my back lights havent been working for about a month now. i tried looking at all my wires i havent found one short. I put in a new light switch still nothing my fuse keeps poping. i cant fix this its really bothering me. i did work on my door panels before all this happen could my wires in my door have anything to do with my fuse to dashboard and backlight plz help.

So the old switch was in your XJ when the lights stopped working? Then you changed the switch and the problem continued correct?

if you havent yet, check your ground. i had a flasher problem with the last jeep i had and it took me about 2 months of research to only find out it was a grounding issue.

Check the hatch, such as the license plate lamp and disconnecting a bullet connector in the rear did the trick for me though I lost my rear wiper

Pretty sure the reverse lights are tied into the neutral start switch for some reason. Could be a sign that the N.S.S. is going bad or is dirty.

Is it the reverse lights or rear running lights?
if he is replacing the headlight switch I think he is talking about the running lights

yes it is the running lights and i did replace the stock one with a new one i got from auto zone. when i put in a 15 fuse it pops when i put in a 25 fuse i last about 5 min then pops if i put in a 30 it last but the running back light is very dim and smoke come out of the left side dashboard on the drivers side. does that help any?

dont put bigger fuses in unless you want your jeep to burn to the ground, check the license plate light for corrosion or anything that can cause a short, also check all the bulb sockets in the rear cor corrosion

i already checked the sockets and there brand new also
and mine dosent have a license plate light but it does have wires to it i checked them and there also fine.

have you tape them up so they don't ground out?
also try disconnecting the bullet connectors behind the hatch panel, if that does the trick then your short is after that plug
I'll find the post with the info as soon as I can

okay i just found this out i have a license plate light i didnt see it before because who every painted it before me painted all over it. and the light bulb is blown in there and the wires look fine would it make a difference if it is out? does that light being out cause a short? and im sorry to ask this but where is the hatch panel i dont know what that is.

I mean the door panel thing on the hatch, if it is even there mine isn't so I never had to take it off, let find that post though, I had the same problem but I hooked mine up to a switch on a separate fuse so I could drive legally at night

this is the link
https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f2/dre...-sizzle-17743/
I though this couldn't be my problem but since I didn't have the panel in the hatch I thought what hell I can just reconnect it, did it and all my lights went on again, I didn't have dash lights either

KURP89 you are a life saver you where right it was the license plate light i never checked it because it was completey blacked out by paint. my lights now work great thank you so much. if you ever need help just as. it was a connector it was really hot so i replaced it and now it works great thanks man

Glad you fixed it, Cherokees were blessed with amc quality wiring, this is just something I read up on trying to fix my lights