Jeep Grand Cherokee Electrical Problems

jonsmith11 · February 2009

I have a 97 JGC orvis and im having a weird problem. The dimmer used to flicker making the dash lights and fog lights flicker on and off. Last night I took the panel off and amazingly the flickering stopped when I removed the top left screw on the panel. Since that was the first screw I took off and it started up as normal again I put everything back together without having to take the actual control box off. The car started up fine this morning I drove to the store and when I got back in and tried to start it up, it turned on and stalled. Then I had absolutely no power and a ticking noise was happening under the passenger side glove box area. I tried turning the key several times and as I did that the ticking stopped but nothing else would happen. I could not control the windows, the door locks, nothing. Then I took the keys out, opened the door and that ticking started again. After about 15 min of trying I opened up the door and tried to see if the headlights would turn on. They didnt but as I was walking to get back into the car the interior lights were on and the car was dinging because the lights were on. I tried to start it again, the car was in park and it would turn over and start but as soon as the rpm needle dropped back down from the sec. it started it would shut off. I turned the key half way and put it in neutral then started it. The truck started right up and stayed on, i threw it in reverse and drove away with no problem. It hasnt happened again. Does anyone know what this could be? I dont think it is the battery im guessing it is more of an electrical problem or a short. Thank you in advance for your time and help, it is much appreciated.

frumunda · February 2009

I'd have the ignition switch tested. It sounds like the wire that sends the "Everythings' Kosher" signal to your Jeeps' theft deterrent system might be goofy OR the theft deterrent system has an emotional issue. The dash itself has its own locating bosses that plug into the interior wiring harness/engine management system. Sometimes, if the connection is loose or corroded, the signal can be interrupted and weird crap can start happening. Make sure you tell your mechanic EXACTLY what YOU did so that he can narrow his search down. It'll cost you less in labor in the long run. GOOD LUCK!

xscout · March 2009

I have been having problems with gauges working on and off (mostly off) , electric windows and door locks acting strange or not at all, and sometimes the AC compressor refusing to kick in. I knew it was a short, but was unable to locate it. The mechanic could never get an error code, only an everything is good or can not evaluate due to incomplete connection message. After trying everything that was mentioned on the internet blogs, still no luck. Today as the mechanic said he was about to give up as he was out of things to check he discovered the problem would disappear when he unplugged the airbag control module located in the console I won't know if this is it for sure until I drive it for a few days, but if it is it just shows the problem could be anywhere. The airbags are one of the areas that was not giving me any problems.

xscout · March 2009

Replacing the airbag module did solve my problem. All the assorted electrical demons are gone!

mickeymouse1 · March 2009

HELLO:
A FAMILY MEMBER IS SELLING A 2002 JEEP GRAND CHEROKEE LIMITED.
130,000 MILES, PURCHASED FOR $38,000 NEW WITH ALL OPTIONS AVAILABLE AT THE TIME...INTERIOR IS PRISTINE....NEW TIRES....NO MECHANICAL PROBLEMS..NO ACCIDENTS..MY BROTHER IS THE ORIGINAL OWNER SO I M FAMILIAR WITH THE HISTORY.... BUT I'M APPEALING TO THIS FORUM SINCE I SEE A LOT OF MEMBERS WITH ELECTRICAL ISSUES, ETC...
HE WILL SELL IT TO ME FOR $4000.00...IF YOU WERE ME, WOULD YOU PURCHASE IT? ALL OPINIONS WOULD BE APPRECIATED...I VE RECEIVED GREAT ADVICE FROM THIS SITE ON OTHER PURCHASES! THANKS

mwolf9000 · March 2009

You absolutely should NOT buy the car. But can you give me your family member's phone number?

trek87 · March 2009

'98 GC Ltd. ZJ 5.2L

i've only recently noticed that i can hear static and low-level whine that rises and falls in pitch with my engine rpm. i only hear it if my headlights are on (either w/ turning lamps/fog lamps only or headlights on too) when the car is running. any ideas? it sounds like it might be related to my alternator, but i'm not sure.

any thoughts would be appreciated, since i'm headed to the shop tomorrow for some TC/trans. work. thanks.

trekker3 · March 2009

I bought this vehicle used last summer and use it primarily for recreation. So at times it sat with out being started. The battery always needed to be recharged if it sat more than a week. I figured I needed to replace the battery. I spoke to my mechanic about it, he told me he'd take a look at it while he was doing some other work on it. Turns out the battery is fine, there is something drawing from the battery while it is not running. All the obvious things were checked. But we could not figure out what was drawing from the battery. I thought it may be the alarm, does not appear to be the problem. When the cables are re-connected the poz always sparks. Anyone know about this problem?

vacuum512 · March 2009

Hello, having the exact same problem with my jeep same year as well. Wondering if you had the problem fixed and if so what was it and how much did it cost? Any help would be greatly appreciated. If anyone else has any other solutions please advise. Thanks in advance.

bozawaza · March 2009

Hi-
I drive a 94 Jeep Cherokee with 97000 miles on it. Yesterday morning I woke up to a dead vehicle and figured my lights had been left on, so I jumped it and it worked fine. This morning I woke up to a dead jeep again, so I figure its the battery going on me. I cleaned the terminals and connectors and then put a 10 amp charger on it. Upon doing this, a module on the right side (not quite sure what it is) began to smoke pretty bad. I quickly unplugged the charger and the smoking stopped, and now here I am.

Anyone have any ideas?

tidester · March 2009

Is it possible that you connected the charging unit with polarity reversed? Or perhaps you have a shorted electrical circuit.

tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper

bozawaza · March 2009

I thought that maybe I had them reversed when I jumped it, but I'm positive that I hooked the charger up right. And it still started smoking. The ECM is the module that is smoking. Could a short elsewhere cause this?

tidester · March 2009

Absolutely! At this point, I would put in the hands of professionals though that's probably not what you want to hear.

tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper

ellach · April 2009

Hi
Ihad exactly the same problem with my 2003 gc 2.7 diesel rhd. all the same symptons, on removal of drivers door trim it was found to be a broken wire when sorted no more trouble. hope this helps
Regards Ellach2

vacuum512 · April 2009

Hello, I was wondering what correlation does the door lock motor burning out have to do with the windows not working for all for doors? Also is the door lock motor the same as the actuator and wondering how difficult this would be to replace? Thanks in advance!

katrae06 · April 2009

I'm having the same problem with my 04' JGC wold you please share any trouble shooting that work to fix the issue?????? THANX

katrae06 · April 2009

I mean I'm having the EXACT same issue as you

vacuum512 · April 2009

Hey not sure if you fixed the problem yet. But after taking the driver side door panel off and checking the wires i moved on to the rubber boot that goes from the driver side door to the body of the jeep. After sliding the boot from the door towards the jeep, low and be-hold there was a black wire that was completely snapped in half. Used a butt connector to attach both ends and sure enough it fixed all the problems. Hope this helps.

sufe70 · May 2009

I parked my jeep back in Dec. for the common stall/hard start problem these jeeps have.Pulled my hair out and could not solve the stall/start problem.
Well during the few months it sat between Dec. and spring the battery died.I did not put much thought into it as it was 5 years old and died during the winter while the vehichle was not being started. So I just shrugged it off and bought the new battery.However since the new battery the draining has not stopped.It will hold a charge for a few days some times other times it will drian in less than 24 hours.
I started the jeep and pulled the neg. cable from the battery and engine ran fine.
So the alternator is charging.
The Jeep is not giving me any other symptoms. No wierd light issues or chimes.No warning lights or engine lights.No codes. No lights staying on. All I can say is it seems fine and even acts fine for a day or so most times.Park it at night come out in the A.M. and have a dead battery.
Any ideas? It's going to a mechanic tonight and I told them to keep it for a week or 2 or until the stall/start and Battery drain issue both show themselves.

trek87 · May 2009

sounds like you might have a frayed wire or short to ground somewhere in your electrical system. a weak connection to ground might explain your slow and consistent battery drain.

gaj2888 · May 2009

Did you ever get this issue resolved. I have been having the same problem? The first thing I noticed was the interior lights would stay on when I closed the door. Somehow, I got that to stop but, now my power locks and windows will not work at all. I would really appreciate your help!

c_farooq · May 2009

Hi. I am looking for some advice.

I have a 2000 yr Gran cherokee, and for the last 3 months i have been hearing a humming noise. This has gradually got louder. As you turn left it stops, but when you go right it gets worse. I preseumed it was a diff. Someone said it might be the diff?
what is easier? can the rear axle just be replaced or would i have to get a new diff?
thanks
cameron

tuggajb · May 2009

i would check the wheel bearings first

thomaz31 · May 2009

For a while now the horn is not sounding completely. It started back when it was colder. It wouldn't sound at all when it was freezing. Then, it would as the temperature warmed up. Lately it doesn't work properly at all. Sounds as if it has a cold. No where near enough volume. I can hear clicking under the glove compartment when I blow the horn. (Same clicking back when it was colder weather). But, I can't find any access to relays. The fuses are fine...Would very much like to fix this. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Thomas

printerfixer · May 2009

Just turned 200K miles. When I turn the ignition key nada. No clicking from the starter solonoid. My gauges are all lighting up, my electrics seem ok, even though the battery is new I tried to jump it just in case it wasn't getting enough amperage, same. The only recent history is the front end was completely rebuilt last month. Any suggestions are appreciated.

trek87 · May 2009

there are a number of possibilities. can you provide more information? is the noise tied to vehicle speed, O/D on/off, accelerating/coasting, etc...

c_farooq · May 2009

Hi
The noise sually comes on when travelling over 40mph, when you turn left it stops and right it gets worse. I have tried coasting and still happens. When OD is on or off it still happens. There is a slight vibration on the steering wheel when driving.

thanks

trek87 · May 2009

it's weird that you say it is apparent above 40 mph (which is around where the overdrive kicks in), but that you hear the same noise even with it disabled? are you sure you've disabled the overdrive? do you have full-time 4WD?

if you do and the noise is coming from the front-end, this smells like a problem i had for awhile with my '98 GC (mine was also related to my TC) and it turned out my overdrive unit was burned out. it sits between your trans. and the TC, so you may also have some TC symptoms (which might explain why turning left or right makes it louder/quieter).

ryelenik · May 2009

I'm having kind of the same problem. When I have the radio working on acc the power goes out to it when I open the door. Also the all in one center that alerts when door ajar or whatever just flashed on and off when driving. The clicking is a relay inside the bottom of the glovebox, but I tested it according to Hayes manual and it's good. Also the radio just flashes along with the cargo interior light when the key is on and the radio is hooked up. Oh yea forgot that the alarm for leaving the keys and lights on dont work either. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

tiggerrich · May 2009

I have a 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee with a 601 ecu error problem but the car runs great and never has demonstrated a problem. I cannot get new tags because of this. I can reset the error, which works for one re start only and after that error shows back up. I put a "new" ECU unit in and it reacts the same way and does not stay reset. There seems to be no change form one ecu to the other and with both the jeep run great. It seems like a virus that keeps re infecting the ecu....any help?

nfazio413 · May 2009

Just wanted to know if anyone has had issues with a new vehicle 1 day after driving it off the lot and what the outcome was?

I purchased a new 2009 Grand Cherokee drove it off the lot with 3 miles on the odometer I am currently out of the state from where I purchased the vehicle and I am experiancing electrical issues. Every time you hit the door locks its fuse blows.

Its been at a certified Jeep service center for 2 days and I only had the car to drive for 2 days...

What kind of compensation should I expect or should I request?

The service center still has not been able to diagnose the problem. I just moved to NJ and the vehicle was purchased in VA. So I'm not sure who to contact for complaints and compensation.

Please Help!

jjgaitan · June 2009

We have recently purchased a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee, V6 4.0 with only 69,000 miles for $3,000. Great deal huh! People selling made a claim that vehicle ran fine...only problem was the lady drove the vehicle too long after the water pump going out and cracked the head. Also window motors needed changing in front 2 doors. Well, head was not cracked! Yay!

Fixed the engine easily, changed the window motors and now we get down to the truth - electrical issues :mad: . Occassionaly, the dome lights and stereo will not turn off. Sometimes the dome lights stay on after starting the vehicle and stay on the entire ride and then stay on after pulling out the key right along with the stereo system (infinity gold that came stock). This ends up draining the battery of course. Should we look for shorts in the engine, change the PCM, or get rid of the vehicle as fast as possible!

jjgaitan · June 2009

When our 2005 Ford Excursion did that, it was as simple as the alternator.

bartnbetsy · June 2009

The dash gages on our JGC all turn on, including the Sentry Key security light and the engines dies.Originally it was more random but now its daily. I can unhook the battery to reset everything and it will drive fine for a day. After dying the car restarts, however at any given time it dies. We have had a couple sensors replaced and the electrical brain (ECU?) replaced and a new battery. Car ran good for a month afterwords then back to the same. No error code displays......any ideas?

danwiz · June 2009

have a 1994 Grand Cherokee limited with a transmission that stopped engaging. On day it just stopped at a red light and wouldn't move. I changed the filter and fluid and it began to do the following: When starting out, it will not immediately move, as if it is not in gear. After applying the throttle up to around 3000 rpm, it will lurch into gear and leap forward. It has the same issue going from 1st to second gear, and then seems normal second into third. When it hits fourth gear it will randomly downshift back to third, then up to fourth. When coming off a highway, the transmission does not appear to downshift at all, vibrating violently and then stalling when you come to a stop. It sometimes does this vibrating act when you first start it as well. I brought it to my mechanic, who recommended a transmission shop. He put on an aftermarket oil cooler, and recommended a junkyard transmission. The battery was not holding a charge, so I had a new one plus an alternator put in as well. Nothing changed with the different transmission, so we tried a second used transmission and that did not change the symptoms either. In the end he rebuilt the lower end of the original transmission, which did not change anything either. He finally gave it back to me (no charge except for the battery and alternator) and told me it was an electrical problem, not a transmission problem. My mechanic replaced the speed sensor and governor sensor but that did not change anything either. (He did not charge me.) Does anyone have any ideas? It's got 182K and the 4.0. The transmission is the all-the-time 4-wheel drive. What I'm getting from most people is "hey, it's a Dodge with high miles, why fix it." Any help would be appreciated.

agreenfield · June 2009

So, my boyfriend and I went 4 wheeling in tall grass in his 96 Jeep Grand Cherokee Lardeo 4.0, I know, NOT a good idea. The next morning we left to drive about four hours and forgot to check the undercarriage, REALLY not a good idea. We were about 2 hrs in and the transmission started slipping on the highway at about 70 mph. We stopped for gas, it started up fine, and on we went. Transmission was acting up over 70, but seemed fine at 65. He told me to pull off so we could check the fluid, I exited, turned left, and the Jeep died at about 45 mph. Just shut down, no gauges working at all. Cranked but would not turn over, but you can hear the fuel pump come on. We looked under and found grass around the drive shaft that had ripped out the downstream O2 sensor. Of course it was late, no parts stores were open, and we left the repair manual at home... He tried to stick the wires back in the sensor but that didn't work. We got towed home, replaced the sensor, and nothing changed. Checked for fire at spark plug, nothing. We tried to get the check engine light to flash the codes manually, and that didn't work either. No check engine light at all. We went to checking sensors with the volt meter, trying to make the check engine light come on. Nada. Very low (about half of normal) readings on major sensors. We had it towed to a shop, they said it was reading crazy and must be the PCM. We have tried two different ones programmed for the vehicle and they didn't change a thing... Still cranks, no start, no gauges, any ideas? Thanks so much!

ryanproject · June 2009

kills and starts back up. some times right away some times in a min. or two. one time gauges went crazy. put out code for tps

from my reading on this site, i see it is a common problem and we know why they are bankrupt. i have a list of possible suspects,

-Battery
-TPS
-Crank Sensor
-cpu,ecu, computer,
-maybe alarm, some unplug factory alarm

it kills every 100-300 miles and i have 100k mi

my understanding is the computer is sensitive, and puts out a false TPS and Crank code. I changed battery and TPS, still died. The comp put out a Crank Shaft Code. I am going to change that then try a new computer from ebay,

It did not show a code at autozone but i turned the key three times without starting and it read p0306. it will flash code. if no code it will flash done.

Other than that great truck WILL SELL

virgil373 · June 2009

About ten days ago I noticed my 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo, 6cyl, 4x4 was leaking radiator fluid. Took it to the shop, they replaced the water pump and also said the cooling fan relay was broken and replaced it. A couple of days later I changed the spark plugs and boots. I then noticed that the interior lights weren't working and tracked down a couple of other electrical issues--button to release liftgate window and the rear wiper weren't working. Took it back to the shop, they traced it to a blowing fuse (#8) and said there was a short somewhere in the liftgate, perhaps the wiper motor or liftgate window button. They are tracking down the short now. I can replace whatever component they identify as busted.

Are these things related? Could the busted cooling fan relay have caused a short in one of the liftgate devices? Could I have jostled/pinched a wire in the engine bay (while changing the spark plugs) that caused the short? Do I have a ghost? Thanks for any advice.

kampy1 · June 2009

MY JEEP HAS 132,000 MILES ON HER SHE JUST STARTED TO ACT UP. THE FUEL GAUGE STATES THERE IS NO GAS IN THE CAR. I ALWAYS FILL MY TANK. THE CAR WILL CRANK BUT THE CAR WILL NOT START AT ALL. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM COULD BE. MY SECURITY KEY LIGHT JUST CAME ON ALSO. COULD THIS BE A PROBLEM ALSO. I'M TRYING NOT TO GO TO THE DEALER SO THEY CAN TRY TO CHARGE ME A ARM AND A LEG.

lawrence56 · June 2009

When I try enter my vehicle the wireless button does'nt work. I open manually and enter, my dome light does not work. When I try to start it the gages go round and round. It acts like it is totally dead. Then after three or four tries it starts fine. I also noticed if this happens if I slam my drivers door a few times the dome light goes on the it starts right up. I have had it to a mechanic he replaced the ignition switch and the pcm computer. Does anyone have a fix for this?

parist21 · June 2009

Pleassssssseeeee HELP! Hopefully you found out what was going on with your jeep...
I have a 97 jeep grand cherokee larado V8 that is KILLING ME with the exact same problem. I parked it for awhile when i came back to start it the battery was i too shrugged it off. i replaced the battery with a optima red cap and have since gone through two of them in less than two weeks i don't have the money to send it to a shop to get fixed

chicjeep · July 2009

Ok here's the deal.
I've only owned the vehicle for less than a year. Bought it off a friend when I needed a vehicle. The only issue it had at that time was that the gas gauge would float up and down. Well in the past two weeks some weird stuff has been going on...
The dash light blink on and off
The Blower Motor on the heat/AC won't work
The interior lights are stuck on even when I remove the keys from the ignition. Anyone know what could be the problem here?
Any advice would help.

Thanks

barryz · July 2009

i was wondering if you solved this, my 99 grand cherokee laredo 6cyl 4wd just started this exact same issue today, fuel gage at 0 fuel warning light on and security key light on which is a light i never remember seeing before, i tried my other key with no help, i have 153000 miles, i have owned since 130000, was running like a new car until now, yesterday i had front end aligned and tires rotatated which should not have caused a problem, mechanic test drove after alignment and gave me the car with the engine running, i drove home, shut jeep off, this morning cranks but no start, fuel zero and security key lite on. i called the service manager where i had work done, he asked me if i had moved the tilt sterring, i told him i thought his mechanic had, he said he vaugely remembers that there is a wiring harnes on sterring colum that sometimes pinches when wheel tilt position changed, maybe a wire to ignition switch was pulled loose but i haven't solved, i have changed all fuses related to starting even though they look ok, no help. IF YOU HAVE ANSWER PLEASE HELP!

barryz · July 2009

i just paid to ask an expert on justask.com, a jeep service manager and ASE in automotive electrical, he said the fuel warning light and security key light and no code indicate cps crankshaft position sensor, that it shorts the PCM so it won't display a code, replacing cps should fix problem, i'm having mine towed to a repair shop next week when my AAA membrship for towing takes effect. my choices were tow 30 milles to dealer for parts and labor close to $300, or the local napa repair center for about $130. I have seen many postings here where people replaced this and it did not fix, its also a very hard part to get at, so i'll let the shop fix. The mechanic there agreed with my expert that the fuel warning light and no code being stored make the cps the first place to look, especially on a 1999. He is gonna verify before changing part, keeping my fingers crossed, will post back with results. These internet forums are helpful, but electrical issues with cherokee seems to be a stumper on this forum. Last year my radiator fan got stuck on and drained batterey, then would not come back on after jump, code pointed to fan relay, forums said same, it was fan relay, this case is not as clear cut. I don't understnd why Jeep puts fan relay in suc a hard to reach area, nor do i understand the point of this cps, since what it does is stop spark and fuel if senses crankshaft timing off, and since there is no common adjustment to change timing, what is the point of cps? though i think perhaps it sends a pulse train to pcm to tell it when to send fuel to each injecter and when to fire each plug, takes place of rotor cap, the old ways were easier to fix for sure.

4x4jeep · July 2009

on both sides of the vehicles kick panels there are two large screw in connectors that tie the dashboard to the body harness, i suggest you pull the kick panels out and with the vehicle on wiggle the wire bundles see if you can cause the problems to duplicate. sometimes those connectors don't seat properly or wires get strained. good luck :confuse:

4x4jeep · July 2009

those switches in the steering column are easy to fix just pull them out and there are 2 wires at each, you can pull the switches apart with out breaking them and there is 3 stamped metal surfaces checked for cracks in the metal pads. good luck :sick:

4x4jeep · July 2009

i am sorry to hear that i used to work at the factory those guys are supposed to replace the body harness not repair it for any kind of wiring problem. i do know that the drivers door is checked first by the body computer so it is very important. another problem area is the kick panels on both sides good luck :shades:

4x4jeep · July 2009

lemon law states that they have 3 attempts to fix the same problem, so in the documentation make sure the problem is stated as it was the first time. if i remember correctly there are 2 wires running to the lock for the lift gate 1 of the wires is ground and most dfinately the other is the lock command, you should be able to check for a short to ground and then look for the voltage on the other good luck :confuse:

4x4jeep · July 2009

your problem screams shorting to ground.

ceekdee · July 2009

last night in the middle of the night, the headlights started to flash on and off as though the alarm was going off. the horn was not sounding though. it was not a consistent flashing. i started the car, after turning it off, it no longer flashed. what might be happening? also two days ago when i turned off the car, the interior air conditioning blower stayed on. it turned itself off after about 10 min. and has not done it since. it was very, very hot that day (110) and i had been running a lot of errands... again, any clues? :confuse: :confuse: :confuse:

Jeep Grand Cherokee Electrical Problems

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