Hi all.

I hope this question isn't too basic for this forum. Forgive me if it is! I don't know squat about vehicles in general. I've just started learning about how to take care of my vehicle recently. It's a '97 Cherokee Sport.

In the process of trying to install a new stereo I started learning about fuses. I'm pretty sure I blew one out putting the new stereo in, and after that I got busy looking up diagrams and whatnot. I replaced the #16 fuse in the power distribution center and the stereo seems to be working fine now.

My question is about the fuses in the kick panel fuse block. Just out of curiosity I had a look at it after I found a diagram to reference and it seems like some are missing. This is literally the first time I've looked at these fuses, so I'm not sure how important they are. In any case, I've been unknowingly driving without them.

I realize some fuse slots are spares, and in the picture below I've highlighted the slots I think are missing fuses. The one in the left column is in slot #10, and the one in the right column is slot #18. According to the diagram the other empty slots are spares. Here's what the diagram says about the two missing slots...

#10 - 15 Amp - Transmission range sensor, duty cycle evap/purge solenoid, radiator fan relay, a/c clutch relay, o2 sensor up/downstream relays, back up lamp switch

#18 - 10 Amp - Power mirror switch, driver power window/lock switch, heated seats



I don't have heated seats, power locks, mirrors, or windows, so is it normal for the #18 fuse to be missing?

I have no idea what any of the stuff for the #10 fuse means. Is that something I need to immediately replace? I'm pretty sure I've been driving without it for as long as I've owned the vehicle.



Thanks for reading!

dunno what #10 imeans either. If everything is fine, I'd say you're fine. Check to see if there are 2 contacts in that slot. you could go ahead and add a fuse there, drive it, see if it blows. Maybe the PO removed it for some reason.
How long have you been driving it like this? I'd be a litte concerned since it says radiator fan relay, check to see if your electric fan is working (it should kick on when you unplug the temp sensor in the thermostat housing).
Does your AC work?

It looks like there are metal contacts in all the slots.

I don't have any spare 15 Amp fuses at the moment so I can't try putting one in #10 until later. I do have a spare 10 Amp that I plugged into #18 and played around with the mirrors. They are indeed power mirrors unlike I wrote in the OP, and they work fine both with and without the fuse in. Is that normal? Maybe I have the wrong diagram. It's this one.

I've been driving like this for over a year.

I don't know anything about the thermostat housing or temp sensor. Is this plastic cap with the wires the right thing?

Thanks!

if everything seems to be working fine, I wouldnt stress or put too much effort into it. You'd like to think that diagram you linked to is correct, but it doenst make sense...if you pulled the power mirrors fuse, the power mirror shouldnt work.

You found the temp sender on the themostat hsg. when you unplug it, the ECU will not get a temp signal, and will by default, kick on the aux. electrical fan. If thats working with out the #10 fuse, thats allegedly the "Transmission range sensor, duty cycle evap/purge solenoid, radiator fan relay, a/c clutch relay, o2 sensor up/downstream relays, back up lamp switch" fuse, I wouldnt worry at all.

Ok this is intresting, I'm too curious so I looked at my 99XJ, bought new from the dealer in 1999 by me. The owners manual shows both #10 and #18 as OPEN , but I see a 15a in #10 and 10a in #18.
Whatever. I'll have to guess on some miscommunication between Chrysler electrical engineering and the Jeep plant building 'em like they always did since the fuses were moved to the passenger side kickpanel.

Well I unplugged the sensor and the electrical fan spins up both when I have a fuse in the #10 slot and when it's empty. So I guess both the #10 and #18 slots are open like you said. That makes for 5 open slots based on the diagram I linked, up from 3.

Are the #8, #13, and #24 slots open in your rig too?

yeah something like that. 10 and 18 were listed as OPEN, but had fuses in them. There were others that were shown as OPEN and had no fuses in them.

Well thanks for going back and forth with me RenegadeT. The #10 and #18 slots don't seem to be of any significance so I'm not going to worry about it.

If it aint broke, don't fix it!