SOLVED: Broke my Gladiator by drilling into wires

[jeephambikepcpets]

I have a 2021 Jeep Gladiator Sport and I wanted to mount a ham radio. So I ordered an Overhead MOLLE Panel from JcrOffroad and mounted it tonight. Unfortunately I've had nothing but trouble ever since.

The symptoms I noticed:
- It didn't detect my key fob so I had to push the start button with the key fob.
- The windshield wipers turn on when the ignition is running and nothing I can do will turn the wipers off.
- The turn signals don't respond.

I eventually discovered I had accidentally drilled through some wires. I did my best to splice the wires back together, but the same symptoms persist.

Some things I've tried:
- Disconnect the two batteries for 20 minutes, apply the brake, then reconnect.
- Check the fuses for any signs of a failure.

Please advise.

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[LostWoods]

That twisted pair is the CAN bus wiring... that's not so simple to fix in many cases because it is super sensitive to interference and you might need to replace the entire harness. Fortunately, that top harness just runs from a-pillar to a-pillar and is about 30-60 minutes to replace so it's very do-able on your own.

edit: there's a few part numbers on BAM Wholesale so you'll need to give them your VIN but it looks like its under $60. It's #1 in the top section of this page.

You also might have shorted something out but personally, I'd throw that $60 at it and hope. If that fails, I'd be picking up a Blue Driver or some other OBDII tool that will let you read body modules and see what codes you're getting. They won't pop the light because they're not emissions related but they'll be stored in the body modules.

 

[mountainpass]

In 4th pic the top wire on right is exposed. That shouldn't be the issue but needs addressing.

 

[jeephambikepcpets]

Thank you. I ordered the harness. It'll take some time to receive it. Meantime, I'll get a soldering iron and electrical tape and do what I can to splice, twist, and shield the wires even better. I'll follow-up either way.

 

[Blade1668]

LostWoods method is good first start then if that doesn't fix it, off to trusted dealership or mechanics on bended knee for help.

Best of luck with it. I cringe at thought of damaging any of the CanBus stuff.

 

[Troybilt]

Thats some bad luck my fiend. I agree get a new harness and start from fresh.

Thats like hitting fiber optics when you dig. Did you call OUPS 1st

 

[jeephambikepcpets]

I took another stab at splicing the wires. In the dark with a flashlight in my teeth and frozen fingers, I used the soldering iron I borrowed tonight and gave it a shot. Then I wrapped it up with electrical tape and tried to twist it all together. Still, the bad symptoms persist. I may try again in the daylight tomorrow.

Is there a workaround that might hold me over a few weeks until the replacement wire harness arrives?

 

[MrZappo]

OK, so I'll say this as gentle as I can. And maybe it's the cold and the dark.

But I would not expect either of those repairs to yield good results.

The new harness is definitely the way to go but if it were me, I'd find a warm garage, proper tools, proper splice products, some adhesive lined heat shrink tube of the proper size and repair it proper.

If you have a friend with a good hot soldering iron, some flux and experience soldering that would also probably help matters.

 

[PDiddy]

If you don’t have a friend or can’t do it yourself, I would go to a car audio shop and see how much it would be for them to clean up those wires. I agree with MrZappo, that solder job you did there is not so good.

Something like that would take less than an hour for a small shop to do and they will do a much better job. Maybe cost you $60-100?

good luck man, I feel for you.

 

[The Crusader]

Check your fuses. You may have blown one when you drilled in.

 

[WaterDR]

You would be better off going back in time and never doing that.....and please people, do NOT drill into the overhead console. Holy hell....this is the third such mess I have seen like this.

 

[Kevin_D]

It's highly likely that you fried something due to shorted conductors when you first turned it on.
You'll need to practice your soldering technique, use some good heatshrink, and pre-twist the CANBUS conductors, so that you can get a nice, smooth, even twist after the repair.

Kevin

 

[athous]

You should have some of these on hand as they’d be perfect for this

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073RMRCC3/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

they don’t require a soldering gun and just need a heat gun to use. They are heatshrink and solder all in one. if You don’t have a heat gun just get a cheap 10 dollar one. fyi a hair dryer will not work.

 

[StingGrayJT24]

Oh man. That’s terrible luck my friend. It makes me sick to see this.

In a way, I can relate. I had a new Tundra with 600 miles on it that I had to park outside. It was unseasonably cold and rats ate the same wiring harness three different times over the winter to a tune of over $3,000 in total damages. Later on we found out neighbors across the street and a couple houses down were raising chickens and rats moved in. They made a home under another neighbor’s house, causing them all sorts of grief before they knew what happened. The rats ended up damaging a Subaru, Honda, and VW as well. People shouldn’t be allowed to raise chickens in the city, but that’s a debate for another time.

Hopefully the new harness arrives soon and resolves the issue, so you can get back to enjoying your new rig. Best of luck.

 

[redrider]

Rats? Perhaps you need a snake habitat. King, Corn and Rat snakes are good to have around. We have a good family environment in the back 40. For the snakes, that is.

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