‘Lectrical Gremlins

[cheesy]

For the first time in nine years, I was having electrical issues with the Wrangler. Started out with the right turn signal acting up. Good bulb, so it must be the flasher. So, I order a new flasher. Lemme tell ya, flashers for Mopars ain’t cheap. Put the new one in, which is a chore in itself, and no change. Huh?

So, I do some research and find out that the Mopar multifunction switch, or MFS (TS, head & fog lights, hi beams, dash lights) start to go south after 10 years. Mine’s 14, so it’s a safe bet. Order an aftermarket one from Quadratec and put it in. No change. I unplug the cable at the back of the MFS, plug it back in, and we are working. For exactly one week.

Now, I have a dim headlight, a dim and barely functional TS, and no parking light, all on the right side. I’m a high priced heavy equipment mechanic with a background in Automotive DC, my gut instinct is a bad ground. I do some continuity tests and things seem okay but I’m only getting 11.5 volts at the headlight. The headlight plug looks pretty groady, so I put in new. No change. Do some more reading and learn that the aftermarket MFS is notorious for being a POS. And that the OEM MFS can be hacked to work. Can’t find the old switch, must have tossed. Next best bet is to slice open a vein and get a gen you ine Mopar switch and flasher. $250. So I cut my wrist. Non-stock, so I need to order it.

Pick up the stuff on Monday, but I have other stuff to do, so I put it off until yesterday. Pull the aftermarket MFS and install the new one with the flasher. Nothing at all. Pull out the Mopar flasher and put in the aftermarket one and I get something. Swap flashers again and now it’s working but I still have the same problem, dim or nonexistent lights. Check grounds again. Now grounds are nonexistent. I run a jumper from the parking light socket ground terminal to a chassis ground. Ding ding ding. Everything is working like it should.

I start unwrapping harnesses and checking splice joints looking for a broken wire. Nada. I work my way up to the right side light circuit ground next to the radiator and both wires break off at the terminal like a rotted stick. Aha! I had to cut back almost 3/4” before I found clean copper. Crimped, soldered, and heat shrunk on a new terminal. Coated it with dielectric grease and we are good to go.

Clean up my mess and box up the still good aftermarket MFS and flasher to keep as a backup. I put the box on a shelf, right next to the OEM MFS I couldn’t find the week before.

[Weldangrind]

When you said "now grounds are nonexistant", how were you checking? I'm hoping to learn a new trick. My guess is that you measured continuity between the ground terminal at the socket and the frame.

[Sport Rider]

congrats for finding it. sucks to be you though. :o

[cheesy]

Originally Posted by Weldangrind

When you said "now grounds are nonexistant", how were you checking? I'm hoping to learn a new trick. My guess is that you measured continuity between the ground terminal at the socket and the frame.

Bingo. The ground wires at the body terminal had corroded so badly that continuity wasn’t possible.

[wedooit]

Originally Posted by cheesy

Bingo. The ground wires at the body terminal had corroded so badly that continuity wasn’t possible.

We had a ground problem on a 4 axle trailer that we rewired. OF COURSE, I didn't see the forest thru the trees, went back thru our re wire, everything checked. I didn't do the kiss method that megadan always recommends, and I forget the simple sometimes! The mrs was responsible for the rewire and did an unbelievable perfect job! (smaller hands and fingers have more dexterity) After I struggled for hours, she asked me if I hooked up the large white wire off the new junction box and grounded it. I guess she has more intuitive than myself. But maybe she wanted me to continue with what I call my physical therapy. A simple ground....