my Jeep went bonkers...

[O.S.O.K.]

I opened the door of my Jeep earlier this eve and the horn started sounding, the wipers started working, the wqindshield sprayer ran and non of the electrical switches worked...

The thing runs and drives, just with the horn blowing, etc.

I had to disconnect the battery to get it to stop!

Any ideas what's going on?

No sign of varmint damage or anybody messing with it...

Solar flair?

I'm taking it into town tomorrow to see if I can't get it fixed...

Very strange!

[madman4570]

Probably a short(check wire connection/contact to horn)
Can you pull the fuse (for horn)in your fuse box at least to quiet it ??
Also might have to replace the horn itself(short within)

Had that problem with my Nissan Altima(that one ended up being the horn itself which went defective)

[jeepnik]

What year and model? But as mentioned likely a short of some sort, but if you have dash mounted switches that are hooked to a printed circut board type dash, it could get ugly.

[redlevel42]

Call an Exorcist.

[Ysabel Kid]

Solar eclipse made it go batty!

[Griff]

Aye, either PCB or fuse box bad (shorted).

[O.S.O.K.]

Thanks for the replies.

2008 jeep wrangler - 2.8 V6, manual trans

I hooked the battery back up this morning and its back to normal... So far.

I'm taking in town to see if the shop can hook it up to a diag tester... May have to take it to the jeep dealer.

Weird.

[madman4570]

Did some reading-----Faulty TIPM ?????

[Griff]

Thanks for the replies.
2008 jeep wrangler - 2.8 V6, manual trans
I hooked the battery back up this morning and its back to normal... So far.
I'm taking in town to see if the shop can hook it up to a diag tester... May have to take it to the jeep dealer.
Weird.

Not weird. Computerized. Just like condensation in the distributor, moisture can do strange things to electronics!

I'm looking at one of these:


But with a small-block Ford for a power plant...

[jeepnik]

Well, 2008 sorta does explain a lot. And, any good shop should be able to hookup to the OBD and get any error codes. I an really, really liking older vehicle more and more these days. Give me a good old distributor with points and a rotor, combined with a carb and I'm a happy camper. Nothing on them that can't be fixed with a good set of hand tools (well okay, a bearing press does come in handy sometimes), a timing light and a dwell meter. Of course, I do get fancy and have a block tester.

[madman4570]

Well, 2008 sorta does explain a lot. And, any good shop should be able to hookup to the OBD and get any error codes. I an really, really liking older vehicle more and more these days. Give me a good old distributor with points and a rotor, combined with a carb and I'm a happy camper. Nothing on them that can't be fixed with a good set of hand tools (well okay, a bearing press does come in handy sometimes), a timing light and a dwell meter. Of course, I do get fancy and have a block tester.

I am surprised more of us don't own these.
My brother has this one and it is unreal.(I just use his )

Really for many things they work extremely well.

http://www.tooldesk.com/automotive/OTC3 ... -3498.aspx

[Tycer]

I've never bought one because the local parts store lets me use theirs for free.

[Old No7]

"I opened the door of my Jeep earlier this eve and the horn started sounding, the wipers started working, the wqindshield sprayer ran and non of the electrical switches worked...

The thing runs and drives, just with the horn blowing, etc.

I had to disconnect the battery to get it to stop!"

Do you have a trailer hitch and light connection in the back???

My old '97 Jimmy once "went nuts on me" one spring; turned on the right blinker and the horn would sound, put on the left blinker and the wipers would come on, hit the brakes and the dash & dome lights would blink with the pedal... Very weird...

We quickly traced all the problems up front, to the wiring harness in the back!

The trailer connection I had was one with small LEDs in it, which were designed to help you know the harness was working OK. During that winter, salt corroded the LEDs and caused a short. My tech quickly ID'd the problem and when we cut off the offending plug, all went back to normal and nothing was burned out permanently. Whew...

He explained that with the short in the back, "All that voltage had to go somewhere" when the brakes or blinkers were put on, and that's what caused all those weird problems.

So, check it out -- all the problems up front could be caused by a short in the back of the Jeep!

Old No7

[madman4570]

I've never bought one because the local parts store lets me use theirs for free.

Ya, that's what I used to do(told my bro that)

He said----ya , but this one does a lot more things like with the reprogramming computer/sensors.???????


Don't ask me (he is one of these(can fix anything electrical/mechanical.(he is a Senior Electrical Eng.by trade)but I think Mechnical stuff is his bag!

Check this out-----he built this huge trailor(not bought it)then took a hoped up 318 mopar engine he built, mounted it and made it run this 800amp torpedo welder unit he got and also installed this huge 200gal air tank.he then made and mounted a computer he designed/built that has a system that controls the engine if anything bad starts to happen.

He can tow it anywhere and can even weld something like a crack in a D9 dozer blade(and it holds up)
One of the guys that owns a huge gravel pit business could not get anyone to weld/fix his D9
My bro said(I can)he did it and said(don't pay me)let me know if you can break it???????
Following month he got a call (you are the man)You want a job??????????(anytime whenever you want)
Bro said----thanks got 35years invested as a Eng.(too close to retirement)
Normally,he makes any tool that is special to fix anything.

That's why I am so-so in the Mech. engine deal(cause he always fixes it)

When we grew up(at Christmas)when I went downstairs hoping to get my little race track etc.(he was gleaming cause he got all his SK Socket Sets)he said(aren't they beautiful)
He was 8 years old!

My favorite words to him----(help) Never hires anything!

[Mescalero]

I bought a 1974 Dodge Power Wagon from GSA auctions for $607.00.
When I picked it up, it had 4 brand new tires, American made 6 ply tires on the ground, the one in the spare tire rack was a matching one that had never been on the ground.
The tires were worth more than I paid for it.
Simple, straight forward.
Not a mark in the bed.
Many offers have been made for it, but I won't sell it.

[madman4570]

I bought a 1974 Dodge Power Wagon from GSA auctions for $607.00.
When I picked it up, it had 4 brand new tires, American made 6 ply tires on the ground, the one in the spare tire rack was a matching one that had never been on the ground.
The tires were worth more than I paid for it.
Simple, straight forward.
Not a mark in the bed.
Many offers have been made for it, but I won't sell it.

You guys are so lucky where you live as to having (no rust) absolutely stunning vehicles.

[Mich Hunter]

Jeep products are also NOTORIOUS for having wiring issues. Trust me, I have "owned" a few in my day. You couldn't give me one for free as it's not worth the headache.

[bsaride]

Yep, Check for shorts. Another likely spot is anyplace the wiring goes through a metal panel (firewall) grommets wear out, insulation rubs thin, hard to spot sometimes.

[jeepnik]

Jeep products are also NOTORIOUS for having wiring issues. Trust me, I have "owned" a few in my day. You couldn't give me one for free as it's not worth the headache.

Really? What specifically were the issues and what models and years? I hang with a bunch of jeepers who own things from old flat fenders to the new (and ugly) four door jobs. Honestly, other than drowning the computers (early computerized models, before we learned to seal them) the electricals are pretty robust.

[wecsoger]

First rule I've got on anything electrical that doesn't make sense, check the grounds. I worked on one piece of electronic warfare equipment, life the ground and On becomes Off, Off becomes On and none of the indicator lights worked correctly.

As far as Jeeps, I've not seen any worse or better on wiring problems. So saying, a lot of Jeepsters wind up taking their ride where the family Oldsmobile or Pontiac could never go. With associated water, mud, rocks, briar, small tree limbs and the random rodent winding up inside the cab or engine compartment.

Two years ago, had a problem with my 2001 Jeep Wrangler Sport.

Went out in the morning, wouldn't start. Cranked, lights worked, no vrooom. Did a quick glance, saw the gauge on empty, thought some s.o.b. had siphoned the gas while it was on the street. Added five U.S. gallons. Again, plenty of cranky, no starty.

Couple choice words, put the gas can back up, walked back to give it one more chance, started like it was new.

Drove it work. Came out at lunch, started fine. Lunch finished, no start. End of day (I was sweating this), started fine.

Drove to my favorite mechanic. He also pointed out that when it didn't start, also no gauges indicator and no code thrown. Uh-oh, I was thinking big dollars.

Took to a nearby dealership with a good rep, my mechanic recommended them. It stayed there a week. Service supervisor would try it morning, afternoon, whenever he had time. When it wouldn't start, it would start immediately the next turn

Finally on a early morning, it wouldn't start and he had an eagle-eyed mechanic with him. Found the problem in a wiring bundle along the back firewall. One of the wires, line to the computer had a little "flex" to it, when they opened it up it was broken and green with corrosion. I've seen wires like then when someone has penetrated it with a test lead probe, but there was no reason at all anyone would have ever been in there. I suspect that when the wire was actually built there was a pinhole in the insulation and I wound up with a ticking time bomb.

Mechanic spliced in another piece of wire, it's run fine ever since.

Check your grounds, check your cable connections to make sure they are seated and locked, check for any wire chafing against the body or sheet metal.

[Mich Hunter]

Jeep products are also NOTORIOUS for having wiring issues. Trust me, I have "owned" a few in my day. You couldn't give me one for free as it's not worth the headache.

Really? What specifically were the issues and what models and years? I hang with a bunch of jeepers who own things from old flat fenders to the new (and ugly) four door jobs. Honestly, other than drowning the computers (early computerized models, before we learned to seal them) the electricals are pretty robust.

I had a 95 Wrangler that had constant wiring and transmission issues. It was the 4cyl. It went to the dealer 5 times for wiring as the dash lights, heater and sometimes the headlights would blink or go off at the worst times. It ended up catching fire and burnt to the ground 3 years later.

I now own a 2012 GMC Sierra 3500 duramax which doesn't get driven much, but my daily driver for going back and forth to work is a 97 Grand Cherokee with the I-6. The motor is very reliable, but the wiring issues seem to be back again with this one also. The dome light comes on while driving down the highway and the heater fan chooses when it wants to come on. Dealer told me its a wiring harness issue.

[tomtex]

Just goto www.allpar.com

[tomtex]

Just goto http://www.allpar.com