Dash and taillights not working?

phyla

New Member
Original poster
Joined
Aug 13, 2025
Messages
1
Location
Pennsylvania
Hi everyone, so I just got my wrangler (98 tj fully stock) a few months ago and decided to change the head unit as I don’t have cassettes and would prefer to have a radio that I can actually choose the station on. The head unit works. Everything in the car works except for the dash and tail lights (that includes breaks, the emergency flashers and, gauges on the dash). Fuses have been checked so that isn’t the issue. I am at my wits end asking mechanics in my area as they won’t even give me a quote for them looking at it. If someone has an idea of what my issue may be it would be greatly appreciated at this point.
 
If they worked before, it's likely you missed/yanked/pulled a ground along the way. The FSM should be able to tell you where to expect grounds to check.
 
Dash and tail lights are on the same circuit. Found that out when my trailer wiring shorted and blew the fuse.

Time to trace that circuit.

Go to Resources and get the wiring diagrams from the FSM.
 
Hi everyone, so I just got my wrangler (98 tj fully stock) a few months ago and decided to change the head unit as I don’t have cassettes and would prefer to have a radio that I can actually choose the station on. The head unit works. Everything in the car works except for the dash and tail lights (that includes breaks, the emergency flashers and, gauges on the dash). Fuses have been checked so that isn’t the issue. I am at my wits end asking mechanics in my area as they won’t even give me a quote for them looking at it. If someone has an idea of what my issue may be it would be greatly appreciated at this point.

Check fuses, then pull the radio to verify the ground wire was radio ground was not hooked to the illumination wire