I own a 99 T.J. and I am having a problem with the rear tail light not working. I have replaced the bulb and it still doesn't work. My brothers T.J. (a 97) has the same problem. Has anyone else had this problem with theres, and if so, is it an easy fix, (like a bad ground) or do I have to go through the wiring harness?


Thanks for the help

You ever heard of a multimeter or checking the fuse:nuke: You are on a countdown to being nuked:flipoff2:

considering that this doesn't seem to be an isolated problem, I was hoping to save some time in those steps if someone out there knew of this and how to fix it. And yes, I did check the fuse, thanks.

1) get a FSM
2) get a multimeter (DC voltage and ohm meter)
3) start tracking the problem down.
4) don't overlook the ground.

Forget the multimeter, go get a test light! This will make it easier you only need to check for power and ground.

forget the test light unless you have a rig from the stone ages

get a multimeter, with a tone on continuity.

before you spend any money, take the taillight off the Jeep, clean all the connections and make sure the mounting bolts all have a good connection. They are the ground for the taillights. The pigtail from the taillight housing is connected to the harness in a bad location if you go through a lot of water and/or mud. If you look under the rear corners of your Jeep there is a plastic piece that is supposed to protect that wiring from getting too wet, but if yours is anything like mine that plastic piece is far from being in the exact place it is supposed to be, so check wiring and ground connections out first.

Originally posted by BurrRabbit97
before you spend any money,

There is an old saying...

give a hungry man a fish and you feed him for a day.
teach a hungry man how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.

20-30 bucks for a small multi meter and learning to use it is a worthwhile investment.

Did you by chance install a pair of those :rainbow: tail light guards?

cmk

Originally posted by Dan-H
forget the test light unless you have a rig from the stone ages

get a multimeter, with a tone on continuity.

Stone ages? Not sure what kind of electrical experiance you have but a test light is the optimal tool for testing a tail light. Yes DVOM's are nice I have 2 of them but would not bother using them to check for something as simple as a ground or a 12 volt power source. I also have a very nice DSO, thats a digital storage oscilliscope in case you are unaware of what DSO stands for. Are you in the stone age and still using just a DVOM for advanced electrical checks.:flipoff2:

anyway if you like your test light well whatever floats your boat.

I won't waste my time with one unless I"m working higher voltages to see if they are hot or not first.

anyway, I'm wowwed that you have an O-scope. just what every boy and girl needs on the trail :rolleyes: for what little A/C or pulse that I have on the heep, there is very little I can do about it on the trail other than track a short or an open, and there that meter does a great job at that again doesn't it. It will tell me I've got AC or not and that's good enough to assume its working.

besides, who carries TPS's and Crank sensors and all the rest of that crap on the trail even if they could ID that it was broken.

Oh yeah, as far as my electrical experience, I'm a software guy. I don't even change lightbulbs any more :flipoff2:

Originally posted by Dan-H
anyway if you like your test light well whatever floats your boat.

for what little A/C or pulse that I have on the heep, there is very little I can do about it on the trail other than track a short or an open:flipoff2:


---Right on! I have found that certain tools seem to fit people better for what ever reasons, and I agree use what your comfortable with. But for the newbie asking about an electrical problem involving a 12 volt power source and a ground the test light will be the best tool for the job for a newbie. It will be much easier for him to start diagnosing his problem w/ a test light then a DVOM which is no where near as simple to operate or as cheap. If onewhitetj actually tries to fix his problem himself and ask for more help it will be much easier not to have to explain to him the use of a DVOM and instead just tell him where to poke.

I wouldn't think about taking a $1000 DSO out on the trail, its used mainly for drivability & emission work.