a different problem.

 

Was the Check Engine light (CEL) on with the P0442 code?

Clear the code. If it is valid, it will come back after two (2) trips.

Do you have a Leak Detection Pump (LDP) system in your Jeep? If so, check the seal on your gas cap and make sure it's in good condition and the cap is secure.

Does your EVAP Duty Cycle Canisiter Purge Solenoid 'click' on and off continuously after going into closed loop operation?

In any case, you should examine the EVAP system plastic and steel tubing, rubber hoses and elbow connectors, and the EVAP canister for security, cracks, breakage, etc., from the EVAP Solenoid/LDP in the engine bay to the Roll Over Valve connection on top of the gas tank.

There are two plastic tubes from the EVAP Solenoid, one to the intake manifold and one to the EVAP Canister, both have rubber connections that deteriorate. There's a steel tube with rubber eblow and connector that goes from the EVAP Canister to the top of the gas tank (Roll Over Valve). There's a large plastic EVAP Canister vent tube that goes from the EVAP Canister to the engine bay, and if you had an LPD it would connect to it, if you don't have an LPD, it simplty teminates near the tranny dipstick tube.

 

Pic of underhood light. I keep it disconnected while I'm working in the engine bay for extended periods of time.

 

Mine has no lid, and is laying on the side of distribution center. Kept touching things blowing out that fuse. I'm sure I could make use of it if I restore it.