The Famous Jeep Grand Cherokee Electrical Problem

I have a 99 Jeep GC Limited, 109k mi 4.7 v8 and i'm having an issue with my battery draining quickly. Here is where my saga begins..

In september of 09 i replaced my battery, as i had not driven my jeep for about 4 months (away for work) and it was completely dead, and would not take a charge. My fault i assumed. when i tried to install the new battery i couldn't get it out because the terminals were so badly corroded, so pep boys did it for me. About a month later, the brand new battery was dead, but the terminals were solid and clean. I jumped it and it ran fine for about a week. Then it was dead again. (overnight) I took the battery off charged it overnight for a full charge, put it back in and jeep fired up no problem. i let it run for a while then shut it down. About 30minutes later i came out to drive it, and it was completely dead. This is where i am now. My battery will go from a full charge to completely dead in under an hour.

Here is what i have tried:

checked fuses (all good)
Checked connections (all the major electrical connections under hood and visable, all seem to be fine and clean)
New batteries (also drain quickly)
Used a load tester to find the draw, and tried to isolate the source, by removing fuses.

Here are more details which may be helpful.

The draw is just under 12volts, and constant.
The farthest i could trace it was behind my fuse panel (interior driverside) to one of two wires one is violet and i do not recall the other.
There is a black box/fuse?/relay? that the violet wire runs to, which makes a clicking noise when power is given.

Hopefully this makes sense to someone, and there is some sort of cheap solution. Please forgive my lack of technical knowledge. Thanks.


~Evan

although i always do all the work on my vehicles this one sent me to the shop, fortunaltly i was referred to a great mech. what they found was a bad headlamp fixture on the passenger side, replaced the headlamp swith, also found a short in the interior light panel-i found a good one at the junkyard for 65 bucks. car is running great for three weeks now= gonna go get muddy tommorrow

can the BCM be replaced with one from another vehicle without any programming

Thanks for the response. I'll give the wires running from the door to the interior a look-see.

As far as disconnecting the battery for a period exceeding 10 minutes, then reconnecting, as expected, that provides a temporary fix. My gauges work for 7 to 10 days, then revert back to not working.

Had my 2000 JGC in a local shop for 7 full days. They have a good Jeep man, as well as people that are capable in fixing electronic problems. They went as far as replacing the instrument cluster, but nothing resolved the original problem. They have recommended another mechanic with years of Jeep experience, and I have yet to speak with him. What I wouldn't ever do, it take the vehicle to a dealer. I'd rather drive it than let those hacks overcharge me without a fix.

I am another owner of a 2000 Jeep GC that had the infamous electrical problem, but I found the fix finally!!!
I read all the forum titles here, tried everything but we still experienced the problem, until my dealer said I had a grounding issue. When you think about all the goofy things that were acting up, like the spinning gage needles, lights, windows, radio and air cond going on and off, the Jeep not starting, etc, etc, the one thing common to all of them is 'power',the BATTERY and the battery CLAMPS. When my dealer 1st told me I had a grounding problem, I simply tightened up the clamps and the problem went away for a few weeks. It came back tonight, so this time I took the + and - clamps off the battery. Sure enough, inside the clamps and on the battery posts was a heavy white corrision that blocked the clamps from making a failsafe connection to the battery posts. So I took a wire brush and a battery post cleaner and got the clamps 100% clean and the same for the posts. Don't skimp on the effort here, be 100% clean. Additionally, the + and - clamps should be in a C shape with an opening. My + clamp was a solid circle. That solid circle stops you from being able to fully tighten the clamp to the post. So what I did was take a utility knife to the clamp and cut out about a 1/4" section of it to make it a C shape and not a full circle. Removing this allowed the clamp to fully tighten. When I tightened it up, the clamp nut buried itself into the soft metal of the clamp and I could no longer get a wrench to turn it. Solution - remove the nut, put a heavy duty washer on the bolt and then put the nut back on. Now the nut can be FULLY tightened because the washer prevents it from burrowing into the soft metal of the clamp. Now I was positive about the connection. So now I have clean battery posts, clean battery clamps and absolute tight connection between them. The result - no more problems with the electrical stuff going nutso. It all makes sense if the car sees power, then doesnt see it, then sees partial power, etc, all because of poor connection between the battery and the clamps. Hope this resolves this infamous problem. Give it a try and respond back. I know this doesn't fix every electrical problem I have seen on this forum, but it did resolve the spinning gages and associated infamous problems on my Jeep GC. Reported by garage mechanic "Skip" on 2-1-2010, owner of Jeeps GC's since 1995

Skip:

Thank you for the post. I would be interested to know if this resolution provides a permanent fix for the problem. I'd (as I'm sure others would) appreciate a future update.

For those of you that think that the malfunctioning gauges may be caused by a short-circuited wire, chew on this:
- I can disconnect the battery for several hours, then reconnect, and the electrical system/instrument cluster will function fine for 7 to 10 days, before reverting back to not working. Seems to me that this indicates more than a short in the electrical system...
- The issue of the gauges not working seems to be made worse by the weather, including the cold. I noticed the gauges not working in my 2000 JGC after leaving it parked outside without being driven, for 15 days last fall. Never had an electrical problem before that.

I've also thoroughly cleaned the battery terminals. Initially, I thought that it made a difference, but in reality, it essentially "reset" the electrical system for a short period of time. After anywhere from a few hours to a few days, the gauges started acting up again.

Logically, there must be an issue occurring under the hood to cause this problem. It would be nice to find a qualified Jeep mechanic that has some experience with this issue.

I had posted a few weeks ago with all of the same issues with the gauge cluster going nuts, window/ door locks not working/ clicking.. (99 GC Laredo) I disconnect my battery (only the positive) every night when I go to bed. When I head to work in the a.m. I reconnect and the gauges are good for the day, sometimes a little longer, but no longer than 2 days. I have done this for 6 months now- it's seriously getting old, especially with the crazy Maine weather we have!
Last friday it was -30 out and the gauges tripped out within an hour.. (on my way to Boston- yah, that sucked!) It is the first time I considered the weather playing a role?? My husband and I have gone through the Jeep and tried all the suggestions that have been listed here to no avail.
Some people seem to have more luck with disconnecting the battery, and things seem to be fine for a while, but it always comes back. We replaced the window/ door switches, PCM, BCM, gauge cluster, battery and terminals. When the Jeep acts up I turn the key back and forth to get the codes and it always reads the same.. (I think it's P1608? I cant remember right now, but the Jeep garage says it has nothing to do with my problems??)
My husbands boss went through the same thing, spent $1500 at the local Jeep dealer, only to have it screw up afew days later. He replaced his window/ door switches and he's had no trouble in months. Unhooking the battery reset his issues for a while as well, but it always came back, and he always had that sentry key light on too..
My BIGGEST QUESTION to everyone here: the Sentry Key light?! Is it always on even when the vehicle is running good? Mine is... Even on my old gauge cluster it stayed on..
It's the yellow key light symbol with a line through it on the right side of the gauge cluster...
My local Jeep dealer/ garage seems to think that is the ticket to all these problems.. Although he still has no direct answer, he is looking into it. I told him of this forum and all the same issues. Hopefully he will help us all figure something out?
So how about the sentry key lights guys?? Does yours stay on as well?? Thanks for the input, stopping by the Jeep dealership in the a.m., will keep you all updated as to what I find out.
Kerri

As I have previously posted, my 2000 Jeep GC has had all of the issues with gauges, instrument cluster, windows, etc. I have not had as much luck with disconnecting the battery as others. It worked a couple of times but now it seems to go right back to weirding out. One thing I notice, if I unlock the doors with the passenger side door locks will driving, the gauges will come on temporarily (long enough to get a speed on my speedometer and get the windows to work) but then it will go right back to same problem. If I do this too many times it causes the some kind of cut off with my power window fuse and then I have to go under the hood to the fuse panel and pull out my 50amp fuse for the power windows and it resets the windows so that they work. Quite a hassle, you would think Jeep would work to get this problem resolved after all these years and with so many vehicles. I did talk to a friend that owns a Jeep and he told me that the transponder in the key can go bad and I need to get a new key with transponder and have the system reprogrammed. I have not tried that option yet. I do only have one key and it is possible that I have worn it out. I have 170K miles on my Jeep and this issue started at about 165K miles. I purchased the car used at 83K miles. Has anyone tried getting a new key to see if it resolves the problem with the key sentry light. Keep me posted, it is great to hear all of the feedback maybe one day Jeep will resolve the issue.

The interesting thing I forgot to add.. My Jeep does NOT have the sentry key immoblizer system(SKIS).. Yet that light is always on.. My "programmed" key chains with the "lock, unlock, panic" buttons on them do not work.. New batteries and everything. Wonder if somehow that's all connected? hmmmmmm

As I stated in one of my previous posts, my lock/unlock fob quit working before all of this other mess with my electical system started up. I changed out the battery in the fob and still nothing. After playing around with fuses and connecting/disconnecting the battery for the past few months, all of a sudden my fob works again and I can lock and unlock my Jeep again with it. Maybe if we keep posting enough symptoms somoeone will see a pattern which might result in a fix. Wishful thinking?

Oh well...i have the same problem with my JGC 2000v8..sentry key signal goes on after that; all sensors go on speed,oil,battery etc. off..sometimes the car will shut off when running windows won't go up or down..i had try disconnecting battery ill work for a couple days and then same thing.. I thing is something with the key but not my key cuz a got 2 and does the same w/both..so theres something wrong with the sentry key sistem...i havent found a good electric mechanic.. but as said before the first thing that happenes is the sentry key signal and stays on for a while before the rest happens.. anybody has a solution?

I've been watching a number of internet boards since October of last year for a resolution. Nothing has been brought to light in terms of a fix. Should you take it to a dealer, be prepared to pay $$$$$; their mechanics won't have a clue, but will start with changing out the PCM and BCM for heavy dollars. You'll get a few days out of the Jeep before the problem returns. What will the dealer say? Sorry, Charlie...bring the vehicle back, and we'll keep working on it as long as you pay us.

If the have the means, the best thing that I can offer in terms of the most cost effective solution is to trade the vehicle in on a new car. Put the thousands that you might spend on repairs toward another vehicle, and put the issues with the Jeep behind you.

The moral of this story is...DON'T EVER PURCHASE ANOTHER DAIMLER CHRYSLER PRODUCT. We expect problems with 10 year old vehicles, and we'll put up with them as long as they can be fixed. THERE DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE A FIX FOR THIS ISSUE!!!

I reported on 2-1-2010 that I had the fix to this problem and I wanted to report back that as of today, 4-22-2010, that the problem remains FIXED!!!!! Please read my original post from 2-1-2010 to see what I did to the battery posts and clamps. It's all about getting them 100% clean and 100% tight. Hope this helps the rest of you that experience this problem. Regards. kekoome

I had the same problem with my 99 GCL as far as shifting problems, bad cv joint, burning smell, etc. I went through 2 rotors trying to fix this problem. I also replace my speed sensor, trans fluid, and filter. I finally came to realize that my caliper was sticking for periods of time causing my breaks to get hot and my trans to not shift. The heat also cracked my cv joint boot and ruined my cv joint. A new caliper completely resolved my issue

There was a TSB about a main fuse needing to be swapped out for a fusible link on the main power distribution fuse box inside engine compartment. I would go there first. I fought with my 96 for over two years trying to track down why battery would go dead overnight, interior lights staying on, not starting. The three things I did were..1. took out "mega" fuse and just jumpered across points. 2. Replaced battery terminal ends and installed new battery. 3. Found rear door was not always making contact with door switch-switch was good...must have slammed seat belt in door at one time and caused a small void in door because hinges seemed tight..so just removed door switch. All this after two different garages wanted to replace the pcm (main computer inside engine) and the bcm (sits under dash on drivers side) I've found so many posts that use those terms interchangably makes my head spin. Not a mechanic, just offering up what worked for me. Have subscribed to about 3 different boards on the jeep issues glad I'm done with it! Good luck to the rest of you.

thanks for the info, will give your suggestions a try. have heard of the seat belt malfunction before i'll go there also-used to be my daugters car now i want it for the mud

Oy yeah, which one is considered the mega fuse, I have removed the 50 amp to get the light off but it won't pass smog like that.
thanxs again

This "mega fuse" is inline between the two posts on the main power distribution box inside engine compartment. It is not located inside the fuse box, but rather in series between the two posts on the right of the box. If you had your vehicle in for service they might have already taken care of this, but worth looking into...once again good luck.

I recently had an experience where my 2000 JGC wouldn't start; heard the clicking noises coming from under the glove compartment, with gauges going crazy. In my case, the battery cable (that I had taken off the previous day to clean), wasn't providing a good connection to the terminal. It was a simple fix. Just ensure that the battery cable provides a good connection to the terminal. How can you tell if you have a good connection? In my case, the light under the hood was very dim with the bad connection. After re-seating the battery cable to the terminal, the light became very bright.

Good luck with the Jeep.

I have recently repaired,after numerous hours diagnoising the bus line a 2000 grand cherokee with the symtoms described.this vehicle came to me after having a new battery,cam and crank sensor,ecm and bcm.the problem with this vehicle was on under the passenger kick panel.here you will find 2 wire harness junctions the upper harness was water damaged and corroded the solution was to use electrical contact spray and clean well,dry and treat with dielectric grease.this solved all the electrical gremlins described on this particular jeep

Is this something that is easy to locate or do you need to pull the dash. I have done simple mechanical things but nothing major. I would love to see if it works for me. I have 175,000 miles on my Jeep GC and have had no problems except this electrical one which is making me want to purchase another vehicle (which I can't afford).

yes,on the passenger side of the car to the right of the glove box near the floor pull that plastic panel off held on by plastic screw .2 wire junctions under there 10mm socket pull them apart and see if they are coroded.clean well reassemble

To avoid electrical damage shouldn't the battery be disconnected?

Does the 10 mm. hex screw also act as an engagement alignment device as well an extraction device?

How many turns of the screw are required to fully separate the connector?

yes it wouldnt hurt to disconnect ,i didnt because i was watching the voltage on the bus line.the head of the bolt is 10mm not difficult to loosen (not sure on turns)tug lightly on connection when yoy feel its loose and it will seperate.inside the connection is where you will find the corrosion.on mine it was the top harness ,you can remove the yellow plastic piece inside the connection to clean better

I did not have any problem loosening the 10 mm hex head screw. Do I understand that the connector separates easily when the screw is fully disengaged? Can you give me an idea how much extraction force is required? To avoid damage when re-engaging the connector how were you able to align the contacts ?