Doors off/electrical harness - is this normal???

[ps2baseball]

Jeep Cares! LOL

FCA just called, told me to pound sand. LOL. Last Jeep for me, and I have had one my whole life.

Sponsored

 

[WagzDad]

Jeep Cares! LOL

FCA just called, told me to pound sand. LOL. Last Jeep for me, and I have had one my whole life.

That sucks. Can you post a picture of both sides Of the connection? It may not be hopeless, just finesse triumph over frustration

 

[ps2baseball]

That sucks. Can you post a picture of both sides Of the connection? It may not be hopeless, just finesse triumph over frustration

Well they told me one pin was missing. Can it be put back in? The thing is I can't even see them!

 

[WagzDad]

Well they told me one pin was missing. Can it be put back in? The thing is I can't even see them!

I’ll post some pictures tomorrow evening to help you see it better. The side with the white lever is attached to the chassis with a body mount pin. The release process is a bit wonky and after I saw how it works I ( gently) pried the other side off. Similar to this kind of attachment

stay tuned for some pictures

 

[HeatBird]

Wow am I glad I read this thread. I've got my first Jeep, (well wrangler), ordered and plan on going doorless and don't need the aggravation and cost the OP has had. Sorry brother!
Special thanks to Wagzdad for his expertise.

 

[WagzDad]

body mount clip

Back of connector

female (door) side
red lines on the rows of separators that caused the problem

male (chassis) side

see how thin and fragile the pins at the top are? They get bent because the misaligned separator routes the pin into the larger square area of the female side.

 

[WagzDad]

The above pictures were taken on the passenger side that I haven’t had an issue with (yet). There are more of the tiny pins on the driver’s side because of the additional controls . I bought mine used and suspect that they were already damaged.
None of the pins were crumpled up or bent to the side but rather angled because they had been forced into the adjacent square slot. I made a wooden tool from a chopstick. I sliced it about midway to make a flat point to apply pressure to realign it with the row.
To remove a pin, on either side, you have to lift the white retainer like in the picture below.

I take a lot of pictures when I work on stuff so I can have an idea where whatever I broke used to be located.

 

[HeatBird]

The above pictures were taken on the passenger side that I haven’t had an issue with (yet). There are more of the tiny pins on the driver’s side because of the additional controls . I bought mine used and suspect that they were already damaged.
None of the pins were crumpled up or bent to the side but rather angled because they had been forced into the adjacent square slot. I made a wooden tool from a chopstick. I sliced it about midway to make a flat point to apply pressure to realign it with the row.
To remove a pin, on either side, you have to lift the white retainer like in the picture below.

I take a lot of pictures when I work on stuff so I can have an idea where whatever I broke used to be located.

Thanks again

 

[WagzDad]

Well they told me one pin was missing. Can it be put back in? The thing is I can't even see them!

I’ve been thinking about the missing pin problem. The pin is probably in the female side still. You may have to remove that side of the connection to get the broken piece out. As for a replacement...one of the electronic wizards can probably point to a new part source. Me, I’d first try to find a donor wreck and remove the male (both). Another option is to identify the pins for the door backlight power and liberate a transplant from there. Passenger side would probably be a better option if going for a transplant. The lights are much less critical on that side.
the female door side harness is available as a separate part. The most difficult part appears to be feeding the harness through the nylon stop strap...just a guess. There are several versions listed. I would ask for help figuring out the one that I would need.

 

[ps2baseball]

This is the pin that is "missing". I am not sure what part it belongs to, the end it is sticking out of, of the part that is attached to the body?

I am also not sure if it can be pushed back in.

 

[WagzDad]

Take the door off for more room to work.
That should pull straight out. You can locate the wire on the chassis side looking at it red tab up, left side, second row from the top, 3rd row from the outside. Not 3rd wire from the outside...there may not be wires to every hole.

Before disassemble take pictures from several angles to identify what goes where. Its a tight space and there is hardly any slack in the chassis harness. To release the connector wire retainer, gently use the notches (see red arrows) to pry up the white retainer. It will only move 1-2 mm...not much! Do not force it further. You may have to go back and forth between the 2 until it releases. Before withdrawing the broken wire note the orientation of the metal part...it will only fit one way when reinstalling it Once you resolder it in place.

**I have not removed a wire from the chassis side, so I don’t know if it will have any additional tricks to pulling it out.

Me, I would plan to pull an undamaged one out to see what it is supposed to look like when fixed. Also, you might consider closing the retainer on the connector to keep the other wires in place...it may not be necessary but with as little slack as you have in the harness it may be worthwhile.

 

[WagzDad]

Also, fwiw, that is a manufacturing defect. That pin should not have (ever) pulled out of the connector. It’s not bent.
Have you verified that any of the other pins in the connector are indeed bent?

 

[ps2baseball]

Also, fwiw, that is a manufacturing defect. That pin should not have (ever) pulled out of the connector. It’s not bent.
Have you verified that any of the other pins in the connector are indeed bent?

Dealer claims they are all bent - both connectors. I need to take a closer look. The issue I have is I can't see them!

 

[JayJay]

I take a lot of pictures when I work on stuff so I can have an idea where whatever I broke used to be located.

Lord knows there have been many times that I have wished that I had taken pictures.

Later,
Johnny

 

[sf5211]

Sometime in November, I noticed my automatic locks weren’t working in the vehicle. They worked with the fob or proximity system. I guess the last time I pulled my doors somewhere in October the harness pins wore out.
My dealership had to reorder the harnesses for both front doors. They finally came in this week and sorry OP but my dealership (Larchmont Chrysler Jeep) did it under warranty. They’re a great service dept.
Anyway, I said to the service manager “I love to pull my doors and hope I’m not discouraged from doing it”. He said “the Jeep’s designed for the doors to come off, use it at your leisure “. (Which is what I wanted to hear).
I’m definitely going to take an extra minute on each side when disconnecting/connecting the harness in the future just to make sure everything is straight so as to hopefully not have this happen again.
One question for you guys. Do you think it would be wise when the doors are off next Spring to lightly shoot the end of the harness that comes off with the door with a dry lube? It’s liquidy but would be dry by the time I reinstall the doors. I’m wondering if this would make the plug and connectors seat easier.

Sponsored