Need Some Electrical Help!!!

[86 CJ]

I have been through this before, owning this CJ and others for 18 years, but still helps to have some input.

I just finished restoring my 86 CJ back to Great condition and had all the lights and guagesworking 2 weeks ago, now things have changed. I dropped the fuel tank, changed out the sending unit and cleaned up the rear light conections and after that I have an issue with the front lights being very dim I have not remounted the new high beam switch on the floor yet, deos it get it's ground from teh floor pan and screws? I am also in the process of putting on a Meyers plow and wiring the lights ( Nightmare) and was drilling a hole in the dash near the light switch too add a toggle when I might have hit something behind the dash and saw a quick spark or two

Now I have NO dash lights, no rear lights, Brake lights and the headlights turn on and are dim as hell. I have also been messing a bit with the front headlights out and in and battery connections on and off a couple times..

Where should I start?? You think I did something to the new Headlight switch??

 

[IOPort51]

pull the dash back off?
is that a ray of sunshine or what?
I would start checking grounds and find out where the sparks came from.

 

[Petescj]

Im not very much help with electrical, but when I replaced my floor pans the high beam switch was screwed into two plastic clips. So as far as getting its ground from the screws Id say no. Mine is an 82 by the way.

 

[86 CJ]

Pull the dash back off...I'd rather bang my head on it 10 times I made the mistake 1 year ago of getting paint on the back side of the dash and then putting it back on and hooking everything up So I have had it back off since to sand down I have a good ground to it and everythig was working great 2 weeks ago. The sparks came from when I made the new hole over teh lights swith for the Plow light Toggle, I think I hit the magnet on the speaker I have in the dash, did not hit the light switch, but wonder if it did somthing to it, because after that I had no dash lights I have checked all fuses. The Very Dim headlights is a differnt issue, with them I can push teh high beam switch and get one Bright High beam on one side, but back to low beam and it looks like a candle is lite in both of them????

 

[mylittlecj5]

Pull the dash back off...I'd rather bang my head on it 10 times I made the mistake 1 year ago of getting paint on the back side of the dash and then putting it back on and hooking everything up So I have had it back off since to sand down I have a good ground to it and everythig was working great 2 weeks ago. The sparks came from when I made the new hole over teh lights swith for the Plow light Toggle, I think I hit the magnet on the speaker I have in the dash, did not hit the light switch, but wonder if it did somthing to it, because after that I had no dash lights I have checked all fuses. The Very Dim headlights is a differnt issue, with them I can push teh high beam switch and get one Bright High beam on one side, but back to low beam and it looks like a candle is lite in both of them????

I'm betting you pinched a tail light wire when you re-installed the gas tank...so you need to drop the tank again...after you take the dash back off...

 

[IOPort51]

I have had problems with the connections on the back of the headlight itself a couple of times, that is something to check. The dash lights are a different matter, I think everything comes off the light switch.

Pull the dash back off...I'd rather bang my head on it 10 times I made the mistake 1 year ago of getting paint on the back side of the dash and then putting it back on and hooking everything up So I have had it back off since to sand down I have a good ground to it and everythig was working great 2 weeks ago. The sparks came from when I made the new hole over teh lights swith for the Plow light Toggle, I think I hit the magnet on the speaker I have in the dash, did not hit the light switch, but wonder if it did somthing to it, because after that I had no dash lights I have checked all fuses. The Very Dim headlights is a differnt issue, with them I can push teh high beam switch and get one Bright High beam on one side, but back to low beam and it looks like a candle is lite in both of them????

 

[86 CJ]

You guys crack me up and are making my crappy Saturday weekend shift much better at work...

Ok, you Braniacs..I love your suggestions, so what time can you guys be over to help me tear the lovely dash back apart and drop the freshly cleaned out with new sending unit, gas tank back down ??? I live near Baltimore, MD ???

 

[IOPort51]

You go ahead and get started , I'm flying out the door right now , be there before you know it. you better have beer.

You guys crack me up and are making my crappy Saturday weekend shift much better at work...

Ok, you Braniacs..I love your suggestions, so what time can you guys be over to help me tear the lovely dash back apart and drop the freshly cleaned out with new sending unit, gas tank back down ??? I live near Baltimore, MD ???

 

[CJ]

Don't know about an 86 CJ but my CJ has individual grounds at each head light. The dim head lights sounds like a ground problem.

 

[86 CJ]

Yea I know where the seperate grounds are and have not messed with them, it's just wierd that when I hit the high beam switch that I get one bright high beam light...

 

[86 CJ]

You go ahead and get started , I'm flying out the door right now , be there before you know it. you better have beer.

I got the Beer at the house in the Garage Chillin

 

[Old Dog]

The dim head lights sounds like a ground problem.

X2 on the ground problem.
If the dash lights quit working after you drilled the hole you must have hit a wire. Pull the dash and see what you drilled into.

IO is picking me up on his way to your place, get the beer on ice.:wasted:

 

[86 CJ]

X2 on the ground problem.
If the dash lights quit working after you drilled the hole you must have hit a wire. Pull the dash and see what you drilled into.

IO is picking me up on his way to your place, get the beer on ice.:wasted:

Sounds good, wish you guys lived closer to BS with. I will check behind the dash when I get home..Beer is always on ice and close to the Jeep

 

[LongHorn]

Yea I know where the seperate grounds are and have not messed with them, it's just wierd that when I hit the high beam switch that I get one bright high beam light...

Ground, Ground, Ground! I had to replace the headlight connectors on my rig because of that same problem. Old CJ's have a separate ground to everything.

 

[CJ]

One head light is bright and one dim is because of a ground path problem, not because it is receiving reduced voltage - your multiple problems are just Murphy making a visit...

The dimmer switch simply switches power from one circuit to another, 12v to the low beam circuit or 12v to the high beam circuit. The switch works even just laying on the driveway, it is not influenced by grounding. The fact that one head lamp is bright and one is dim indicates that the correct voltage is getting to the high beam circuit.

Check your fuses for your dash light problem (I think the 86 had a dash light fuse - could be wrong), if there is no fuse, you likely fried the dash light feed wire. It has to be the main feed wire as all of your dash lights are not working. If some lights worked and some did not, you could check the bridge between the working and non working circuits. Since no lights are working - the problem must be at the beginning.

 

[coldwater]

Yup, gremlins come knockin when a ground goes sideways on you. True story, I broke a little side light bulb on one of my old 7's once, and the little filament went to ground. Not enought to pop the fuse, but enough to wreak havoc on all kinds of lights. I went NUTS for hours tearing into everything trying to figure it out. I finally got to the stupid broken bulb, changed it out, and everything instantly worked. I hate electrical problems!!!!!!

 

[86 CJ]

Well I went home after working all day and throwing you guys my problems I was having as of last night with the lighting i the Heep. I took both the front headlights and running lights out and found a good ground and broke out the 12v tester and a beer

Started testing the plugs and found out just how badly corroded my was through years of play I ended up taking each wire out of every plug and wire brishing it, and throwing diod grease back in them and back on the plugs, then BAM I had bright headlights and running lights and blinkers again.

I then took the dash light switch out, checked the wiring to make sure everything was connected back there right and not nicked, then sanded a bit behind the dash, threw the light switch back in and went and plugged the rear lights back in, then saw Dash lights and rear lights on again I am a Happu Camper again boys. I have been working on this Jeep from every aspect of it for 15 years, but sometimes it takes some refresher suggestions from a fresh troubleshooter, Gotta love the CJ

:ty: ALL for your help....

 

[86 CJ]

O..Here is a pic of her about two months ago. She is almost completly done and looks even nicer today. I will post some pics of before and after my mini restor job soon..Thanks Again guys...

 

[IOPort51]

well!!
Me and the Dog are just pulling to the driveway!!

Well I went home after working all day and throwing you guys my problems I was having as of last night with the lighting i the Heep. I took both the front headlights and running lights out and found a good ground and broke out the 12v tester and a beer

Started testing the plugs and found out just how badly corroded my was through years of play I ended up taking each wire out of every plug and wire brishing it, and throwing diod grease back in them and back on the plugs, then BAM I had bright headlights and running lights and blinkers again.

I then took the dash light switch out, checked the wiring to make sure everything was connected back there right and not nicked, then sanded a bit behind the dash, threw the light switch back in and went and plugged the rear lights back in, then saw Dash lights and rear lights on again I am a Happu Camper again boys. I have been working on this Jeep from every aspect of it for 15 years, but sometimes it takes some refresher suggestions from a fresh troubleshooter, Gotta love the CJ

:ty: ALL for your help....

 

[CJ]

Glad to hear it just took basic trouble shooting! First time I ever heard of a corroded feed wire though... I'll keep this 'electrical fix' in my book marks for sure!