I swear I remember one time while driving at night, the letters next to my shifter would light up? Do they? And since they aren't now, how do I fix them?

 

I have a 98 Cherokee and mine light up and so do the 2H and 4H/L on the 4wd lever. I'm not sure if they light up in older cherokees though. Not sure how to fix it if they don't light up, I'd start by checking the bulb

 

They should light up. You bulb is gone, wire loose, something. Pop open the console and look around. Bulbs are cheap, pick up some spares.

 

Pull the shift lever to 1, pull the **** off. Carefully lift the indicator up using a small screwdriver. Check the bulb.