Weird electrical problem

[Iceman]

1041663

Howdy,



I have an '82 CJ7. It's been out of commission for about 6 months. Body work mostly. I decided to take it and get an inspection (We have to have annual inspections in Texas) done. The blinkers didn't seem to be working when the headlights were on but they worked when the headlights were off only they were real dim. The running lamps, on the other hand, looked real bright. After a lot of ass scratching, I finally removed the tail lamp covers and watched the filaments in the bulbs. Sure enough, with the headlights on (short filaments) the blinkers were working (long filaments). I don't get it. It looks like, somehow, the wires for the park lamps and the blinkers/brake lights have been swapped. I checked the harnesses. They only go on one way. Nothing has changed! We didn't do any electrical work to the Jeep. In my mind, the short filament should be the brake/turn lamp filament and the long filament should be for the running lights (headlights on). My logic is simple, shorter wire = less resistance = brighter shine for the same voltage. So why would the short filament be working for the running lamps and the blinkers working on the long filament? It doesn't make sense.



Help.

mikell@cvtv.net[addsig]

 

[berettajeep]

1041674

bulb forced in backwards?



Check ground wire.[addsig]

 

[Iceman]

1041676

Ground is a more likely culprit than both bulbs being inserted backwards. I watched the wrong filament lite when the brakes were applied and the wrong filament light when the tail lamp is on. It's the same way on both ends of the vehicle and that is two different wiring harnesses. The front blinkers are ridiculously bright (like a stuck blinker) because the blinker filament is lit when the running light is on. The other filament IS NOT lit by the way. The system acts like the bulbs are reversed but they are not. I haven't touched them. In looking at the schematic, the only common denominator between the front and rear lamps is the blinker switch. Maybe something happened to it? Wait. That's not exactly true because the tail and running circuits do not go through that switch. That brings me back to the ground being the only common denominator. Either that or Poltergeists. The way my luck has gone lately I wouldn't discount anything.

Thanks for responding. If I ever figure it out, I'll post the answer.



Mike[addsig]

 

[MudderChuck]

1041681

Ground.[addsig]

 

[berettajeep]

1041686

ground

[addsig]

 

[RAVEN13xxx]

1041707

Ground

sorry had to join the party.

[addsig]

 

[Iceman]

1041709

Well..it's fixed. The solution was two fold. The first, and most unbelievable to me, was to put the tail light bulbs in correctly. No kidding. My son took the Jeep to the inspection station that morning. When it failed, the first thing that he did was put in new bulbs. He told me that this afternoon.

When he put the bulbs in the "blinkers quit working". I decided to look at that first this morning. I couldn't believe what I was seeing.



The front blinkers have apparently been screwed up for awhile and I didn't realize it. The lights are not the original lamp housings. I had replaced them about 5 years ago. Apparently they were wired backwards from the factory. I rewired the plugs and viola, blinkers and lights. All is well in Jeep land. Thanks for the help.



Mike



Oh yeah, I found a couple of missing and one loose ground wire too

[addsig]