Got a 98 Cherokee Limited, 4.0 Engine... Issue: No Brake lights. I replaced both bulbs, fuses are good... Replaced the stop light switch near brake pedal... still no brake lights. What should be my next move?

Respectfully,

Jawash

 

check for grounds at tail lights

 

I did not see any ground wires near the brake light assemblies. I also looked under the rear bumper area and did not see any wiring exposed to be a possible ground. I did check the hi-brake light over the rear hatch... it was blown so I replaced it hoping that might fix my issue... no such luck. I re-checked all of the fuses for the stop lights... all are good. Let me know if you may have any further ideas to try before I have to resort taking it to the stealer (dealer).

Thanks,

Jawash

 

make sure the bracket that you moint the switch to is not bent. I had that problem.

 

check the ground wires at tail lights with test light check to see if your getting power to them as well

 

Your gonna love this one....

Ok, after figuring out the wiring diagram and testing the hot wire to the Brake (white w/ brown stripe) lights I was not getting any juice to the test light. Fuses were good. Brake light switch was replaced. Still scratching my head, I decided to look at the relay/fuse panel under the bonnet (hood). I noticed there was a blown 15 amp fuse in the center of the panel, it was unmarked of course and is not mentioned in the owners manual or the Haynes manual... go figure... but when it was replaced... it shorted out. At this time I was totally confused and out of patience. So I buttoned everything up and elected to take a lunch brake and take a second stab at it later.

About an hour later I started back on my quest to figure out where the dead short was located. First thing I did was try another fuse at the panel under the hood... it did not blow this time... I thought, EUREKA! But, I still had NO brake lights. Talk about frustration setting in... so I wondered what changed from the last time I tried to replace this fuse, when it blew, to now that it is not blowing. Hmmm? I went back to the rear of the jeep lifted up the rear hatch... then it hit me... when the fuse blew at the panel my rear hatch was up. When I took my lunch break I had closed the rear hatch. I thought that there may be a rear switch at the hatch, but there is not. So I proceeded to test the hot wire (white w/ brown stripe) at the socket where the high brake light is located on the top of the hatch. With the hatch up I got no test light... with the hatch closed I got JUICE! Getting closer.... LOL! So now I had to pull the trim panel to trace where the loom was located in the ceiling of the rear of the jeep. It easy to spot, but I had to peel away the gooey, sticky tape to find the hot wire (white w/ brown stripe) that leads to the socket where the high brake light bulb goes in to the hatch. There is a rubber boot (left) that houses the wiring loom between the roof & hatch. I had to carefully cut and remove the boot to get the wires exposed. Once the wires were visible I saw a very disturbing image... all of the wires and there were many, were broken and shorted out (burned)... OMG.... I was suprised there was not a fire on board the jeep. This is obviously due to the hatch squishing & crimping the wire loom inside the rubber boot when the hatch is opened & closed over a long period of time. I had to resort to splicing all the wires back together using electrical tape and re-cover the loom with the same rubber boot. Using electrical connectors would be to bulky and the hatch would not be able to close with out re-breaking the connections. So.... time to re-test the brake lights.... BINGO! They work great now.

Hopefully someone else will benefit from my trials and tribulations from this experience.

Jawash


/------------@-@-@
|____1___l___,\___\,_____
l_----\___1___1_----[]IIIII[]
(o)_)-)_)------(o)_)-O-)_)
98 Cherokee Ltd

 

cool catch give yourself a ataboy

 

My brake lights are out - Im getting power back there, all my lights and my hazards work - just no brakes - tested the lights, and they all work < i did replace two blown out tiny ones though : but every one is getting juice - I unclipped my brake sensor and plugged in a new one - still no brake lights - looked all over my fuse box and found strange fuse holes where there were no connectors - and my chilton manual tells me there is supposed to be a fuse there - < turns out this is common > but I thought I had one of a kind - i read on a seperate thread that numerous folks have this problem - I was actually looking for that thread when I found yours - I think yours is the ANSWER because not long ago, I bought a trailer and on the way home towing it my lady and I smelled electrical fire fumes - - - !!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - - - - but everything < it seemed > was fine < our radio doesnt work I figured it was something to do with that > then I was changing my oil and i happened to notice no brake lights

My question is : I know Im going to have to chase wires like you did, but Im going to start int he back around the spot you identified - just to clarify, the boot is located on the ceiling by the hatch on the drivers side of the jeep?

any info you could provide would be great