DanB.

The Silver Slug strikes again!

This just happened 2 days ago and I need an idea where to start looking.
I lost my instrument panel lights and the brake lights. I going to guess that they are related but where to look is the good part. I did a quick check of the fuses and I had nothing blown. Since it is dark more than it is light in this season I figure I'll need to fix this before too long as my pickup gets terrible gas mileage.

Has anyone had a similar problem and if you did what did you find? The weather here is forecast to warm up to the high 30's this next week and I'll have my head under the dash looking for a solution to this.

Edit: My Chiltons manual doesn't cover brake lights or instrument lights for an '86 XJ...

Parsnip

Check the ground on your headlight pull switch. Check cruiser54s links, I know either him or maybe it was slim or rtorrez, one of them....basically it's the black wire coming off the back of the head light switch. Essentially you want to cut it and re ground it to the body with a self tapping screw or any conveniently close bolt. They have a tendency to lose ground and it will cause dash lamps headlights brake lights and marker lights to go out

OP_Rover

Don't want to jack this thread, forgive me. I'm having the same problem to an extent, I was under the dash just the other day so it's very possible, I have headlights, dash lamps, and my markers but I do not have both my brake lights! So does this ground cause one or all of these problems?

freegdr

Fuses not being blowns good, now check for current in and out of them with test light/meter .

dt1050

dito. I've also had the fuses be bad but have not been able to see it was bad. but if ya got current then that's not to blame.

op rover a bad ground makes all kind of wierd things happen. have you tried grounding the light that's not working. (if the bulbs are good.)

jeepcountry99

Lost mine over a damm door light switch

DanB.

Yeah, tested the fuses with a ice-pick type probe. Learned long ago not to trust my eyes. It is still dark out this morning so when it gets light I'll start looking for a loose ground wire around the headlight switch. This d@mn jeep has a roof rack and I think it leaks around every mounting point. It is constantly extremely damp inside when there is wet weather. The cab light works when it wants to which I have blamed to a faulty connection at the dome light. Looks like the dampness is working other places as well. I plan to use window chaulking on the roof rack this summer.

OP_Rover

Thanks boys got it fixed

Ericb

it sounds like you have a leak in your roof so maybe put some sealant around around your mounts

cruiser54

And the solution was.............................

OP_Rover

I relocate the ground from the headlight switch, then took a test light and found that I didn't have power going to the major wire on the bulb, the wire must have gotten clipped or pinched when I did the projector reverse lights, then went mudding. Anyway I soldered it up and presto. I had brake lights.

DanB.

I gave up waiting for warmer weather and got on it today.

Turns out both problems were related and separate. I checked the fuses again with the probe - still both checked okay. So I pulled the fuses and found the blades to be very dull in appearance - not shiny. I replaced the instrument panel fuse first with a new fuse and got lights again. Now that I know what the problem was I removed the fuses and used Deoxit D5 to remove any corrosion and blew it dry with my airhose. It turns out the socket in the fuse block was/is dirty/corroded. I don't expect this to last but I'm not wanting to rewire the whole jeep just yet.

The brake lights were chased down to the switch on the pedal. The plugs (2) going to the switch got the same treatment with the Deoxit. The spade ends of the switch had the same dull appearance and got hit with some 300 grit sandpaper. Brake lights again. And it has warmed up to 28 degrees for the day. Time to go park the jeep in the sun and hope for it to dry out (a little bit maybe?).

cruiser54

You mean there's someone else who loves DeOxIt D5 as much as me? That stuff is AMAZING!!!!

DanB.

Yeah, it'spretty neat stuff. I got it first to clean the contacts on my Peavey Valveking 112. Lots of static and a squeal. Had it left over so tried it on my XJ. I like it. The amp still has static until it warms up so I'm not sure where it is. But give it ten and it cleans up nicely. It didn't quietdown before.