95 Jimmy 4x4, pulled out of my driveway went 50ft and the car shut off with no power. Popped the hood, wiggled battery connections and ground, everything seemed tight, but I got power back. So I may have a bad wire. With power back the turn signals, hazards, and brake lights don’t work. Car runs fine, headlights and tail lights work. I’ve check fuses 1,3,16, and 18 in the attached picture. It does have a replaced ignition switch and multifunction switch (both about a year old). Could it be the hazard switch in the multifunction switch? I can’t hear either flasher for turn signals or hazards when they are on. Wipers still work with the multifunction switch. Any ideas are appreciated.

 

So that I can help you with this: what exactly did not work when "the car shut off with no power"?


George

 

The car lost all electrical power, nothing worked.

 

Lets talk about the total failure of power first. There are not very many places that would cause a 100% loss of power, it would have to be very near the power sources (alt and batt). Unfortunately '95 is the one year where my wiring diagrams are not complete so I looked at 94 and 96 and there are some differences. In all cases however, almost all of the power for the vehicle takes off from the alternator and then there are either one or two fusible links before general distribution. I would inspect those take offs from the alternator and inspect the connections and the sections of wire that contain the links. If you have a firewall junction block then check those connections and the fusible links that take off from there. Those links can get corroded and burn partial through and need replacement.

With regards to turn signal, brakes and hazards, that's a separate problem. We need to determine if its a power side or ground side problem. Yes it could be the MF switch but we don't know that yet. First, you have no brake lights but what about the third high mount brake light, is that also out? It routes differently and will help narrow this down .


George

 

I have to take a longer look at all of the wires and fusible links, I haven’t had a chance with the rain the past few days.

The center mount brake light works with the brake pedal and turn signals work. I pushed the hazard lights button when the car lost electrical power and didn’t realize I left it on and it wouldn’t let the turn signals come on. So the only lights that don’t work are the left and right brake lights and no hazard lights (no, dash indicator, can’t hear flasher, no lights front or rear flashing).

 

Since your third brake light works then you have fused power and the stop lamp switch works at the brake pedal. With brakes applied check for 12v power at the bulbs. If no power then its either the turn/hazard switch or the wiring between the stop lamp switch and bulbs.


George