I have a '91 Jeep Cherokee, 4 door, 4.0 inline 6. My tail lights and instrument panel lights are both out. From my understanding, this indicates a possible grounded wire somewhere. Either the solution would be a fuse box rewire, or the problem could lie somewhere else, which is what I am afraid of. If anyone could give their input as to what I should do or look for, that would help out so much.

Also, I've replaced the fuse 6 times, and they blew within a minute of turning on the lights. I know Chrysler had some faulty wiring here and there, and the Jeep being a '91 doesn't help, either. I'd really hate to have to pay to have the car rewired from the engine throughout the rest of the car.

That's all I know for now. Please help if you can, or refer someone to this post who might have a good idea. If prices vary from region to region, I'm in the south east/South Carolina.

 

You didn't by chance connect two wires together in the lift gate, have you? Did you install an after market stereo before the lights quite working? It is not the fuse box causing the issue.

 

A short in one system is no reason to rewire the whole jeep.Like said any mods done to the jeep at all?

 

I bought it from a lady that said it had hook ups for subs when she bought it, and she had them removed. And yes, there's an aftermarket stereo. But I haven't done anything personally except crimp speaker wires in the doors. Is there a likely spot to look for? Or certain colored wires in the liftgate that shouldn't be connected?

 

I suspect the problem is with the stereo wiring. If the orange wire on the radio is connected to the factory illumination circuit, the dash light / marker light fuse will blow.

 

So if the orange wire is connected to the factory illumination circuit, what should I be looking for? I can pull off my dash trim and look behind the HU, but I don't really know what I should be looking for besides the orange wire.

Sorry, I'm real brain dead on car electrical!

 

Disconnect the HU plug and see if the fuse blows again.

 

The plug meaning the big, black cable connected in the back?

I've also got pictures of all orange wires I can see without ripping everything apart.

 

Yeah, the plug at the back of the radio.

 

I disconnected the plug, blew the new fuse. Disconnected the factory harness from the new harness, blew that fuse.

 

Ok, you now know it's not the radio wiring. It is time to look at the running light circuit. Is there a trailer plug on this rig?

 

No. I'd like to get a receiver and all that, but it's not top priority. I'm actually quite surprised it didn't have one from the factory. Shouldn't it be mandatory for a Jeep to have towing capabilities? Hahaha. But anyway, no it does not.