2003-2006 Hardtop Wiring

@Scoutmaster....sorry, back with another question. When I removed a pin from C107 of donor harness, I had to first remove a blue retaining clip that went across the back of the connector. My question is, do I need to remove this retaining clip on my Jeep connector in order to re-insert the pin in C107? Thanks.

EDIT: I went ahead and removed the retaining clip and got the pin inserted. Had a tough time getting the retaining clip back in and seated. I'm not sure I got it all the way in, but the connector went together properly and locked.
 
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Has anyone working on this project noticed that the '05 and '06 FSM do not show a C107 connector? Very strange because my '06 has what I'm pretty certain is a C107 connector in the driver's side footwell (between the C202 and C170 connectors).
 
Success! A HUGE shout out to @Scoutmaster for mapping this all out for us and for his patience in answering my many (and often dumb) questions! I thought I would share a little bit about how the project went for me.

1) Neither the defroster or the wiper worked on the first try. But, I was able to quickly find the problem. I had not fully seated the two of the pins in the fuse box (Fuse 6 and Fuse 15/pin 35). Once I seated those properly, everything worked.

2) I spent roughly $250. Dash and body harness (from an '04) -$125, wiper and defrost switches - $40, washer bottle with two pumps - $30, hardtop harness adapter - $25, 40 amp fuse - $8, 30 amp relay - $9, miscellaneous supplies - $12. I think I got a great deal on the harnesses....they are hard to find and the only other one I found was $315 on eBay for just the dash harness.

3) The hardest part for me was removing pins from the donor connectors. I had never done this before and got pretty frustrated trying to figure out which tool to use and how to use it. I had one of those cheap sets from Amazon that comes with about 80 tools. I never did figure out how to remove the pin I needed from the C170 connector and I ended up using a Dremel to cut it out.

4) I bypassed the C202 connector and just spliced those eight wires together using open barrel spade connectors and heat shrink. I did this for two reasons....I had so much trouble removing pins from the donor harness that I wanted to minimize the number I had to re-insert. Also, I'm 65 and not as flexible as I used to be so reaching up to access the C202 connector seemed like it would be a real challenge (@Scoutmaster did point out to me that the connector could be removed from it's bracket and removing the speaker would also allow better access).

5) I suck at soldering, so for the splices I used a red Posi Tap connector. I spliced the orange wires from the wiper and defrost switch to the orange wire on the HVAC control connector. Posi Tap connectors are pricey, but I really like them.

6) I ran the 3 ground wires to the ground screw at the driver's side dash speaker. I spliced the wiper and defrost ground wires together and ran a single ground wire from there.

7) I haven't tried the rear washer yet....not really sure how to operate that from the switch. I'm also not positive the defroster actually heats up....is there a way to tell other than wait until the window is foggy? The light on the switch does come on.

EDIT: I figured out the washer and it works as it should.

8) My TJ is an '06 and I couldn't understand why the FSM wasn't showing a C107 connector (either does '05). I later learned that for '05 and '06 it is re-numbered as C301.

9) I had one "oh shit" moment during the process. After I had inserted the pin in C170, I went to start the Jeep and got absolutely nothing. No dash lights, did not turn over, nothing. I thought I had killed it. Then I realized I had not closed the locking lever on the C170 connector!

That's about it. Looking back, I would do it again unless I couldn't find the harnesses at a decent price. My OCD doesn't like it when I have features that don't work. I will say I was a bit intimidated by the huge mass of wires that I started with (and ended up using only about 10!). Again, big thanks to @Scoutmaster and feel free to reach out to me if I can be of any assistance.

PS This is where I sourced my harnesses, washer bottle and switches. He says he has a "bunch more" '03-'06 automatic hardtop harnesses. http://www.briskeymountain4wd.com
 
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That's awesome
Success! A HUGE shout out to @Scoutmaster for mapping this all out for us and for his patience in answering my many (and often dumb) questions! I thought I would share a little bit about how the project went for me.

1) Neither the defroster or the wiper worked on the first try. But, I was able to quickly find the problem. I had not fully seated the two of the pins in the fuse box (Fuse 6 and Fuse 15/pin 35). Once I seated those properly, everything worked.

2) I spent roughly $250. Dash and body harness (from an '04) -$125, wiper and defrost switches - $40, washer bottle with two pumps - $30, hardtop harness adapter - $25, 40 amp fuse - $8, 30 amp relay - $9, miscellaneous supplies - $12. I think I got a great deal on the harnesses....they are hard to find and the only other one I found was $315 on eBay for just the dash harness.

3) The hardest part for me was removing pins from the donor connectors. I had never done this before and got pretty frustrated trying to figure out which tool to use and how to use it. I had one of those cheap sets from Amazon that comes with about 80 tools. I never did figure out how to remove the pin I needed from the C170 connector and I ended up using a Dremel to cut it out.

4) I bypassed the C202 connector and just spliced those eight wires together using open barrel spade connectors and heat shrink. I did this for two reasons....I had so much trouble removing pins from the donor harness that I wanted to minimize the number I had to re-insert. Also, I'm 65 and not as flexible as I used to be so reaching up to access the C202 connector seemed like it would be a real challenge (@Scoutmaster did point out to me that the connector could be removed from it's bracket and removing the speaker would also allow better access).

5) I suck at soldering, so for the splices I used a red Posi Tap connector. I spliced the orange wires from the wiper and defrost switch to the orange wire on the HVAC control connector. Posi Tap connectors are pricey, but I really like them.

6) I ran the 3 ground wires to the ground screw at the driver's side dash speaker. I spliced the wiper and defrost ground wires together and ran a single ground wire from there.

7) I haven't tried the rear washer yet....not really sure how to operate that from the switch. I'm also not positive the defroster actually heats up....is there a way to tell other than wait until the window is foggy? The light on the switch does come on.

EDIT: I figured out the washer and it works as it should.

8) My TJ is an '06 and I couldn't understand why the FSM wasn't showing a C107 connector (either does '05). I later learned that for '05 and '06 it is re-numbered as C301.

9) I had one "oh shit" moment during the process. After I had inserted the pin in C170, I went to start the Jeep and got absolutely nothing. No dash lights, did not turn over, nothing. I thought I had killed it. Then I realized I had not closed the locking lever on the C170 connector!

That's about it. Looking back, I would do it again unless I couldn't find the harnesses at a decent price. My OCD doesn't like it when I have features that don't work. I will say I was a bit intimidated by the huge mass of wires that I started with (and ended up using only about 10!). Again, big thanks to @Scoutmaster and feel free to reach out to me if I can be of any assistance.

PS This is where I sourced my harnesses, washer bottle and switches. He says he has a "bunch more" '03-'06 automatic hardtop harnesses. http://www.briskeymountain4wd.com
That's awesome! I appreciate the thanks and so glad you got it.
To test defogger you can use a multimeter on the inside of the back window. Test it with DC 12v from one connection to the other. Lots of videos show how to do it. If you get 12v you are golden. I read in the FSM that it has a timer so it will go out after a certain time.
 
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Well, tested the rear defrost connectors for voltage and got zero. Then I noticed the defroster "power on" light does not illuminate when I press the switch. It was working fine yesterday. I did drive the Jeep about 30 miles today. I've checked the number 15 fuse and it seems good and tight. I even swapped it with another 10A fuse and still nothing. Any thoughts on where I should trouble shoot next?
Thanks.
 
Well, tested the rear defrost connectors for voltage and got zero. Then I noticed the defroster "power on" light does not illuminate when I press the switch. It was working fine yesterday. I did drive the Jeep about 30 miles today. I've checked the number 15 fuse and it seems good and tight. I even swapped it with another 10A fuse and still nothing. Any thoughts on where I should trouble shoot next?
Thanks.
Wonder if you have a loose connection with a pin you installed
 
Wonder if you have a loose connection with a pin you installed
In the fuse box? They sure seem like they are fully seated (in number 15). Any other pins that would effect the defroster switch? I also noted my 40A fuse in the PDC has a green body and a purple top. The other 40A fuses have a green body and a green top? Does that mean anything? I wouldn't think so because it was working yesterday.
 
OK, it's working again (and I do get 12V at the rear). It must be those fuse 15 pins. The fuse feels tight, but not quite as tight as the other fuses. I'll put it back together and see if it jiggles loose again. If it does, any thoughts on keeping the fuse tighter? Small piece of tin foil on the fuse spade? Bend the fuse spades slightly?
 
How about the C170 connection where you used the Dremmel? Could it be loose? I don't have the diagram handy to check if it was part of the defogger
 
How about the C170 connection where you used the Dremmel? Could it be loose? I don't have the diagram handy to check if it was part of the defogger
I'm 99% certain it's the fuse 15 terminals (pin 15/pin 35). After fiddling with those it's working again. The fuse still feels a bit loose. If it cuts out again, I'm going to use a small flat screwdriver to close the terminal a bit tighter where the fuse spades slide in. I also read that putting a thin amount of solder on the fuse tabs would make a tighter fit. Anyway, for now it's working so I'll leave well enough alone.

I also don't think it's the C170 pin because I got good continuity with my multimeter when I tested the wire between that pin and the 30A relay in the PDC.
 
I'm 99% certain it's the fuse 15 terminals (pin 15/pin 35). After fiddling with those it's working again. The fuse still feels a bit loose. If it cuts out again, I'm going to use a small flat screwdriver to close the terminal a bit tighter where the fuse spades slide in. I also read that putting a thin amount of solder on the fuse tabs would make a tighter fit. Anyway, for now it's working so I'll leave well enough alone.

I also don't think it's the C170 pin because I got good continuity with my multimeter when I tested the wire between that pin and the 30A relay in the PDC.
That sounds like good troubleshooting to me. I think you are on the right track.
 
Well, good news and bad news. Defroster worked fine this morning and even shut off after 10 minutes. But, on my way home it wouldn't work. Same issue...no light on the switch. I fiddled with the fuse for a long time. Still nothing. Then I decided to look at my grounds. I had used a cheap brass eye terminal to ground the switches and I had stacked it with two other ground wires that were already in place next to the front speaker. I decided to replace the brass eye terminal with a steel toothed one that came off my donor harness. I also noted that I wasn't able to completely tighten the ground screw...the hole had gotten a little too big. So, I drilled a new hole and moved one of the ground wires to another location. Tightened everything up and bingo...she's working again. I believe in third time is the charm and the first rule of electrical issues...check the grounds! Fingers crossed.
 
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I forgot to give a final update on my project. It wasn't a ground issue after all. The culprit was in the C2 Instrument Panel Connector. I had not fully seated one of the pins (terminal 7). Everything has been fully functional for several months now.
 
Really want to get my hard top features working. Doesn't look like I'm able to find a harness that will be plug n play so following this guide will likely be my only option.
 
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Really want to get my hard top features working. Doesn't look like I'm able to find a harness that will be plug n play so following this guide will likely be my only option.
The job might seem intimidating at first, but it's not that bad. Sourcing the donor harnesses is the hardest part. Try the place I linked in my post above. Once you get started, post up any questions you have. Scoutmapper's diagram will be your best friend for this job!
 
Just finished mine. Worked on first try! :)

Thank you to all who helped. Especially you @Rcroane

*edit* On my 05 Rocky Mountain the C170 connector didn’t have the light blue/white cable, it was solid dark blue.

6A8574A9-6C56-4572-880E-3601A26F8A7C.jpeg


68B4D14C-5A14-42A6-9CF1-F635701A1A18.jpeg
 
Just finished mine. Worked on first try! :)

Thank you to all who helped. Especially you @Rcroane

*edit* On my 05 Rocky Mountain the C170 connector didn’t have the light blue/white cable, it was solid dark blue.

View attachment 360285

View attachment 360286

Showoff :sneaky: . Great job and thanks for the shout out....but the real credit goes to @Scoutmapper for coming up with this process and his fantastic diagram. And folks, don't let that mountain of wires scare you....those are just the leftovers!
 
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After some internal debate, I'm going to keep using my existing washer fluid reservoir. The one I got with my harness is pretty rough looking. Drilling a clean hole should work but I'm not certain on the diameter. Thinking about using a Forstner bit, they drill clean holes and should still work on this type of plastic.
 
After some internal debate, I'm going to keep using my existing washer fluid reservoir. The one I got with my harness is pretty rough looking. Drilling a clean hole should work but I'm not certain on the diameter. Thinking about using a Forstner bit, they drill clean holes and should still work on this type of plastic.

7/8" with my Harbor Freight micrometer....so I would do a test hole on something else first!
 
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After some internal debate, I'm going to keep using my existing washer fluid reservoir. The one I got with my harness is pretty rough looking. Drilling a clean hole should work but I'm not certain on the diameter. Thinking about using a Forstner bit, they drill clean holes and should still work on this type of plastic.

make sure you have accounted for spacing of everything. Things can get pretty tight on a stock washer tank...but it will work.