Jeep - Electrical-wiring - Cherokee :: 1996 - Headlights Switch Off Unexpectedly
Jun 19, 2014
The problem is that my headlights on my 1996 Cherokee Jeep XJ switch off unexpectedly. I can get them to come back on for extended periods by fiddling with the control knob in certain ways. This is the kind where you pull out of the knob to turn the lights on, and can rotate the knob to brighten or dim the dash.
If I pull a bit harder on the knob, the lights come on; if I twist this way just so, then off they go; that sort of thing. The fuses are fine and the contacts in the fuse box are clean. High beams work great no matter what (these are controlled from the steering column). I think the problem is at the control knob.
Now, how can I keep my headlights on when I turn them on every time without having to fight the gremlins? I think my next move is to remove the bezels and so on as best I can and get in there with some proper contact cleaner to see it's just built up gunk causing havoc. If that fails, or if that's a bad idea, what's next?
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1998 Jeep Cherokee sport ... My mechanic tells me that my #1 fuel injector is always spraying and that that is why the jeep runs rough. This is after he already told me that my injectors were clogged and needed to be replaced (which he did). When the car is idling for a while, the exhaust really begins to smell like gas, so this seems to make some sense to me, unlike his previous diagnosis. But now he is telling me that I need to replace the computer to fix this problem.
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While driving I turned on my headlights and my car became possessed. My warning lights started to flicker on and off, my car was dinging out of control. The speedometer, gas, and RPM gauge went to zero. My brights light would not come on. My dinging for the lights being left on, or the key being left in the ignition, after the car is parked, and the door is open, will not go on either. I turned my lights off and all was well. Turned them on again and the same thing happened.
Now, the following day, it is doing this periodically every couple of minutes while I'm driving, whether the lights are on or not. My radio and head lights work fine. I checked all my fuses and they all seem to be AOK. I disconnected my car battery and reconnected it to see if it would reset and it still did the same thing. One other strange occurrence. The last month or so while I've been driving my battery light came on for a few minutes. I had the battery checked and it is not bad. Then last week my gas-cap warning started to randomly appear. I changed my gas cap, and guess what.....it still came on, at random.
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So I recently bought a 1997 7.3l F250. It is in fairly good condition, but it has some problems with the lights working. The turn signals and hazards all work, as do the tail lights and headlights. However, when I hit the high beam switch, the headlights cut off entirely. Also, the brake lights do not work at all. Ive checked the bulbs and since they all work Im not sure what the issue is.
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Any COMPLETE headlight switch wiring diagram? Everything I find online only shows 2-3 wires in each sub connector, nothing with all wires and colors, and what they do. and of course the factory service manuals no longer work on my new computer. the switch and associated wires went up in smoke 2 hours ago, and this truck is my only means of transportation rite now. what i need is headlight wiring with colors so i can temporary hook up a toggle switch to have lights until the new switch and connectors come in next week. I went to pull the switch and connectors out of the parts truck, but of course that does not have fog lights so it uses different switch and connections.
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I have had no problems out of my jeep except my check engine light came on and it was a bad 02 Sensor and I was told I didn't need to replace it. Well I was driving down the highway and all of a sudden my jeep died. The radio cut off my air and I put it in neutral and I tried to start it and it would not crank. I coasted in a drive way and it cranked and them died. Now it acts like it wants to start but it wont. Replaced the fuel filter. I am getting fuel to the fuel rail. It will not start with starter fluid. I took the crank sensor off and it replaced it and it still wouldn't crank. My fuel pump makes a whinning sound. My lights come on..My windshield wipers won't. My radio doesn't work and the inside lights well I couldn't get them to go off before I before my vehicle died on me, about 3 weeks before I just took the bulbs out. Would the 02 sensor make it not start?
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Just bought a 1996 Jeep Cherokee Sport 4.0 Auto trans. The other morning my jeep wouldn't start. Power everything works, lights work, back up lights work. Starter had been sluggish so I had it tested. Tested fine. Hook the starter back up and when I attach battery it turns over and runs constantly.
I removed the ignition wire from the starter solenoid and hooked it back up and the same thing happened. So I deduced the starter solenoid was stuck. Bought a new starter and replaced my old. Old starter was tested at autozone and it worked properly there (didn't run without ignition).
I just bought the new starter anyway. Hook up battery and same thing happens--starter turns over. How would just the cable from the battery be able to turn the starter over if it is all good?
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Looking for wiring diagram for the older Ford cruise control switches. I'm wanting to add an aftermarket system but use the factory switches. It's for a 99 ranger with the steering wheels like the mark 8s, older mustangs, explorers, and many others, had.
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I have a 96 grand Cherokee Laredo, and the other day it just wouldn't start. The jeep will not turn over, so i started checking some things out and determined that it was not getting a spark. Since i replaced the distributor cap recently i figured it had to be the ignition coil, so i replaced that. Still no go, i tested to see if the ignition coil was getting a spark by using an ohm meter, and nothing.
So something is preventing the spark even getting that far. I do not know much about vehicles, and i have to think it is something in the electrical system (like a chip or something),possibly security system, or NSS.
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1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo... A week or so ago we started the Jeep up and let it warm up before leaving for work. When we put it into reverse it promptly stalled. It would then crank but not turn over. After letting it sit for a couple hours it then started fine and has run fine since. Today just a few minutes ago I started the Jeep and drove it to the front of my complex to drop my son off to the bus, after getting back into it I went to put it in reverse and it stalled. Once again it cranks but won't turn over. We initially had thought fuel line freeze the first time, but this time it seems odd having been able to drive it a short distance first..
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I bought a 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo about 3-4 months ago. One problem i have is that the heat wont switch from the floor. I've heard the motor that does this is called the mode actuator, which moves a flap to direct air to different ducts, etc. I've checked all vacuum line that i could see, nothing. It is quite hard to work on as everything is literally jammed under the dash. It is also quite dangerous as I cannot defrost my windshield in the winter. I get a tiny bit of heat up to the defroster, but not a lot. Heat works very well, but cannot switch from floor. Cant even hear the little hiss that you get on other cars when you switch. I just have the basic 3 knob fan speed, directional flow, and temp knobs, as well as an A/C button.
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I have a 96 Jeep Cherokee, 2wd, 4 cylinder, manual transmission, I have had some work done on it. Recently, I had the clutch redone, then I had a tune-up and the motor mounts replaced.
After the motor mounts were done, I was unable to get the vehicle into gear. My mechanic adjusted the clutch pedal and it was running as long as I did not put it into reverse. I had driven it about 3 miles from my house, parked it.
Came out to start it a couple of hours later and it would not turn over. It wanted to start but no engagement. I had to have it towed to my house where my mechanic could check it out.
Since that time, we have determined that it is not the fuel pump, we changed out the fuel injectors, replaced the coil, replaced the crankshaft sensor and it is still doing the same thing. Have gone through all the suggested remedies.
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I have 1996 grand Cherokee with 190,000 miles on it. A few weeks ago it stopped running while going up hill.It restarted after 15 minutes and ran for 2 minutes and it did that for few times till I decided to get it towed. Then my mechanic looked on it a few times and finally called me that it would run in second gear and he did not know what is exactly wrong with it. It could be driven home in 2nd gear without any issues.
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I have a 1996 Jeep Cherokee Sport with 153K miles. I've been on a maintenance kick lately and I'm wondering, is it reasonable to start replacing sensors before they go bad? I've replaced both oxygen sensors over the last few years but what about the others, MAPS, TPS, crankshaft position sensor, etc? The Jeep is running great but I've been driving a lot more for work and just want to keep it that way.
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(1996 Jeep V8) Dealer lets me take a Jeep home to take it to my mechanic early the next day. First time I looked at it, it coughed a bit of blue smoke, then cleared up. There's 141K on the car. Called around, the general consensus seems to be possible valve guides.
In checking it out last night noticed it was very low on oil. I added a quart and drove it around for awhile. Didn't think to check for any emissions plus I was driving around by myself. This morning I had my wife start it while I stood behind to check for the first-thing smoke. It was there, but also would give a bit of smoke when revved up.
A single bit of smoke first thing on startup doesn't seem that bad, but every time I accelerate is a concern. Plus, does that make sense? Very little smoking when level is low? Should I be suspicious?
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I have a 95 Jeep Cherokee that has a strange electrical problem. When I first turn the car on after it has been sitting for several hours, the following accessories do not work:- Air conditioner/Ventilation- Wipers- Cigarette lighter
There are two really odd things going on here: The first is that the radio will not work if any of the above three things are turned on, but it WILL work if they are all turned off. For example, with the wipers and AC off, and cell charger unplugged from the lighter, the radio will turn on. As soon as I plug the charger in, or turn on the wipers or AC, the radio goes off. None of these accessories actually turn on, but simply being putting them in the "on" position kills the radio until they are switched off.
The second weird thing is that after a few minutes of driving, everything will return to working as normal - radio, AC, lighter, etc. They continue to work until the next time the car has been sitting for several hours, at which point the same problem repeats.
FYI, I recently replaced the alternator to address an unrelated issue, but it did not make a difference with this one.
I searched the car talk forums for similar issues, but did not have any luck - while it does look like there are some other Chrysler vehicles that have electrical problems, I couldn't find anything dealing with an intermittent problem.
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I have a 1996 Jeep Cherokee (sport, six cylinder, 4WD) that won't start occasionally. 98% of the time, it starts up without problem. When it doesn't work the scenario is: put the key in, dash lights up, begin to turn the ignition switch, and suddenly the whole system looses power - no lights on he dash and of course, no cranking of the engine. If I try again immediately, I either get nothing or maybe power until I start to turn the key. If I wait ~5 minutes and try again, it fires right up. This has happened in various weather conditions.
Another problem that might be related is that about 40% of the time, it cranks but won't start in PARK. If I switch to NEUTRAL and try again, it fires right up.
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My 96 cherokee 4.o is having trouble. the motor is cranking but will not stay running unless i am pouring gas directly into the butterfly valve. it runs great while i am pouring gas into it, but it sputters out and dies once i stop. i checked to pressure in the fuel rail and gas will come out of the valve however the pressure gauge doesn't have any response. it feels like the fuel pump.
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1996 Grand Cherokee 4.0 liter, 156000 miles, Auto trans, It dies while driving. RPMs drop and it dies. Then starts right back up.
These things have already been replaced
cam shaft sensorcrank shaft positioning sensorfuel filterPlugs/Wires/Distributor Cap
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I keep getting this message on information center " service for wheel drive switch", I own a 95 jeep grd chero. 4.0.. Can I do this one myself or do I need a pro in shop to service? Where to start.
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1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4L
Problem "Stalls at idle and at hwy speed" sometimes starts right up and sometime will not start. Sometimes it will lose acceleration but engine will still be running and you can punch the gas and it will go again.
It has been in the shop for most of the last 2 months. Driven in 3 times and hauled in twice.
Low mileage 70,000 - has been great until now - serviced regularly.
Did get new fuel pump only about 10,000 miles ago do to starting problem but in that case it just did not start.
Independent shop replaced distributor cap, rotor, coil, fuel filter. No codes and couldn't duplicate problem.
Jeep dealer replaced fuel pump (they said wiring problem), O2 sensor, engine module no help, they asked us to pick up car because it ran fine. It stalled within 2 miles of shop.
We replaced gas cap just in case.
Limped back to shop to replace crank sensor as it was suggested several places. Ran fine for about 45 minutes then back to old tricks. Relays have been checked. Still at shop trying to trace problem. At least nobody is saying they can't duplicate problem as it now stalls all the time.
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