Front signal and flasher problem

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

Matt Nicely

New Member
Joined
Feb 17, 2020
Messages
4
Reaction score
1
First of all I'm new to this forum, I have a unique jeep use, as I use them to deliver my mail route. Since 1999 I'm on my 4th one 2 Cherokee and 2 liberty's. Because the one I'm using has 240k miles and developing some issues, I just purchased another (my 5th) and am starting to get it ready for mail service.

It is a 2004 liberty. The problem I have is none of the front signals, flashers, parking lights and fog lights work. The headlights, rear tail lights, rear blinkers and flashers all work. The rear blinkers do the fast blink thing. The front bulbs are good and i pulled all the fuses and they are good.

I've read that the multifunction switch may be the culprit, if that's the case wouldn't the emergency flashers work?

What next?
 

Billwill

Full Access Member
Joined
Nov 26, 2009
Messages
2,193
Reaction score
668
Location
White River, South Africa
I replied to you previously.....The front indicators are basically in parallel with the rear indicators except that front and back get their grounds at different points so you may be missing a ground up front.

Put a Voltmeter across the faulty lamps..first measure for a pulsing voltage over the bulb filament with reference to the bulb ground.

Then measure across the bulb filament and chassis...if it now shows a pulsing voltage then your ground has gone missing.

The Flasher Unit has the circuitry built inside it to activate all the indictors front and rear when pressed so either the front indicators are missing ground or there is a break in the +12 volts going to them.

I doubt the multifunction switch is faulty as turning the stalk to the left or right to indicate you are turning merely activates a switch inside the Flasher Unit to activate Left or Right indicators....front and rear at the same time.

Download the 2003 Jeep KJ Service Manual here as I do not have the 2004 Manual..LibertyTC here does have it but I cannot access it...maybe you could have more luck!

www.colorado4wheel.com/manuals/Jeep/KJ/
 

turblediesel

memberable
Joined
May 31, 2015
Messages
3,385
Reaction score
1,107
Location
Alaska
One side of my front blinkers quit so I added a ground from the blinkers to chassis on both sides. Worked!

Did that a long time ago and forgot to hook it up when the front was all apart for other stuff... fun, fun, fun...
 

Matt Nicely

New Member
Joined
Feb 17, 2020
Messages
4
Reaction score
1
I measured across filament to ground then to chasis nothing either way.

I checked all the in cab fuses they are all producing 12v.

I'm not an expert so the wiring diagrams are confusing.

I will look for the grounds tomorrow and see if there is anything obvious.

Thought maybe there was a common relay or fuse to the front parking lights/ blinkers. Feeling like this could get way over my head.
 

Billwill

Full Access Member
Joined
Nov 26, 2009
Messages
2,193
Reaction score
668
Location
White River, South Africa
If you measure with the one meter lead on the negative lead of the battery and the other meter lead to the +12 contact on the bulbs you would expect to find +12 volts there at the bulb if it is getting switched through properly from the cabin ie. the fuses, relays,Hazard Flasher etc.
If not then there is probably a break in the wiring from the cabin to the lamps up front...could be a bad connector inline with that wiring...I will check the Wiring Diagrams.

If you have more than one KJ try swapping over the Multifunction Switch....may not be exactly the same type ie.Fog/not Fog lamps but should provide some information.

Is this a Canadian model with Daylight Running Lights?:confused:
 

Billwill

Full Access Member
Joined
Nov 26, 2009
Messages
2,193
Reaction score
668
Location
White River, South Africa
OK looking at the 2003 Service Manual from the link I gave you:

Wiring section 8W:

Page 8W-52-4 shows the front indicator lamps on a Brown/Red wire.
If this is not what you have on your 2004 KJ ask LibertyTC very nicely to give you a link where you can download the 2004 Jeep KJ Service Manuals...I could not download it but I am getting very old now!

This page shows the indicator wire Brown/Red going through three connectors...you need to locate these connectors and unplug/re-plug
them or check the voltage going into the connector and then coming out of the connector.

Best way do this is to is to tape a small pin/needle to the meter leads.
With one lead going to ground, piece the insulation of the lead you want to measure with the pin/needle so as to hit the copper wire inside. Once you have fixed the problem you can fix the pinholes with glue or melt the insulation with a soldering iron.

So the Brown/Red wire goes to connector C100 which the Component Index at the front of section 8W tells you is a Grey plastic connector in the Left Kick panel...fast forward to pages 32,33 and 37 for a drawing of where this connector is then piece the relevant pin location/Brown/Red wire with your meter to check for flashing +12 volts on both side of the connector.

This Brown/Red wire then goes through C106 which is a Black Plastic connector in the Left/front engine bay...fast forward to page 29.

Then the next connector is C107 which is a Black Plastic connector also in the Left front of engine bay...no drawing of this location...look for the Black/Red wire there and check for flashing +12 volts.

Have fun!;)
 

Matt Nicely

New Member
Joined
Feb 17, 2020
Messages
4
Reaction score
1
OK looking at the 2003 Service Manual from the link I gave you:

Wiring section 8W:

Page 8W-52-4 shows the front indicator lamps on a Brown/Red wire.
If this is not what you have on your 2004 KJ ask LibertyTC very nicely to give you a link where you can download the 2004 Jeep KJ Service Manuals...I could not download it but I am getting very old now!

This page shows the indicator wire Brown/Red going through three connectors...you need to locate these connectors and unplug/re-plug
them or check the voltage going into the connector and then coming out of the connector.

Best way do this is to is to tape a small pin/needle to the meter leads.
With one lead going to ground, piece the insulation of the lead you want to measure with the pin/needle so as to hit the copper wire inside. Once you have fixed the problem you can fix the pinholes with glue or melt the insulation with a soldering iron.

So the Brown/Red wire goes to connector C100 which the Component Index at the front of section 8W tells you is a Grey plastic connector in the Left Kick panel...fast forward to pages 32,33 and 37 for a drawing of where this connector is then piece the relevant pin location/Brown/Red wire with your meter to check for flashing +12 volts on both side of the connector.

This Brown/Red wire then goes through C106 which is a Black Plastic connector in the Left/front engine bay...fast forward to page 29.

Then the next connector is C107 which is a Black Plastic connector also in the Left front of engine bay...no drawing of this location...look for the Black/Red wire there and check for flashing +12 volts.

Have fun!;)
 

Matt Nicely

New Member
Joined
Feb 17, 2020
Messages
4
Reaction score
1
Billwill
Thank you for all the info. I started the morning by testing all the groinds that were diagramed in the service manual, they were all good. Then as you suggested I Was preparing to trace the hot wires and to get at the wires coming out of the socket I took the front grill off. To my surprise and happiness there was a main connector to the left lamp that went to the right lamp as well that was unhooked because the person who had the Jeep before me broke the red plastic locking device and it came un hooked. Plugged it in and what looked like a dreaded Trace was fixed. Thank you so much for your help I did learn some things.
 

Billwill

Full Access Member
Joined
Nov 26, 2009
Messages
2,193
Reaction score
668
Location
White River, South Africa
Billwill
Thank you for all the info. I started the morning by testing all the groinds that were diagramed in the service manual, they were all good. Then as you suggested I Was preparing to trace the hot wires and to get at the wires coming out of the socket I took the front grill off. To my surprise and happiness there was a main connector to the left lamp that went to the right lamp as well that was unhooked because the person who had the Jeep before me broke the red plastic locking device and it came un hooked. Plugged it in and what looked like a dreaded Trace was fixed. Thank you so much for your help I did learn some things.

Great! I saw your post on Lost also...as advised there...make sure those connectors do not come apart again by using tie wraps or similar!;)
 

Latest posts

Members online

No members online now.
Top