Lighting and Horns: Description and Operation

DIAGNOSTIC PROCEDURES
JX vehicles use lighting on the interior and exterior of the vehicle for illuminating and indicating purposes. Lighting circuits are protected by fuses or circuit breakers. Lighting circuits require an overload protected power source, on/off device, lamps arid body ground to operate properly. Plastic lamps require a wire in the harness to supply body ground to the lamp socket. Lamp sockets that are exposed to moisture should be coated with Mopar Multi-purpose Grease, or equivalent, to avoid corrosion. If a socket has become corroded, clean socket and bulb base with abrasive fiber sanding pad or metallic bristle brush. Replace sockets and bulbs that are deformed from corrosion that could prevent continuous body ground.

Wire connectors can make intermittent contact or become corroded. Before coupling wire connectors, inspect the terminals inside the connector. Male terminals should not be bent or disengaged from the insulator. Female terminals should not be sprung open or disengaged from the insulator. Bent and sprung terminals can be repaired using needle nose pliers and pick tool. Corroded terminals appear chalky or green. Corroded terminals should be replaced to avoid recurrence of the problem symptoms. Wire connector terminals should be coated with Mopar Multi-purpose Grease, or equivalent, to avoid corrosion.

Begin electrical system failure diagnosis by testing related fuses and circuit breakers in the fuse block and engine compartment. Verify that bulbs are in good condition and test continuity of the circuit ground.

EXTERIOR LAMPS
The exterior lamps are controlled by a rotary switch located on the left stalk of the multi-function switch on the steering column.

To turn lamps ON:
- Parking lamps, using left stalk turn headlamp switch to the first detent
- Headlamps, turn switch to second detent
- Headlamp beam select, from low beam to high beam or high to low, pull left stalk towards steering wheel. The ignition switch must be in the RUN position for the instrument panel high beam indicator to light.
- Headlamp optical horn, pull left stalk towards steering wheel, headlamps will stay ON as long as stalk is held.
- Fog lamps, pull switch outward with headlamps on low beam
- Panel dimmer, rotating dimmer switch regulates intensity of the instrument panel illumination. There are nine detents (steps) of intensity. Detent # 1 is full brightness and each detent thereafter is lower. Testing the dimmer switch using the continuity test, the resistance value is measured for each detent. Detents # 3 through # 8 are measured in equal graduations, up or down and referred to as linear.

Example: if detent # 3 was 5 ohms and detent # 4 was 7 ohms, detent # 5 should be 9 ohms.

EXTERIOR LAMPS LEFT ON
An audible chime tone that indicates the exterior lamps were left on.