Hit a wire while drilling, now no gauges or radio?

pmarascal · 06-26-2011, 10:26 PM

Help! I was drilling holes in the side tub for the rocker guards I made, but I skimmed a wire with the drill bit once I came through. I cut the wire where it tore a little and put a nice butt connector then wrapped it all back up again nice in electrical tape. Now these are the wires by driver side seat, I thought they were speaker and dome lights? I only hit 1 wire and it wasn't even that bad.

Now while I was doin this I cleaned up, wire tying them all nicer and wrapping them better. But I had this wire labeled "CD Changer" that just sat there going nowhere, had a plug on the end rotted like a bad battery almost. So I clipped this and instead of following it all the way I taped it up and tied it until I have more time.

Now I started it a few hours later and I have gauge lights, but NO gauges are moving, not rpm or speedo. Also my radio is out. I checked the fuses behind the glovebox, thought I blew one when I hit it with the drill bit. The damage to the wires I hit wasn't bad at all, I just cleaned them and wrapped them bc I let water come in a lot so wanted to be safe.

So wtf could this be? I don't have a factory radio, nor a CD changer of any kind in my jeep, but that wire wasn't connected to anything so how could that have been bad? It's gonna be an interesting drive to work tomorrow to say the least

robncar · 06-26-2011, 11:04 PM

You may want to check the fuses in the PDC under the hood too. What method are you using to determine if a fuse is good?

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pmarascal · 06-27-2011, 05:50 AM

This was late last night, had to pull my buddy's truck out if his fishing hole lol. But I just pulled the glovebox ones and looked if they were broken apart. I'll check the hood ones tonight. Interesting drive to work for sure haha

**ItsMrHall** · 06-27-2011, 07:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robncar

You may want to check the fuses in the PDC under the hood too.

x2

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Aduffy32 · 06-27-2011, 08:19 AM

If the fuses are all fine, I would run a new wire. You must have cut into your tail light wires. I wouldn't want a damaged wire under there because it WILL fail soon.

TonkaTj04 · 06-27-2011, 08:31 AM

When I bought my Jeep my wiring harness was butchered in that same location. That is where the dome light and rear speaker wires are. I would check the fuses first because that would be the fastest and easiest thing to do. If they are all good then I would get back into that harness, unwrap everything you did and inspect every wire. Also, since your there, I personally would take the butt connector off and use solder and shrink wrap to make it weather proof connection (unless your butt connector has the heat shrink ends) only because you say that it gets water in there. If you can't find anything wrong in that spot, examine the rest of the harness that could have possibly been hit by a screw or drill bit. If all else fails, its time to get out the continuity tester and ohm meter. :-D Good luck my friend, hope you find the electrical problem.

robncar · 06-27-2011, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pmarascal

...I just pulled the glovebox ones and looked if they were broken apart. I'll check the hood ones tonight...

A visual inspection may not identify a blown fuse. You may want to take this opportunity to buy a cheap multimeter from Radio Shack, ~$18 or so. Set it to the resistance setting and check for continuity.

pmarascal · 06-27-2011, 10:14 AM

Yea I've got a continuity tester, know it all too well from my old YJ

But I didn't really hit any wires except for one and it only had a few broken pieces, I butt connected it (shrink tube too). So I didn't change or unattatch any wires except for what i think is my left speaker negative, the rest I just taped up and sealed better than the PO did.

Any thoughts on that CD changer wire I cut out of my way. Guess I should check to see if the end ha power going to it at all.

Also arnt the fuses under the hood like my sensors and stuff, not like gauge cluster or radio, why would they have screwed up my radio? I'll check those anyway, it was too late and dark last night to go crazy. Have to drive to the dentist after work too, haha lucky it's manual and I know how my baby sounds pretty well

pmarascal · 06-27-2011, 10:18 AM

PS hate being at work all day and not able to work on it. Seems to always rain on the weekends when I try and put a full day in

My dad laughs and tells me welcome to the real world haha.

At least my buddies gonna come help me wash it after getting his *** out of a swamp lol, I just laughed at the trial he was trying in a stock 4x4 truck, I prolly couldn't make it through after all the rain we've had

**Jonny Jeep** · 06-27-2011, 04:26 PM

Cluster, radio, and courtesy lamps get constant feed from the pdc. If not the iod fuse check the small 10 amp ones. I could tell you which one if i was at home.

TonkaTj04 · 06-27-2011, 04:35 PM

That is the worst feeling in the world when your at work and you need to diagnose a problem or you want to work on your vehicle!!!

robncar · 06-27-2011, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonny Jeep

Cluster, radio, and courtesy lamps get constant feed from the pdc. If not the iod fuse check the small 10 amp ones. I could tell you which one if i was at home.

Yes! Take a peek at fuse #17 in the PDC, it should be a 10A.

pmarascal · 06-28-2011, 05:52 AM

Alright i found it last night. It was a small 10a fuse under the hood. Didnt have a label so I left it out of the initial check, oops. Ooo well, 50+ miles yesterday of no speedometer was fun haha, makes me remember a whole summer with no gauges but the speedometer in my YJ

Thanks guys

robncar · 06-28-2011, 07:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pmarascal

Alright i found it last night. It was a small 10a fuse under the hood. Didnt have a label so I left it out of the initial check, oops. Ooo well, 50+ miles yesterday of no speedometer was fun haha, makes me remember a whole summer with no gauges but the speedometer in my YJ

Thanks guys

#17 perhaps?