Ok so this is gonna be long...

So i bought this truck a while ago and it worked perfect through the winter but into the spring i was leaving work one day and the truck died on me just out of the blue no power anywhere.... pulled over turned the key back and cranked it over no problems... didnt think much of it.

so a few months later i started having the issue again.. it would die randomly but i could still crank it and it would all come back... i figured i would park the truck since i got a car and deal with it later..

few weeks later i came back to it and still it would have the same issue except if i were to put it into R it would die...then if i turned the wipers on it would die, blower motor also.

so i started asking around and this is what ive changed...

steering column, plugs, wires, blower motor, cap/rotor, ignition switch, ignition cylinder, all relays.

im out of ideas BUT this is what i will do and it works sometimes.... AFTER the truck dies it doesnt get power right away sometimes so if i rock the truck the pump and radio and everything will come back....so i will crank it and the engine will run perfect no issues at all.... AS soon as i turn the wipers or the blower motor or put it into reverse it will die instantly

ive just recently noticed if i can cycle it into DRIVE really really quick the engine will skip but stay running BUT if i use an accessory listed above it will die.

I still have headlights and tail lights but have no brakes lights when i apply pressure now too with a new brake switch.



INPUT PLEASE this has been an on going issue for almost 2 years.. im considering just a painless wiring harness.... but i wouldnt mind tackling this without the harness swap.

 

check all main ground locations and main wireing harness connector on fire wall next to brake booster

 

where are the main grounds in the cab?

 

the main harness grounds are under the hood on my 89 on the oil ip stick tube mounting bolt ,is tihis an automatic or standard shift xj.

 

it seem like as soon as a little more electrial draw is need is when you have the issue ,ever check the battrery and alternators condition with a load tester.

 

Battery is a brand new blue top and alternator is putting out proper numbers

 

start with the grounds by dip stick tube remove clean and reinstall those are the main ones i think there is one on the firewall also goin to the motor check that

 

Checked all the grounds on the block and they were fine

 

Did you check the pass through/jucntion block at the firewall? my 92 had issues there, main power and ground were corroded almost completely through. You'll have to peel the rubber boot back a bit to get a good look at it, there is a bolt in the center that retains the block.

 

yeah check all your power wires, i had a similiar problem but on a smaller scale, my power seats would randomly be operational, depending on whether it was a good day. on my 89 it had small green wires (or what had been green wires) as leads to the bigger red wires, they had burned and corroded and broken the circut, every now and again the broken bits inside the wire would make contact, and mysteriously the problem vanished for a while.

 

going to tackle this tomorrow... anything else to look for while im digging away?

 

nss shorting out maybe ?

 

gonna bump this up...

i managed to get the truck running and it was running great!..

it would work in DRIVE if i shifted it into D really fast but if i put it in reverse it still died.

wipers, blower motor, etc still kill it.

left the truck for a few weeks... came back to it on tuesday and now put the key in and turn it over with no power to ANYTHING at all ....

but i still have dome lights when i open the door and my headlights work still.

yes the battery is full charged.

ive checked all big grounds under the hood and they are fine.

 

Sounds like you have a short somewhere and when you turn on the accessories its causing the shorted wire to ground out. Or maybe when you jerk forward/ backwards from putting it in gear a wire is grounding out. Not 100% but based off of what you are saying sounds plausible. Is your fuse block melted and falling apart like mine is?

 

nope its in excellent shape.

oh yeah another thing to add...

sometimes if i shake the whole truck... power will come back suddenly but not always.