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Jeep Grand Cherokee Electrical Problems

708 messages,  Last post on May 20, 2013 at 5:24 PM

You are in the Jeep Cherokee and Jeep Grand Cherokee Forum.

What is this discussion about? Jeep Grand Cherokee, Electrical, SUV

Messages Page 1 of 71

#1 of 708 2005 jeep grand cherokee electrical problems by naoredson1

Apr 25, 2008 (6:08 pm)

i bought my jeep used two months ago and it has 37000 miles on it. recently, but not consistently all the gauges quit working when you start the vehicle. if i disconnect the battery the problem is fixed until the next time which could be a couple of hours to days later. if anyone has any answers please let me know before i burn it to the ground.........

#2 of 708 Re: 2005 jeep grand cherokee electrical problems [naoredson1] by tuggajb

Apr 26, 2008 (12:36 pm)

Replying to: naoredson1 (Apr 25, 2008 6:08 pm)
the first thing i ask is if the battery has been changed because jeeps realy don't liky any flucuations in voltage if bat is one to two years old change it nothing lost as if it don't fix prob will cost a lot more to find but batt change will fix in about 75 percent of time

#3 of 708 Cruise Control and HVAC Mode Control by paulmik

Apr 26, 2008 (4:07 pm)

I changed the battery in my 2004 Grand Cherokee and to keep the clock on time and other things from happening, I connected another battery to the battery leads when I removed the dying battery. Installation seemed to go perfectly, but when I drove the vehicle two problems, that were not present before, were manifested:
 
1) Cruise Control light appears on dash when I press the on button, but it will not engage.
2) Mode control (recirculation, floor, floor/vent, vent, defrost, etc.) does not work but the fan does - all heating or air conditioning comes out of the windshield defrost louver.
 
I checked the fuses in the cab and under the hood, all tested OK.

#4 of 708 Re: 2005 jeep grand cherokee electrical problems [tuggajb] by andyman74

Apr 30, 2008 (1:10 am)

Replying to: tuggajb (Apr 26, 2008 12:36 pm)
I've had my 05' Cherokee at the stealer 5 times this month all for the same electrical issues. While driving my headlights shift back and forth from high to low, tach and speedo needles bounce up & down, air bag light come on and dings at me, stereo shuts off and come back on, and the heated seat shuts off. This probem has been intermittent for over a month. The dealer so far replaced a control module in the steering column, the stereo, the ignition switch, the Heater / AC control block, and now today the instrument cluster.
I'm going to pick the Jeep up today and if it still doesn't work I'm gonna SCREAM!! Anyone have an Idea as to what could cause all these problems? It seams the dealer is trying to solve each individual problem instead of looking at one cause for all the problems. It has 34,500 miles on it and I'm afraid if this happends again outside the warranty I'm screwed. Also, do I have any legal action I can take to protect me from getting screwed later...ie Magnusson- Moss Warranty Act?? or will they extend my warranty??
 
Thanks,

#5 of 708 Re: 2005 jeep grand cherokee electrical problems [naoredson1] by lunghd

Apr 30, 2008 (2:56 pm)

Replying to: naoredson1 (Apr 25, 2008 6:08 pm)
If you have those crappy aftermarket clamp on battery terminals... replace the cables.
 
To all: Jeep Cherokees & Grand Cherokees are very prone to crappy cable grounds & such can cause all kinds of intermittent wierdness. The rear ground strap from the head to the firewall (driver side) is often broken / left off after service work that might involve getting the motor / head out (or CPS replacement if the mechanic doesn't know the tricks for replacing that).
 
Battery to ground cable - check it! Positive cable harness - check it! Ground cable mentioned above - check it!
 
Another thing to check are sensor harness connections - especially on the early / mid-90's models. The get oxidized / corroded and voltages get spotty especially when they get some moisture in them.
 
Most auto parts stores carry generic, pre-made cables in a variety of lengths. When swapping them out, always opt for a larger gage wire as this was another area the factory saved .01 cents per 10 zillion Jeeps. (Larger gage wire will carry the cranking load with less resistance meaning your battery / charging & starting system will work a little easier.)

#6 of 708 Re: 2005 jeep grand cherokee electrical problems [tuggajb] by lunghd

Apr 30, 2008 (2:59 pm)

Replying to: tuggajb (Apr 26, 2008 12:36 pm)
Most of the Jeep charging / starting issues are caused by the crappy ground points & corrosion / oxidation. A new battery might be needed but check the cables first.
 
To all: Don't use those crappy clamp on battery terminal clamps! They are an corrosion magnet & I've seen more than one that would cause a vehicle to not even start - mimicking a bad battery.

#7 of 708 Re: 2005 jeep grand cherokee electrical problems [andyman74] by lunghd

Apr 30, 2008 (3:03 pm)

Replying to: andyman74 (Apr 30, 2008 1:10 am)
Has this vehicle been in an accident? Or had major service requiring removal of dashboard or engine? Straight drive that has had a failed clutch master cylinder which leaked fluid down firewall (both in engine bay or under dash)?
 
Check the gigantihumungous connector that carries the wiring harness through the firewall. Sounds like it is loose & not making full connection. Almost every circuit you list runs through it directly and the others could be affected by intermittent voltage.
 
Long shot maybe - but if it's loose, it's a simple fix. (One screw on my much, much older Jeep.)

#8 of 708 Re: 2005 jeep grand cherokee electrical problems [lunghd] by andyman74

May 02, 2008 (10:38 pm)

Replying to: lunghd (Apr 30, 2008 3:03 pm)
No, it has never been in an accident. So far after two days of use its been working. The last thing the stealer replaced before giving it back to me was the instrument cluster. Who would have guessed huh? Time will tell though. Now I've only got 1300 miles left of my warranty before the real worry starts. Any one have any success getting Chrysler to extend their warranty? I'd feel better if I had another year on this. I can't believe they won't warranty all this work beyond the 3yr -36000

#9 of 708 problem solved for now? by naoredson1

May 03, 2008 (12:01 pm)

i took it to a shop and had them run a diagnostic test on it. they came up with the ecm and cluster werent communicating correctly and caused the problems. so they reset the code and for now the comp and cluster seem to working properly. its a fix for now but will update later if anything changes.

#10 of 708 Re: 2005 jeep grand cherokee electrical problems [andyman74] by andyman74

May 08, 2008 (1:08 am)

Replying to: andyman74 (May 02, 2008 10:38 pm)
Well, I almost made it a week with out any problems. It seems the instrument cluster wasn't the problem either. The tach & speedo started bouncing up n' down again tonight. Damn It!! Maybe the sixth time to the dealer in a month will be the magic number.....yeah right.

Messages Page 1 of 71

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