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91 ZJ Brake lights, running lights, etc...

Girlfriendzilla's Jeep is acting up. I 'volunteered' to fix it for her. Looking for some pointers on where to start my search.

I'm guessing it's a ground issue but here goes...

Lights off: Step on the brake pedal and the ambers go on up front along with the brake lights in the rear.

Lights on: Left side rear is much dimmer than the right. Step on the brake pedal and the brake lights are barely brighter than the tail lights. If you blink, you miss it. Again, the left noticeably dimmer than the right.

I've replaced a bulb or two in the past few years. None recently though, so I don't think it's a wrong bulb issue.

Ideas?

Reply to
clay
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Look to the dim bulb being a short between the signals and running lights.

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
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Reply to
Mike Romain

I'll look at that. I didn't even try the signals to see what they did or didn't did... Hazards either. Thanks!

Reply to
clay

Hi Clay, With a bulb out and it's filament crossed it can do some weird things, but not light the front, your problem I believe a melted turn signal switch in her column, usually caused by a short in the trailer socket. find the short first or buy more than one switch, as I have. It will come apart very much like this GM:

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Be sure and disconnect thebattery, especially if equipped with air bags. God Bless America, Bill O|||||||Omailto: snipped-for-privacy@aol.com

Reply to
L.W. (Bill) Hughes III

Maybe not a wrong bulb, but a bad bulb in one of the tail lights. I've seen 'em where one end of one of the filiments breaks and lays down over the other filiment. Causes something like you describe.

-- Old Crow "Yol Bolsun!" '82 FLTC-P "Miss Pearl" '95 YJ Rio Grande BS#133, SENS, TOMKAT, MAMBM

Reply to
Old Crow

Bill, if the brake light filament breaks and falls across the running light filament's base, which does happen, it then lights up the running lights as well as the brake lights when the pedal is pushed while showing the dimmest at the break point.

Mike

L.W. (Bill) Hughes III wrote:

Reply to
Mike Romain

Both scenarios are possible.

iirc, the front running light thing has been that way for a while.

Recently though, she was rear ended by a light pole in a parking lot (it's her story, and I'm not arguing...) that put a nice 'V' in the bumper. Might have pinched the U-Haul installed trailer wiring. I pulled the bumper and hammered it out so the back would open and didn't notice any bad wires... but I didn't look for them either.

We'll check the bulbs, wires, and turn signal switch. Thanks for all the tips!

Mike Roma> Bill, if the brake light filament breaks and falls across the running

Reply to
clay

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