91 wiring NIGHTMARE HELP PLEASE. Or buy it.

[kidbaxter]

Anyone had an electrical problem stemming from the ignition and tail light/ window harnesses cluster works intermittently and windows tail lights brake lights and reverse lights all kill engine once you finally do get it running. It's a 91 loredo 4.5 inch rubicon express built d30 up front welded 35 in the rear. Sye done correctly and it's a beast just can't pinpoint this wiring nightmare. Ive replaced all ground straps and positive terminal on the battery. Cleaned the kick panel fuse box harnesses and added dielectric grease. Bypassed the NSS. And still can hardly ever get a response from the cluster. And when I do I have to jump the started. Had the started tested three times checked out fine. Isolated the electrical systems and found that there is a short somewhere along the lines of ignition but can not pin point one particular thing related to all effected conditions. Ready to loose my mind on this thing. Begging for help and if none can be provided willing to sell for $2000 or trade for a 4 cyl daily commuter until I can build another rig.


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[kidbaxter]

Here are a few pictures hopefully they'll uploadhttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/07/20/8y4u4yqa.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/07/20/su4e6ave.jpghttp://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/07/20/yqu9e4u9.jpg I've taken off the gawdy spotlight.


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[bluedragon436]

Sounds very similar to the electrical issue I'm having with my 90 right now.. At least mine is straight not working, but still just as annoying... I had an issue with it not wanting to work, so I played around with everything and checked connections and then started just playing with everything, and couldn't figure it out.. It randomly started and as I was driving I went to start backing up and it died on me, and since then it doesn't want to start, my window switches are useless, but the power door locks still work, no power to the gauge cluster, and no reverse lights.. I pulled the NSS and cleaned it, even though I had already tried jumping it.. I have pulled all the ground straps and positive cables and cleaned and resecured them.. Still no power.. For my issue (as well as yours it seems), the issue is none of the items that are supposed to work once the ignition switch is turned on are getting powered.. I've tried swapping the ignition switch as well, thinking it was a bad ignition switch.. Still nothing changed.. I hope that someone can help you figure this out, and get your XJ back on the road, and that possibly even helping me get mine back on the road once I get back stateside.. Unfortunately I can't do anymore troubleshooting and tracing on mine right now, so hope we can get yours back on the road, and hopefully help me with troubleshooting mine...

[kidbaxter]

I'm assuming you're military in which case I want to personally say thank you for your service.


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[bluedragon436]

I am military, and thank you for you appreciation.. I wish the work that I do in the USAF, would help me figure out my XJ's issue.. Somehow or another I can figure out some of the dumbest issues on the aircraft, and that thing is like 50 times bigger then the XJ.. but can't figure out a simple power issue on the XJ.. LOL

[kidbaxter]

I know right. I'm a diesel mechanic myself.


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[bigjim350]

whats your location?

[4.3LXJ]

Do you have an ohm meter?

[kidbaxter]

Dallas,ga


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[kidbaxter]

And yes I do just not currently on me. It's at the shop.


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[4.3LXJ]

Sounds like you do have a short. The way to track that down is to find some plugs and disconnect them and ohm each contact to ground. When you get a zero or near zero, that is the wire to chase down. After you have done this once, you will be a pro. This is not a good reason to get rid of it

[kidbaxter]

I've tried homing the tail light circuit to no avail. I don't even know where to begins on the ignition circuit but I'll give it a shot. The only reason I'm even considering sale is because it's to the point of me almost loosing my job. No dependable vehicle and only so many people will pick you up.


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[4.3LXJ]

If you cannot get the NSS to work for you, and this might be a big part of the problem, you can ground the NSS side of the starter relay in the power distribution center and then the starter should work any time as long as everything gets power. NSS also operates the back up lights. Many people clean them with good results. But be careful they are fragile and expensive

[kidbaxter]

I jumped the NSS to eliminate it all together and I still haven't been able to get power to the cluster for a few days now. Once I finally can get power there troubleshooting may get easier.


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[4.3LXJ]

Check fuses in two places. Power distribution center and more importantly under the dash by the steering column

[kidbaxter]

I went and bought all new maxi's relays and bus fuses and replaced all of them on both panels. And pulled the harness to the kick panel fuse box and cleaned connections and put in dielectric grease and re secured them.


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[4.3LXJ]

Speedo and tack working? Volt meter working?

[kidbaxter]

Nothing at all no power to the cluster at all. I can't get it to start until I get power there either.


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[4.3LXJ]

First thing I would do there is pull the cluster and make sure it has a good ground

[kidbaxter]

Ok I'll check there after that?


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[4.3LXJ]

While you have it apart and the plug loose, check for power to any of the contacts on the plug. You should get power for instance to the prongs for the volt meter, gas gauge and temp gauge. If not, work back from there. Sorry I don't have a full wiring diagram to help on that

[kidbaxter]

Ok I'll try it. Thanks.


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[slvmart]

Not sure if this is hitting the correct issues. But have you thought of other possibilities similar to the NSS ? Not sure what a '91 would have in it, but for example a inertia switch, or Auto Shut Down relay ?
Most of these have to do with shutting down specific circuits as a result of a accident or rollover. I don't have any repair manual info for a '91.
As a current posting indicated someone was having issues because of problematic wiring performed by a previous owner and an alarm system (if I recall correctly).
Or even simply a loose, or corroded, bulkhead connector?
Just trying to suggest that there may be less obvious, and usually overlooked, circuits at work.

[kidbaxter]

Mine has the alarm system along with the auto shut down relay. I have checked the auto shut down relay and it's good but I don't know about how to bypass the security system.


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[bluedragon436]

I'm trying to go back and look at the diagrams I have of the ignition system on my computer.. I looked at these while I was trying to diagnose my XJ, but figure now that I'm over here where I can look at it calmly and not while being aggravated like I was while trying to figure this out on my 90... Still not seeing a whole lot of options, other then those darn fusible links, especially since I tried swapping my starter control relay (didn't think this was they issue but was worth at try) & the ignition switch.. I know I had 12v sitting @ the input to the ignition switch, after that not sure where mine loses power, but it seems very similar to your situation.. Can't wait to get home and tear it into some more.. going to take the old ignition switch and hook it up to the harness without reattaching it, so that I can use my multi meter on the outbound side, to hopefully see if I can't trace down where it is loosing the signal..

[bluedragon436]

Any further luck on finding this random issue with your XJ??

[kidbaxter]

None at all honestly. I've tried everything advised and then some man it's like a dead end.


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[slvmart]

This is from another forum, dealing with the alarm system. Maybe it will help you bypass that aspect of the electrical. :
Ressurecting a thread from the dead. I tried the back hatch deal. and it made my interior lights stay on for like 5 mins. They eventually went off, but as soon as they went off, the alarm went off. I tried the Green and orange striped wire behind the kick panel. It worked. To clarify, it is the light green wire with the orange stripe, not the dark green. The only adverse effect I have found so far, it that there is no longer a delay on the interior lights, or headlights, but well worth it to be rid of the alarm. Thanks for the great info. I just re-read the thread, and realized they did infact specify it was light green. Oh well, it worked!

[kidbaxter]

So what exactly do you mean? Are you saying to cut the light green and orange wire or splice it to another wire or what?


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[bluedragon436]

None at all honestly. I've tried everything advised and then some man it's like a dead end.


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Yeah I hear ya on that.. did the same with my XJ, and even a few other things I thought to try or replace.. still no luck for mine either.. but I'll get back to it as soon as I get back stateside.. Hopefully I can figure it out, would be nice to get her up and going again and not have to spend an arm and a leg to take her to a shop!!

[4.3LXJ]

Mine has the alarm system along with the auto shut down relay. I have checked the auto shut down relay and it's good but I don't know about how to bypass the security system.


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Those alarm systems are a PITA. In situations like yours, most of the time that alarm system has one of two problems. It has just decided to quit working properly or it was installed improperly. The best thing is to remove it and restore the wiring to what it is supposed to be. Chiltons is a decent source for ignition and engine diagrams. If you need FSMs, your public library is a good free source.

[bluedragon436]

Those alarm systems are a PITA. In situations like yours, most of the time that alarm system has one of two problems. It has just decided to quit working properly or it was installed improperly. The best thing is to remove it and restore the wiring to what it is supposed to be. Chiltons is a decent source for ignition and engine diagrams. If you need FSMs, your public library is a good free source.

Unless you have the useless public library I have.. lol.. I'm going to keep working on trying to track the issue down with my 90XJ.. It seems very similar to what the issues are the OP is having.. I bypassed the alarm system that was in my 90, as it has a harness that just plugs in-between the factory harnesses.. but still no joy for mine, unless I just missed some random portion of the alarm that isn't through that harness...

[slvmart]

Sorry, after reading the thread I didn't notice that it didn't specifically say what to do with the wire, in the one I copied. So here you go :
Behind the side panel of the drivers footroom you can localize the wiring of the security alarm (light green with orange strip). You only have to ground this cable with a pice of wire and the security alarm is disabled.

[bluedragon436]

Sorry, after reading the thread I didn't notice that it didn't specifically say what to do with the wire, in the one I copied. So here you go :
Behind the side panel of the drivers footroom you can localize the wiring of the security alarm (light green with orange strip). You only have to ground this cable with a pice of wire and the security alarm is disabled.

Do you know what the light green wire w/ orange strip is, or what it is grounds in order to bypass the alarm?? Might have to try this on my 90 when I get back stateside in hopes that it'll work to get mine going again...

[slvmart]

Not off hand. All I can say is that they are supposed to be for the Alarm system and that this procedure was claimed at turning the alarm off.

Sorry, I don't have a '91 Manual or Wiring Diagrams.

[Mudderoy]

I keep reading this thread hoping for the words "I FOUND IT"!

[slvmart]

Here is a thread from NAXJA that may help. http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=9413&highlight=%2791+deactivating+alarm

[bluedragon436]

I keep reading this thread hoping for the words "I FOUND IT"!

You and me both.. Mainly cause then he'll have his XJ back on the road and enjoying it again, and two cause maybe it'll give me some clue as to what to look at and try with mine when I get back stateside!!