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What did I cook?

This is a '97 Wrangler TJ SE.

I was running an RF amp and producing from 500 to 700 watts of FM on 29.600. It's grounded to a seat bolt. Bad move, I know. Anyway, I figure I'm drawing about 100+ amps of power, the alternator is whining, and I smell something cooking. I figured I finished frying the output combiner. No big deal...

Well now my brake lights don't come on. The parking lights work, the reverse lights work and the blinkers work. Everything else electrical I could think of to test still works! Just no brake lights! I checked the fuses and the bulbs, cracked the mounting screws in the tail lamps, and no lights.

Any ideas? I'm printing out 236 pages of wiring diagrams from a '99 service manual I found on the net somewhere to look over.

TIA

-Scott

Reply to
Scott in Baltimore
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First locate the brake lamp switch section in the manual. Find the connector's terminal mappings from the manual. Unplug the connector, and using a piece of wire bridge together the two terminals used for the brake lights (terminals 5 and 6 on 2006 model). If the lights turn on, then the switch is defective or needs adjustment. If the lights don't turn on, then the fuse needs replacement (fuse 2 behind the glove box for 2006 model).

Regards, Bill Spiliotopoulos. '96 XJ, '06 TJ.

Reply to
Bill Spiliotopoulos

Hey what's going on here, someone asked a Jeep question and someone responded with an answer, this can't be the group I've been reading for the past year.

Reply to
Greg

Are you sure it wasn't you smelling cooked ;-) ? You were sitting next to a 500+ Watts emitting antenna? Man, this is suicidal.

Regards, Bill Spiliotopoulos. '96 XJ, '06 TJ.

Reply to
Bill Spiliotopoulos

A friend of mine did something like that.... Apparently he almost burned the skin off a military jet doing a flyby so the military came after him with the direction finder trucks... and got him too...

Anyhow, I maybe would be checking the small mesh ground strap that used to go from the engine head to the firewall on the older Jeeps. The main body ground connection may have arced out is what I am thinking. It may not be a mesh strap on yours... The loop connector may also look OK on the outside so I would unbolt it for an inspection.

Other than that, I would check the brake fuse and then the switch.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail > This is a '97 Wrangler TJ SE.
Reply to
Mike Romain

Note that 1/4 wave is about 8 feet at 29.600. The voltage at that point could easily be 500 volts. The brakes are about 8 feet from the antenna.

Feels like 100 out there. Time to check the switch...

Reply to
Scott in Baltimore

I probably DID cook the amp. I took the brake switch out and tested it. Only the sense section worked so I took the switch apart, cleaned the contacts and tested it again. Finally I figured out that one of the copper leafs has broken and _THAT'S_ why I have no brake lights. I guess I need to rig a temporary push button if I go out at night until Monday...

Reply to
Scott in Baltimore

Got new switch, now have brake lights. Thanks to those that took the time to help.

Reply to
Scott in Baltimore

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