CoffeeCommando

I know this an electrical problem. The driver's side door has leaked whenever there is heavy rain due to some shop I had it at in recent years possibly catching it on the lift while being left open. I'm just curious if anyone has had that,exact problem before and if so what it was in order to save me some,time and hassle this weekend. It idles at 1000 RPM when stopped like it has a high idle switch flicked on.

As soon as any door is opened (it's a 4 door) it returns to normal.

dave1123

Spooky! IDK what to say. I wrote something down once and can't find it. Something about a white wire in one of the PCM plugs that if grounded, sets the extended idle. It was explained in a video from a bunch of military guys who offroad, but their website isn't in my list anymore. Anyhow, it's a designed in function for police use to keep the alternator online to supply power for their radios. If that wire is somehow grounded by your pinched door, that could cause your problem, I guess. It would have to interface with the dome light circuit. Do you have an extended idle switch and was it wired by running a wire thru the door area?

I'm trying to remember....C plug....cavity 2? maybe? I'll have to research this again because I'd like to add one to both my jeeps.

I think I found it! In my FSM....plug C1, cavity 12, idle actuator. Yes, it's listed for my XJ, but not for my WJ. That's got to be it. It's listed as a grey 18 ga wire.

You could try cutting it and see if the idle drops down. If not splice it back together.

dave1123

Okay, after a little more research, That grey wire goes thru connector C107 and C100. C100 is a big multiplex connector on the firewall under the dash near the door. There's got to be at least 50 or so wires in that connector and it's right where it can get wet from your leak. Chances are you've got a case of the green crusties in that connector. The grey wire IS for the extended idle switch and is there even if it's not used.

Simple answer? Cut the F*****!

CoffeeCommando

If there is any type of connector down there I know I've got me some cleaning to do with how the door leaks. I'm going to get up close in there this weekend and clean it out, then coat it with urethane electrical sealant so it's fixed forever.

I have acquired other problems and that one,has gone away, it only idles at 1000 RPM now no matter what.

AFR readings,start dropping to 11.5 cruising on the highway, hesitation at idle. I had to disconnect O2's to make it drivable because there was a constant 10-12 AFR reading after warmed up, would for at idle. Now that I know,there is a,connector down there that explains it. I never properly sealed a,hole under the break booster and the hood is raised so it also leaks down the firewall. That is probably the real problem

dave1123

That's the main harness connector that connects everything in the engine compartment to everything in the cabin and cargo area. I believe there is a bolt in the middle holding it together.

CoffeeCommando

I never cleaned it out, the rain has been come and go and so has the high idle. I just dealt with it Today I decided to investigate. There is a slight bit of rust on the button that the door presses, and when I loosened up the nut to pull the whole switch out the body of the metal (it's like a metal sheath over a metal cylinder that makes contact) spins freely inside the metal sheath. I saw some slight corrosion in there so I sprayed it with what I had at the time (Liquid Wrench) and traced the cable inside the kick panel, there is only the faintest amount of corrosion on the outside middle wire. It's not even corroded inside the wire harness.

Then I opened up the rear driver passenger door to investigate that one. That one does not spin freely. I am not sure if that even matters since I noticed previously that as long as any of the 4 doors is opened (causing the dome lights to be on) the problem arises (indicating it's not any one single door button). Now I have to chase the problem elsewhere.

Also of note, don't put silicone into these little guys to try to water proof them. Now the dome lights never turn off (and the idle is always where it's supposed to be) with all doors closed, further isolating the problem to the dome lights needing to be on for the idle to be normal. It also seemed like it drove better.

Where do those dome light wires go? I pulled every fuse out of the passenger kick panel and they didn't turn off. I checked a pair of passenger kick panel diagrams I downloaded years ago and they're not listed in there either. I can only assume they wire to a fuse under the hood but it's raining out now.

dave1123

Asked and answered. Cut the wire at the computer plug. Done.

Or do you enjoy the pain?

CoffeeCommando

I'm done jerry rigging crap. I've had 3 XJ's and doing half assed fixes stopped with the last one I sold with electrical problems, which I caused by doing half assed things. In my experience the half assery causes more pain. It's a short easy fix leading to longer more complicated problems.

That's only the high idle switch, which I do not have. It drives better now with the lights on. Something else is wrong. Pushing on the dome lights make the idle go back up so whatever it is its physical and the dome lights are in the circuit affecting it.

CoffeeCommando

The real problem has been found. Has nothing to do with the high idle switch which I didn't have as I suspected. I looked over the wiring diagram vigorously last night and referenced fuse panel pictures with listings of what the fuses and connectors in the junction box / block / passenger fuse panel go to. C3 (dome lights) connects into C4 (which runs back to Fuse 16 in the PDC, which shares a ground with my O2 sensors since I have a 2000 Cherokee). The corrosion is more than likely offsetting 02 readings and has been for a very long time based on these pictures. The relay that exploded the aluminum strip contacts is the rear fogger/wiper relay, which I had a dealer replace the wiring harness for because they said it was the cause of my short that kept draining my battery back in 2014 (I pulled the fuse before I took it to them and never reinstalled, I suspect they saw a broken boot and assumed it to be the problem, replaced a harness and charged me for something that didn't fix the problem ultimately; I've been realizing the past few years I have had a lot of that from several different independent and corporately own car repair shops, hence the reason I don't let anyone touch my vehicles anymore).

The previous owner damaged the antenna and the grommet was removed from inside the fender well leaving a 3/4" hole with the cable running into it. Splashing around in florida rain puddles has been corroding the **** out of my block at the C4 junction and C7, as well as the passenger seat bolts which have thoroughly rusted the floor panel and carpet under the mats. I was surprised when I pulled those up. No pictures of that rusty mess, too lazy.

I got this idea from XJ Talk where someone removed their junction box and it was corroded at C4 and C7 furthering my own suspicions. Now I have the same, and I bet he either had a leaking grommet from the antenna or no grommet at all.

If your antenna is cockeyed, better get down there and check it out now before you're trying to find a new junction box at a junk yard.... or a dealer (if you can find one at all). Mine was corroded so bad the aluminum contacts completely broke. There is no fixing this that I am aware of. I need a replacement.