Hard Top Wiring question (long)

[JeepinOutlaw]

Hey guys,
I just installed my hardtop (sad day, but I bought it...may as well use it) and I decided to do the wiring myself. Everything was going fine, until I got to one of the last steps. I dont have the instructions on hand right now, but I will do my best to describe what I am talking about.

You are told to put wires in two housings near the clutch. One is white and one is black. The first they tell you to do is the white housing. This went with out a hitch. But when I go to put the Black and white wire (has a long flat end, not a "normal" (or at least not like the others)) into the black housing there is something already in the slot they tell me to put this wire into. I put it there anyways and here is what I got. My amber light for the Defrost stays on all the time (this has an orange wire, attached to a stripped orange wire from the heat controls above it (per the instructions). The back window constantly stays hot. So I take the connects off the window, and the light stays on. The toggle does not respond to flicking on and off. I pull the black and white wire out of the black housing and the light goes out. The Wiperblade still functions (it goes down but wont go back up..more on that in a min.) with out this plugged in. There is no other place that is remotely in the area or on the exact opposite side that will take this wire, that is not already occupied.

Questions:
1. Is a wire supposed to be in the location they tell you to put this black and white wire?
2. It told me to put the orange line from the defrost toggle onto the orange wire from the heater control, but could this be leading to my amber light constantly staying on and the toggle not responding?
3. Everything else seems to be wired correctly so why is my wiper like the "the little engine that could, but decided he didnt want to"? It moves down, but doesn't have the power to move back up (you can hear it try) and the spray works.

any help or previous experience would be helpful as I am trying to do this with out having to go to Jeep. Not an issue of money, just trying to work on the Jeep myself. Thanks for the help in advance

-Chris

[Flyinbrick]

Hi Chris,
From just doing mine about a month ago, did you double to check to make sure that you had the correct plug for the correct year? There were some instructions as far as making sure that they were the correct for each year. including the connector end as well as where it should plug into, I suggest you double check the instructions (I would for you, but I have no idea where I put them)

Good luck buddy.

p.s. I forgot to mention, but the stealership had sold me the wrong one originally, I had bought it about a year ago. So I ended up having to "Jimmy rig" my own connector. This is why I remember this year, connectors thing. You probably have the one that was meant for mine! hehe

[jeffjeep1]

I second everything flyingbrick said. Maybe I can help a little more,

What year Jeep do you have?
What year top?
Do you have the correct kit for your year Jeep? What is the part number of the kit?
Did you buy the Jeep new or used? Perhaps a PO decided to use that wire for something else.
When I installed my kit, I had bought the incorect year and two of the pins did not fit at the instrument cluster, and some colors did not quite match.

When you went to install the black and white wire, what color wire was already in the connector? This black/white wire is the power to the defroster grid. I suspect you got the wrong "hole" selected.

The switch for the defroster functions as follows: When you press the switch it connects a certain contact on the instrument cluster to ground. This "triggers" the inst clstr to power a wire that runs to the relay in the power Distribution Center under the hood. This relay activates and puts power from the PDC to that black/white wire. This also lights the amber lamp in the switch. The instrument cluster then "shuts off" the power to the relay after about 10 minutes.
Initial comment is that you have a wire in the wrong "hole". Start at the beginning and carefully validate each step. Those connectors under the left side of the dash are easy to get turned around based on my install. I almost plugged in a couple wrong a couple of times.

[JeepinOutlaw]

Originally Posted by jeffjeep1

What year Jeep do you have?
What year top?
Do you have the correct kit for your year Jeep? What is the part number of the kit?
Did you buy the Jeep new or used? Perhaps a PO decided to use that wire for something else.
When I installed my kit, I had bought the incorect year and two of the pins did not fit at the instrument cluster, and some colors did not quite match.

When you went to install the black and white wire, what color wire was already in the connector? This black/white wire is the power to the defroster grid. I suspect you got the wrong "hole" selected.

The switch for the defroster functions as follows: When you press the switch it connects a certain contact on the instrument cluster to ground. This "triggers" the inst clstr to power a wire that runs to the relay in the power Distribution Center under the hood. This relay activates and puts power from the PDC to that black/white wire. This also lights the amber lamp in the switch. The instrument cluster then "shuts off" the power to the relay after about 10 minutes.
Initial comment is that you have a wire in the wrong "hole". Start at the beginning and carefully validate each step. Those connectors under the left side of the dash are easy to get turned around based on my install. I almost plugged in a couple wrong a couple of times.

1.Its a 2005 Unlimited

2.Its a 2005 Unlimited Top OME from the dealer (after having to order it)

3.I don't have the bag it came in right here at work (and possibly anymore...gulp...) But it was long enough to reach front to back on an unlimited, if that gives it any merit.

4. Bought it brand new from the dealer, and ordered the top at the same time, I just let them keep it in storage for me heh heh

5. Everything else seemed to line up just right with the instructions and nothing had to be "convinced" to fit.


I believe it was a pinkish red (maybe magenta) color wire that was in the preassigned "hole" for the black and white. I am sure I attempted to place the BW wire in the correct spot per the instructions.

|0 0 ---------------0 0 |
|0 0 0------------0 0 0 |
|0 0 00000000000 0 0 0 |
|0 0 0 00000000000 0 0 |
|0 0 0 @-------* 0 0 0 |
_______________________
[ ]

It told me to place the BW wire where the * is. I thought maybe I had it backwards and looked where the @ is, and sure enough there was a wire there too. This BW wire's ending is flat like it supposed to slip under a wire, rather than take up the entire "hole"

The only thing that just came to mind is that the orange wire that went to the Heat Control (which I was supposed to splice in my orange from the wiring kit) was orange and brown, but it was the only orange one that went to the heat control.


any ideas about the wiper and its lack of UMPH? Is that the wire that is in the fusebox behind the glove box?

Thanks for all the help thus far!
-Chris

[jeffjeep1]

My direct underdash knowledge stops at 2003. As best as I can tell, there were some "major" philosophy changes in the way TJs are wired in 2005 and 2006 based on my review of parts lists for 2005. If you are going to do much work on your TJ, I strongly recommend at Factory Service manual. Your dealer has one now.
WHen I installed my 2002 kit, the instructions did get a little fuzzy. It took some close double checking, but it all worked as it was supposed to. The kit is as close as you can get to factory harnesses. The kit is considered an "overlay" harness. I fully believe you can get this to work.
Also, check the defog relay in the PDC under the hood. Perhaps it is "hung up" and creates the current path, even when it is not supposed to.
Just remember, the defog switch is a momentary connection to ground, to trigger the inst cluster. What about the connector at the IC, did the correct wires get put in there, in the correct locations? THere were probably only two you had to add.
You may also ask Jeep service if the IC needs to be progrmmed to "acitvate" the defog. My 2002 did not require this.
HTH

At least you did not run the smoke test. This lets the smoke out of the wires and all things electrical quit working.