Lol its all good man. I appreciate you taking the time.

 

So good news today. Was able to get both headlights working properly. Turns out the 3 different 5x7 headlights that came with the Jeep all had a filament burned out. I ended taking all bulbs out and bench testing them. After they all failed I made a quick trip to NAPA. $26 later and:



I never would have guessed that all 3 lamps were bad. Go figure.

Both Highs and Lows work perfectly. I also took the time to replace all the screws that hold the headlights in. Half were missing anyways. If anyone needs a local source, these screws fit fine:



The shape of the head is a little different, but the size and thread appears to be close enough. Glad to have proper headlights again. So at the moment, all exterior lights are working properly. Feels good man.

 

So with the lights working and the snow falling I really need to sort out this wiper issue. I figured I could deal with it later but it kind of doesn't make sense to wait anymore.

So it looks like the previous owner removed the Windshield Wiper Circuit Breaker for whatever reason:



I ordered a new one from Quadratec but I instead received the 30A Crown Automotive version. I did find 20A version at my local NAPA but as the Crown one, the dimensions are all wrong. I did crimp on some short lengths of wire and spade connectors so I could jam the terminals in the space where the correct circuit breaker would be, and the wipers still didn't work. I also tried jumping the terminals with a jumper wire, no luck. Last thing I tried was checking for continuity with my meter and I didn't have it at the terminals. But if I am honest I don't know if I should have it there.

So this leads me to believe it is the Intermittent Wiper Module. If anyone has any other thoughts, let me know. I did find one on eBay for about $30 so I will probably pick that one up. But I have a couple other XJs to visit this week to pull some other parts from. So Ill add the module to the shopping list.

 

Well, kind of one step forward and a quite a few steps back. All is not well in Waffle-Ville.

I visited a few parts XJs and was able to score a few parts for a fair price. One thing was a good set of roof rails:



Now I can mount that Yakima basket I got a while back. So that’s a plus.

I pulled a variety of switches and various interior pieces that I needed. I was able to score an OEM wiper circuit breaker and Intermittent Wiper Module, door switches. OEM radio harness and radio, turn signal stalk and steering column plastics.

I first took HVAC fan control switch out to look at it. The harness was melted, and the switch looked pretty crusty:



(Pardon the jumper, I was jumping the terminals to get the blower fan to work)

I took the opportunity to take the switch out to clean it and one of the terminals fell off in my hand:



So a new switch and harness is on order. Just faster to get them off eBay then to search of local rigs to pull parts off of. For a while, the blower only worked on High. So I hope the new switch and harness will fix that.

So with that failure I went on to the OEM radio harness. Mine was already cut up from the previous owner. I got one out of what I was told was a 94 XJ and everything looked like it was a good match up. Until I got to the end and saw that I have an extra wire with no pair to match it up with:



So either the harness I got was the wrong year or the previous owner cut up my harness more then I realized.

I was able to toss in the hood light I picked up:



So that was a cool addition.

However, when I started her up to melt the snow off her, I saw she was overcharging pretty good. Putting a meter to the battery and shes charging at almost 19V:



So that’s not good. Maybe I’ll just run around town with the High Beams, rear defroster and blower fan on high all the time to keep the draw up ha ha

To top it off I saw standing water on the center console. Looking up, the headliner is soaked through in the exact center of the windshield:



Maybe this is a good thing. She needs a new windshield anyways and perhaps this will fix the leaks I have been finding in the footwells….I hope.

That’s where I am at the moment. I was installed a set of roof rails and one light. Everything else was a failure or I made it worse lol. Here’s hoping the next update will be a better one.

 

Not much progress over the past few days as I would have liked. I got the new fan switch installed and the harness rebuilt with a kit off ebay:



Seems to be a decent kit and it fit up just fine. One of the wire colors didn't match, but no big deal. The blower fan still works on "High" so I did ordered a new Blower Motor Resistor. Should be here in the next few days. Hopefully that solves it.

Other then that small victory, roof rack clamps came in so I was able to get the Yakima mounted up:



That's where the spare tire will go and maybe a shovel and Hi-Lift in the future.

I was also able to mount up an older pair of Lightforces mounted up that I had kicking around:



They were free with a stock bumper I got with a pile of parts a while ago. Figured they might as well do some good on the bumper and help take some of the current away from my 19v charging system lol I plan on wiring them into the stock fog light switch to keep it all simple and clean.

Also got a new windshield ordered. It cost as much as I paid for the Jeep itself, but don't really have much of a choice. Slow steady progress am I right? lol

 

Minor victories today. Was able to swap out the Blower Motor Resistor without too much issue. That back screw is a bit of a PIA to get out but I managed. Once I was able to drop the old resistor out, about a 1/4 cup of pine needles and leaves came out:



They were totally packed around the resistor. Could have been a bad day....

The old resistor really didn't look too bad:



Nothing looked broken or burned. But with the new one I have fan control again. Worth the money I'd say.

I was also able to get the key cylinder changed out. I have a couple key cylinders and ignition switches, but I couldn't get any combination of them to work. They would all mount up just fine, but none of them would allow me to move the key to the 'Start" position. They would all bind. But I was able to install a new key cylinder in the old ignition and it seems to work ok. Some of the plastic is broken so the whole assembly is not as solid as I would like. But the key works in all positions. So no more screwdriver. To me that's a pretty big win.

 

So what is hopefully good news. I was able to get the windshield replaced for a fair price. I wish I could have taken some pics of the process but the shop wouldn't allow it.

The good news tho, is that the tech that changed out the windshield and was able to knock back all the rust I didn't know was there, prime it well and "seal the hell out of it."

He used phrases like " Total adhesive failure" "Could have pushed out the windshield with my hands" and "Rusty as hell". For the record I saw no evidence of rust on the outside.

So I am hoping this fixes my water leaks. Last fall I ran the garden hose over the bottom of the windshield to see if the cowl was leaking. 10 min of water left the floors dry but the rain that night didn't. So with any luck, this will do it. I will be keeping my eye on it..

 

Betting that is a relief.
Did the shop tell you to keep a couple windows cracked and not slam your doors or hatch for a few days?
When I had mine done they did.
But it was warmer weather to so that might have been part of the reasoning.
Gets warm inside the Jeep guessing pressure builds up a bit with all the windows closed.
But also thinking the force of air when you slam a door shut. Especially a hatch.
Pushing on the windshield before the gunk has had a chance to "cure".

 

I am really hoping this fixes the leaks. And being that this windshield cost as much as the XJ did in the first place, it better lol

So they saw that I had to trailer the rig to the glass shop (she's not road worthy for long trips) so I may not have gotten the entire new windshield safety lecture when they handed the keys over. The last time I had glass replaced on my truck (at a different shop) they did tell me to drive home with the windows cracked. Wasn't fun when it was snowing lol This shop did tell me " No pressure washing or car washes for two days." But they said it with a smile because it was 20 degrees out lol

 

Little bit of a setback today. Was poking around in the engine bay when I saw a minor coolant leak. Further poking resulted in this:



Looks like it was barely hanging on anyways. Not a huge deal, its a cheap part. Coolant was bright green tho, so that's good.

On a less positive note my windshield wipers are no longer working at all. Before, when I bypassed the intermittent wiper module I would get High and Low speed. Now I dont have anything at all. No functionality whatsoever. I do have battery voltage at the terminals of the windshield wiper circuit breaker, even with the wiper switch in the off position. Not sure if I am supposed to have positive voltage there or not. Can someone confirm that? I have another turn signal switch I can try out. Maybe that will be it. The turn signal switch works perfectly fine otherwise.

 

Can't help with the wiper problem but as far as the heater control valve goes guys just delete it.
I am sure there is plenty of info about that here on the forum.

 

I'm glad you mentioned that HCV Delete. That was one quirk of this year's XJ that I wasn't aware of. Considering where I live and the AC in my rig as already been removed, looks like removing that valve is the way to go. Lots of good posts about it. Thanks!

 

Was able to delete the Heater Control Valve today. Super simple for anyone who is thinking about doing it. $10 worth of heater hose and a few gear clamps got me to this:



I let her idle for an hour and I still have good heat and no leaks that I could find. So I fixed the broken valve, simplified the system, and removed a protentional point of failure. Good stuff.

I did also fine a couple loose connections that I havent cracked open the Haines manual to see what these are for, but I'm hoping are from the AC system that was removed by the previous owner.





If anyone can confirm, let me know.

On a negative note, I did swap out the turn signal switch and the wipers still don't work. I am pretty sure the circuit breaker I pulled off a '94 is still good. But it did spark a few times getting it in and out. I hope it didn't spot weld itself together internally or something... The rear wiper stopped working as well. But the defroster still works. Not sure what that means...

 

So I have wipers again....sort of. Turns out the back wiper fuse was blown. Easy fix. I took this opportunity to check all the fuses and swap out any what weren't the right amperage. I did find a mini fuse that wasn't supposed to be there. It was partially melted so I was glad to get it changed out.

The front wipers sort of work now. I have High and a little less High. I don't feel like it qualifies as Low. The speeds are nearly the same. I think that circuit breaker I pulled was junk. So I swapped it out for the Crown one I got in the mail. I also ended up bypassing the Intermittent Wiper Module to get my one speed wipers now. I tested all thee Intermittent Wiper Modules that I have and none of them see to have an effect on the wiper speed. Not really sure what that means. I also don't have any response to pressing the turn signal stalk to activate the windshield washer fluid. That's something I'm hoping to test out tomorrow. But at least now I can clear the windshield when I need too.

 

Only a few cosmetic updates lately. Its been too cold out to do much else and I don't want to move the rig until the new alternator comes in. Really don't want to smoke the battery.

I ended up pulling the drivers seat and giving it a half *** clean and shampoo. The seat mounts were very rusty so they got few min with a wire wheel and a couple thick coats of paint. I hope to bring the XJ to a garage this weekend to do the carpets and a few other odds and ends and it didn't seem right to have clean-ish carpets with rusty metal bolted on to it.

Before:



After:



Not the biggest improvement in the world, but it certainly is noticeable. Certainly feels cleaner to the touch. hope to do the passenger seat and bench this weekend.

Also scored some new headlight bezels for cheap off Ebay. Easy to install and they replace the broken ones that were there before:



Really helps make the front end look more complete. My focus is still on reliability and safety improvements, but these were cheap and took 5 min to install.