Doug Jones

Hello All,

I was hoping someone might give me some troubleshooting advice regarding the
interior lights on my 95 ZJ. Normally the interior overhead lights turn on
when ever I open a door, stay on for 30 seconds after I close it, then shut
off as they are supposed to.

Today they stopped doing this. The overheads still turn on normally when I
open the door but when I close the door, they stay on (but are very dim),
the floor lights come on (which also appear dim), and the rear hatch light
comes on (and is bright).

I fiddled with the door switches and the alarm but no change. I ended up
disconnecting the battery. Any ideas or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Doug
95 ZJ 4.0L

DougW

Doug Jones wrote:
> Hello All,
>
> I was hoping someone might give me some troubleshooting advice regarding the
> interior lights on my 95 ZJ. Normally the interior overhead lights turn on
> when ever I open a door, stay on for 30 seconds after I close it, then shut
> off as they are supposed to.
>
> Today they stopped doing this. The overheads still turn on normally when I
> open the door but when I close the door, they stay on (but are very dim),
> the floor lights come on (which also appear dim), and the rear hatch light
> comes on (and is bright).
>
> I fiddled with the door switches and the alarm but no change. I ended up
> disconnecting the battery. Any ideas or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Did you push the rear hatch light to make it stay on? If so push it again.

Oddly though the other lamps should be off, not dim. Sounds like a ground
has gone bad on you. It should be the same wiring diagram as the 93 ZJ.

First stop, check the rear cargo lamp to make sure it's in the auto position.
Then check the lamp switch to make sure it's not keeping the inside lights on.
Then check the fuses to see if one has burned out. Fuse 5 I believe

You could pull the illuminated entry relay.
It's in the relay center located in the glove box.
You have to take the glove box door off then open the lower panel.
The relay should be the larger one on your right by the door.
(that's if they didn't change that from 93)

SAM relay | Door Lock Relay | Blank | Power antenna relay | Horn Relay

blank | Door Unlock Relay | blank | Heated Window Relay | Illuminated Entry Relay

--
-- DougW -- 93 ZJ 4.0 http://members.***.net/wilsond
HESCO Supercharger - 300W IASCA Stereo - Edelbrock IAS Shocks
Gibson Exhaust - rear DCpower - custom gauge install - Stillen Rotors

Lon Stowell

Doug Jones wrote:

> Hello All,
>
> I was hoping someone might give me some troubleshooting advice regarding the
> interior lights on my 95 ZJ. Normally the interior overhead lights turn on
> when ever I open a door, stay on for 30 seconds after I close it, then shut
> off as they are supposed to.
>
> Today they stopped doing this. The overheads still turn on normally when I
> open the door but when I close the door, they stay on (but are very dim),
> the floor lights come on (which also appear dim), and the rear hatch light
> comes on (and is bright).
>
> I fiddled with the door switches and the alarm but no change. I ended up
> disconnecting the battery. Any ideas or suggestions are greatly appreciated.
>
> Doug
> 95 ZJ 4.0L
>
>
My first guess would be the Illuminated Entry System relay.
The lights should also go off when the ignition is turned on.
I see one common point, the relay located behind the instrument
panel and below the glove box. The lights are all turned on
by applying a ground at the Illuminated Entry Relay, so
a dirty relay COULD be the cause. Before ripping the dash
apart, I'd check that hatch light and the wiring around it.
All it would take is a short to ground to cause the lights
to stay on.

Fuse #5 also seems to disable all of these.

And really really gonna have to get a scanner one of these
days, and a place on the desk to put it. If you have the
FSM, the vehicle theft alarm section has a fairly simple
block level wiring diagram.

Doug Jones

Thanks once again for your tips. I thought I had checked the fuse panel but
I was looking at the wrong fuse. Turns out fuse #5 had blown which caused
the mysterious dim lights. I have heard a couple of rumors about bad wiring
in jeeps and started to fear the worst!

Thanks again.
Doug
95 ZJ 4.0L


"DougW" <post.replies@invalid.address> wrote in message
news:xfJSa.56934$R92.50542@news2.central.***.net.. .
> Doug Jones wrote:
> > Hello All,
> >
> > I was hoping someone might give me some troubleshooting advice regarding
the
> > interior lights on my 95 ZJ. Normally the interior overhead lights turn
on
> > when ever I open a door, stay on for 30 seconds after I close it, then
shut
> > off as they are supposed to.
> >
> > Today they stopped doing this. The overheads still turn on normally when
I
> > open the door but when I close the door, they stay on (but are very
dim),
> > the floor lights come on (which also appear dim), and the rear hatch
light
> > comes on (and is bright).
> >
> > I fiddled with the door switches and the alarm but no change. I ended up
> > disconnecting the battery. Any ideas or suggestions are greatly
appreciated.
>
> Did you push the rear hatch light to make it stay on? If so push it
again.
>
> Oddly though the other lamps should be off, not dim. Sounds like a ground
> has gone bad on you. It should be the same wiring diagram as the 93 ZJ.
>
> First stop, check the rear cargo lamp to make sure it's in the auto
position.
> Then check the lamp switch to make sure it's not keeping the inside lights
on.
> Then check the fuses to see if one has burned out. Fuse 5 I believe
>
> You could pull the illuminated entry relay.
> It's in the relay center located in the glove box.
> You have to take the glove box door off then open the lower panel.
> The relay should be the larger one on your right by the door.
> (that's if they didn't change that from 93)
>
> SAM relay | Door Lock Relay | Blank | Power antenna relay | Horn Relay
>
> blank | Door Unlock Relay | blank | Heated Window Relay | Illuminated
Entry Relay
>
> --
> -- DougW -- 93 ZJ 4.0 http://members.***.net/wilsond
> HESCO Supercharger - 300W IASCA Stereo - Edelbrock IAS Shocks
> Gibson Exhaust - rear DCpower - custom gauge install - Stillen Rotors
>
>
>
>
>