Melted switches and connectors?!! 2000 Jeep TJ

That happened to me in my Cherokee and it has been reported in TJ's too. It is due to a bad connection on the power plug at the motor itself in some cases. This causes too much heat in the wires and melts out the switch.

I would be checking this connection for heat and burned pins.

The TJ's are also blessed with a bunch of defective switches and the 'new' ones are from the same batch..... Folks are saying the new switches are bad right out of the box....

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail >

Thanks. What is the "power plug at the motor"? Do you mean the wiring harness that connects to the blower motor and supplies power?

Also, any thought how how this would be related to the headlamp / dimmer connector melting?

Nick

Yes, I mean the first plug on the harness coming out of the motor. The motor will have a pigtail with a connector on it.

The heat will do the whole circuit and it does strange things to contacts. Likely the dimmer is on the same fuse link from the power distribution center. You should check the fuse for signs of melt too. It can look 'saggy' and will blow easier or die from vibration because it went crystalline.

I recently had a bulb short internally in the back fixture so both elements were lit while having to use the one flasher for about a half hour and it damaged both the brake switch and the signal switch's contacts from too much heat. They got arced and have taken a while to start being stable again.

Folks,

The service manual indicates that A/C Heater Control, Headlamp Switch and Blower Motor relay are all connected to the same ground point (G200). A faulty ground connection may explain why these connectors are melting.

According to the manual, G200 is located "Left Rear of Instrument Panel". This area was leaking in my Jeep, so I will now go check how "grounded" that ground really is.

Any other advice also appreciated.

Nick

Maybe this recall might help??

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Recall 99V117000: Instrument Panel Ground Screws Loose

The left side and right side instrument panel wiring ground attachment screws could loosen over time. If the left side screw loosens, the instrument panel gauges may not function when the headlamps are turned on. If the right side screw loosens, the defroster blower motor may not function.

Dealers will remove the ground screws, drill a new pilot hole adjacent to the original hole, and the screws will be reinstalled in the new holes.

Owner notification began May 31, 1999. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Chrysler at 1-800-992-1997. Also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Auto Safety Hotline at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).

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Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail >

I think they tried to fix this in the year 2000 model. G200 and G201 which handle both the above circuits, are both attached left of the instrument panel and under the speaker. Looks like they moved them.

Thanks

Hey Mike and Nick,

Do you guys suppose this is something that has been addressed in the newer models?

I read so much in this group about bad wiring in the Jeeps that it makes me think I should be looking for things all along or even now to be sure they stay tight.

Kate

06 Rubee-Kahn

Because I take my Jeeps out to play and they do run into or across puddles and creeks and rivers and swamps (Have had the Cherokee buried up to the lights both front and back in a 'puddle' with muck coming through the door speakers, let alone the CJ7), I opened 'every' connection I could get my mitts on and stuffed them all full of dielectric grease. This keeps the biggest failure cause, corrosion, at bay.

Lots of the new connections are just mini computer pins designed to pass low current computer signals. These connections get corroded so easy it isn't the least bit funny. Look at how many cases to you see posted that complain about dead vehicles just after a wash! Or CPS's that start to work after unplugging them and plugging them back in which scratches a new contact usually or TPS's and shifting issues on automatics.

This isn't Jeep only, I worked at a garage just up the road from a car was that has pressure washers and we had 'tons' of tow in from there of all makes!

Mike

Kate wrote:

The same fix (slap) worked for Ford electronic dashboards in the late 80s..

I checked the grounds G200, G201, G202, G203, G300, G301, and G302. All screws were tight. G300/302 and G202/203 mount directly to the painted body. They do not mount to the unpainted steel dash support.

These two ground points were a little rusty, but not much. I'm going to use penetrating spray to remove some rust, a wire brush to scrape some paint and re-attach. I still don't think this is what is contributing to the melting connections however.

Nick

I think most of the problems started when I flipped the front windshield down. The front foot well leaks have been a nightmare ever since. The dealership (Brigham Gill in Natick, MA) couldn't even fix the problem and then, well, my warranty expired. Leaks are still there, probably contributing to wire corrosion.

Where did you purchase the dielectric grease? Radio Shack?

The auto parts stores sell different varieties. I have had good, well great I would have to say 6 years later, results from just using the cheap tube of stuff they call 'spark plug boot protector'. It is only a couple bucks a tube and well the failures I have had involved the wire corroding out of the back side of the old 1986 plug, not contact failure.

For the front, flip it down again and spray it, the seal, with silicone spray. This stuff is made for weather-stripping and does amazing things for sealing them up. It works really well on doors in the winter too so they don't freeze stuck shut.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view! Jan/06 (More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

My elder daughter's '88 Cougar had both the dash and ignition switch failures. My '86 T-Bird had neither.....

Go figure....

Thanks Mike, I'll put that on the top of my list.

Though I only dream of someday getting to play with my TJ as much as you do, I have still ahd some fun in it this summer. Heck, I've only had it 6 months and have been remodeling all summer... point is.. I believe in preventitive maintenance. Will go buy a new tube of grease and get to stuffing connectors. Thanks for the advice.

Kate and an ugly ol white mudball named Ajax

"Mike Romain" wrote

**snipped**

There are kinds that work real good to help you get in your wetsuit too :) K.

Ajax is stronger than dirt.

May beeee ... but him loves stompin in mud puddles LOL