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Posts: 285
| Hi Gang,
I am putting on a hitch tonight, and to save a few bucks I bought a wiring harness on eBay, and of course I got no instructions.
I have heard that Jeep Grand Cherokees have something funny about the trailer lights. Anyone know more about this, sounds like I might need to run a wire to the battery?
I have splicers, a multi-tester, and the correct Draw-tite part, for the vehicle end it's 4 plain wires and one with a round terminal. I am thinking this will be a straight splice into the trailer lights, but I am a little nervous because of hearing that some Grand Cherokees have a problem with welectric draw from a trailer messing up the dash.
I am tempted to call a Chrysler-Jeep dealer to make sure I don't mess it up too badly.
Thanks,
Papa Joe |
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Location: Athens, Ohio | Papa J! I don't know about your vehicle but I'd suggest you call your dealer. I was told when I bought my 95 Explorer new that the dealer would hook up a trailer light pigtail. No problem. I was then told by their service mgr. that they could not, the wiring was too weak and I needed a $50 booster box (which they also did not have and could not install). I ended up at a trailer specialist, and I've gone thru 4 of those boxes at last count. Don't assume, call the service dept. and check it out. Also, check you owners manual. Good luck, m |
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Posts: 267
Location: Right behind you (tap, tap) BOOO | <p>PapaJoe,</p><p /><p>I put a hitch on my Grand Cherokee last year. At first i figured i could just tap into the existing wires and go from there, but soon found out different. I needed to pick up a harness, but this is no ordinary harness, nope, this harness was specific to my year and model jeep. Northern Tool has them all, and from what I noticed every year heas it's own style. My jeep is a 93' and the kit came with a replay block, wires coming out of both ends of the block, the wires were labeled on the block also. Check this site, best prices i found on the net.</p><p><a href="http://www.hitchesonline.com/hh%20elec/t_connectors_all.htm#JEEP">http://www.hitchesonline.com/hh%20elec/t_connectors_all.htm#JEEP</a></p><p>Esox23 </p> |
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Posts: 1462
Location: Davenport, IA | Did you buy a grand cherokee specific plug in harness or just a lengh of wire? I bought a plug in one for my '97 Cherokee (not grand) and it was very easy. I had to take out the spare tire and pull back the carpet from the side and just unplug something and plus the wiring inbetween. |
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Posts: 1335
Location: Chicago, Beverly | I would reccomend the Hoppy LiteMate wiring harnesses. Here is another link to some: http://www.kwikhitch.com/wiring/jeep_wiring.htm#Jeep This particular website mentions the thing about the battery lead and a 20amp fuse.. Only needed if trailer has more then two lights... Most auto parts stores like Pep boys, Murrays, or napa should carry pr be able to order the Hoppy stuff. |
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| He is on his way home now, lights stumped us at first just pulled the tail light and both left and right turn signal same color. Made a guess and it worked, made a guess on the running and brake lights, plugged in and nothing. Then I remembered that last time it wire the lights didn't work till boat was on the hitch. Perfection. So muskies beware PapaJoe got a new boat, and ready to break her in. I am now boatless for few days, least my son didn't cry when it left tonite.
Good Fishing
Troyz |
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Posts: 1887
Location: syracuse indiana | hey i have a 98 jeep grand charrakee and yes it does take a special power wire kit . do not use a plain one u will fry wires. the wires that jeep used is not big enough to handle the draw from the tlr. they will get hot. and smoke. . it is simple to install one. they will plug right in behind the left rear side tail light assembly. i have replaced mine when it went bad couse the people who installed it did not do the power wire good and i plugged it in whithout turning off lights and smoked the box. if u need anything just let me know....bill |
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Posts: 285
| hi Guys,
Well it worked for 2 blocks. I stopped and got new 1157 bulbs and it worked again for 2 blocks. After that I just kept driving and hoping I wouldn't get in trouble.
Boat is safely in the garage and my cousin is faxing me a wiring diagram. I will probably get the additional power wire with the 20-amp fuse, and for this weekend run it commando-style, out the passenger door and under the hood to the battery.
I apparently have the "light-sensor" as part of the Limitied pkg, so the trailer lighting is interfering with the process that warns of burned out bulbs.
Anyway, luckily I have a cousin who's a service manager at a Chrylser dealership, and I am pretty sure he'll get me set straight as far as whether we spliced correctly.
I might just break down and buy the simpler plug-in but I suspect the power wire described here will fix it:
http://216.247.247.192/miva/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=K&Pr...
Will update after the weekend, good luck out there and Thanks Troy for your help attempting this "without a net".
Later,
papa joe |
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| I have a '94 Grand and replaced the connectors & wiring on my factory mounted wiring system a couple times. The connector fittings female portion rust/corrode out over time. For me it was basic and worked nicely - however it was a factory install to start with. There are several websites on exclusive Jeep maintenance issues if you need in-depth technical assistance - you'd have to Google search on Jeep repair - you'll see them.
Good luck  |
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Location: Athens, Ohio | Papa Joe, welcome to your first of many Great Disappointments in being a boat owner. May your troubles be few, far between, and cheap & easy. Remember, a boat is a hole in the water to pour money into. BOAT = Break Out Another Thousand $$$. Good luck, m |
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Posts: 8
Location: Champlin, MN | Get some electrical grease for the plug adapters. I did that the first year I bought my '95. Still works fine...Knock on wood. |
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Posts: 285
| All right guys,
I think I have this one fingered out. I stopped at the Jeep dealership, and since my vehicle didn't have the tow pkg, Jeep wanted me to buy 3 parts: there's a 10-pin socket for which they sell only a 7-pin adapter, about $100. The Jeep part that adapts the 7-pin to a flat-4 trailer plug is another $60, and there was something else too which I have forgotten. Luckily he didn't have these in stock.
I went to NAPA next door and ordered a harness for $80 that's plug and play, plugs into the 10-pin socket and the other end is a flat-4 plug.
I found out that the direct wire is pretty specific to 93 model year, or when replacing the entire trailer harness from a factory tow package.
It turns out that the factory ones were prone to having issues, plus it's an exterior 7-pin plug, into which I would have plugged the 7-pin to flat-4 adapter.
Anyway, I leave work around noon, hit the NAPA, plug in the boat and I'm off to cheeseland for the opener.
Thanks guys for the moral support, hopefuly the fish won't be totally shut down due to the cold and rainy weather coming this weekend!
I think I'm going with the ratlraps, maybe I can catch some pigs off-guard. We saw a fairly nice stripey tiger on Sunset Lake last opener.
Good luck guys,
Papa
Edited by PapaJoe 4/29/2004 6:51 PM
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Posts: 285
| OK Guys,
NAPA came to the rescue! The #*^@ harness did need a wire up to the battery, with a 20AMP blade fuse. I also needed to replace the trailer wiring, likely I had melted some of the insulation off the wires with my attempt to splice into the RH blinker without the harness.
It was about $80, so this worked better on the bank account than the Jeep alternative.
Anyway, for those that get stuck in the same situation, there is a harness made for Grand Cherokees from 94 thru 98, it plugs into the LH and RH taillights by unclipping and plugging in the same type of plugs used to connect the taillights, and then a red wire is run from the box that comes with the harness, up to the battery. There's supposed to be a way to put the wire through a tube, but I was in a hurry and ran it commando-style, out the passengeer front door and under the hood.
Anyway, we had only 1 decent fish, a 28" northern. No muskies seen. Not much moving. Saturday weather was a lot nicer than the forecast, but cold & windy Sunday had us off the water by 1PM.
Later.
papa
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