91 ZJ Brake lights, running lights, etc...

Girlfriendzilla's Jeep is acting up. I 'volunteered' to fix it for her.
Looking for some pointers on where to start my search.

I'm guessing it's a ground issue but here goes...

Lights off: Step on the brake pedal and the ambers go on up front along
with the brake lights in the rear.

Lights on: Left side rear is much dimmer than the right. Step on the
brake pedal and the brake lights are barely brighter than the tail
lights. If you blink, you miss it. Again, the left noticeably dimmer
than the right.

I've replaced a bulb or two in the past few years. None recently though,
so I don't think it's a wrong bulb issue.

Ideas?

clay wrote:
> Girlfriendzilla's Jeep is acting up. I 'volunteered' to fix it for her.
> Looking for some pointers on where to start my search.
>
> I'm guessing it's a ground issue but here goes...
>
> Lights off: Step on the brake pedal and the ambers go on up front along
> with the brake lights in the rear.
>
> Lights on: Left side rear is much dimmer than the right. Step on the
> brake pedal and the brake lights are barely brighter than the tail
> lights. If you blink, you miss it. Again, the left noticeably dimmer
> than the right.
>
> I've replaced a bulb or two in the past few years. None recently though,
> so I don't think it's a wrong bulb issue.
>
> Ideas?

Look to the dim bulb being a short between the signals and running lights.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

Mike Romain wrote:
> clay wrote:
>> Girlfriendzilla's Jeep is acting up. I 'volunteered' to fix it for her.
>> Looking for some pointers on where to start my search.
>>
>> I'm guessing it's a ground issue but here goes...
>>
>> Lights off: Step on the brake pedal and the ambers go on up front
>> along with the brake lights in the rear.
>>
>> Lights on: Left side rear is much dimmer than the right. Step on the
>> brake pedal and the brake lights are barely brighter than the tail
>> lights. If you blink, you miss it. Again, the left noticeably dimmer
>> than the right.
>>
>> I've replaced a bulb or two in the past few years. None recently
>> though, so I don't think it's a wrong bulb issue.
>>
>> Ideas?
>
> Look to the dim bulb being a short between the signals and running lights.
>

I'll look at that.
I didn't even try the signals to see what they did or didn't did...
Hazards either.
Thanks!

Hi Clay,
With a bulb out and it's filament crossed it can do some weird things,
but not light the front, your problem I believe a melted turn signal switch
in her column, usually caused by a short in the trailer socket. find the
short first or buy more than one switch, as I have. It will come apart very
much like this GM: http://www.chevyasylum.com/column/tiltcol.html ,
http://www.fieros.de/en/articles/steering.html &
http://www.billhughes.com/steeringColumn.pdf Be sure and disconnect the
battery, especially if equipped with air bags.
God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O



"clay" > wrote in message
...
> Girlfriendzilla's Jeep is acting up. I 'volunteered' to fix it for her.
> Looking for some pointers on where to start my search.
>
> I'm guessing it's a ground issue but here goes...
>
> Lights off: Step on the brake pedal and the ambers go on up front along
> with the brake lights in the rear.
>
> Lights on: Left side rear is much dimmer than the right. Step on the
> brake pedal and the brake lights are barely brighter than the tail
> lights. If you blink, you miss it. Again, the left noticeably dimmer
> than the right.
>
> I've replaced a bulb or two in the past few years. None recently though,
> so I don't think it's a wrong bulb issue.
>
> Ideas?



--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

On Mon, 21 May 2007 22:59:40 GMT, clay > wrote:

>Girlfriendzilla's Jeep is acting up. I 'volunteered' to fix it for her.
>Looking for some pointers on where to start my search.
>
>I'm guessing it's a ground issue but here goes...
>
>Lights off: Step on the brake pedal and the ambers go on up front along
>with the brake lights in the rear.
>
>Lights on: Left side rear is much dimmer than the right. Step on the
>brake pedal and the brake lights are barely brighter than the tail
>lights. If you blink, you miss it. Again, the left noticeably dimmer
>than the right.
>
>I've replaced a bulb or two in the past few years. None recently though,
>so I don't think it's a wrong bulb issue.
>
>Ideas?

Maybe not a wrong bulb, but a bad bulb in one of the tail lights. I've
seen 'em where one end of one of the filiments breaks and lays down
over the other filiment. Causes something like you describe.
--
Old Crow "Yol Bolsun!"
'82 FLTC-P "Miss Pearl"
'95 YJ Rio Grande
BS#133, SENS, TOMKAT, MAMBM


--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

Bill, if the brake light filament breaks and falls across the running
light filament's base, which does happen, it then lights up the running
lights as well as the brake lights when the pedal is pushed while
showing the dimmest at the break point.

Mike

L.W. (Bill) Hughes III wrote:
> Hi Clay,
> With a bulb out and it's filament crossed it can do some weird things,
> but not light the front, your problem I believe a melted turn signal switch
> in her column, usually caused by a short in the trailer socket. find the
> short first or buy more than one switch, as I have. It will come apart very
> much like this GM: http://www.chevyasylum.com/column/tiltcol.html ,
> http://www.fieros.de/en/articles/steering.html &
> http://www.billhughes.com/steeringColumn.pdf Be sure and disconnect the
> battery, especially if equipped with air bags.
> God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O
>
>
>
> "clay" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Girlfriendzilla's Jeep is acting up. I 'volunteered' to fix it for her.
>> Looking for some pointers on where to start my search.
>>
>> I'm guessing it's a ground issue but here goes...
>>
>> Lights off: Step on the brake pedal and the ambers go on up front along
>> with the brake lights in the rear.
>>
>> Lights on: Left side rear is much dimmer than the right. Step on the
>> brake pedal and the brake lights are barely brighter than the tail
>> lights. If you blink, you miss it. Again, the left noticeably dimmer
>> than the right.
>>
>> I've replaced a bulb or two in the past few years. None recently though,
>> so I don't think it's a wrong bulb issue.
>>
>> Ideas?
>
>
>

Both scenarios are possible.

iirc, the front running light thing has been that way for a while.

Recently though, she was rear ended by a light pole in a parking lot
(it's her story, and I'm not arguing...) that put a nice 'V' in the
bumper. Might have pinched the U-Haul installed trailer wiring.
I pulled the bumper and hammered it out so the back would open and
didn't notice any bad wires... but I didn't look for them either.

We'll check the bulbs, wires, and turn signal switch.
Thanks for all the tips!

Mike Romain wrote:
> Bill, if the brake light filament breaks and falls across the running
> light filament's base, which does happen, it then lights up the running
> lights as well as the brake lights when the pedal is pushed while
> showing the dimmest at the break point.
>
> Mike
>
> L.W. (Bill) Hughes III wrote:
>> Hi Clay,
>> With a bulb out and it's filament crossed it can do some weird
>> things,
>> but not light the front, your problem I believe a melted turn signal
>> switch
>> in her column, usually caused by a short in the trailer socket. find the
>> short first or buy more than one switch, as I have. It will come
>> apart very
>> much like this GM: http://www.chevyasylum.com/column/tiltcol.html ,
>> http://www.fieros.de/en/articles/steering.html &
>> http://www.billhughes.com/steeringColumn.pdf Be sure and disconnect the
>> battery, especially if equipped with air bags.
>> God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O
>>
>>
>>
>> "clay" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> Girlfriendzilla's Jeep is acting up. I 'volunteered' to fix it for her.
>>> Looking for some pointers on where to start my search.
>>>
>>> I'm guessing it's a ground issue but here goes...
>>>
>>> Lights off: Step on the brake pedal and the ambers go on up front along
>>> with the brake lights in the rear.
>>>
>>> Lights on: Left side rear is much dimmer than the right. Step on the
>>> brake pedal and the brake lights are barely brighter than the tail
>>> lights. If you blink, you miss it. Again, the left noticeably dimmer
>>> than the right.
>>>
>>> I've replaced a bulb or two in the past few years. None recently though,
>>> so I don't think it's a wrong bulb issue.
>>>
>>> Ideas?
>>
>>
>>