I did a search, long time forum member with Grand Cherokee's, this is my first Durango. I got a 98 SLT fully loaded leather with the suade ram in the seats very classy body in great shape interior very clean 180k but drives well. Few issues I think they are the same thing. I'm sure this is a common problem. First, when going over any kind of bump or rough spot in the road, heck just regular driving my pannel that has the three heating control switches and I'm guessing connects to the cig lighter pannel shorts in and out. At night its obvious I'll have the dash lights on and that whole strip will just go dark and the blower motor will shut off and the satilite radio and gps I have plugged in will turn off, go over another patch of road and they come back on. Then if i turn the control pannel dimmer switch all the way off so I can't see my cluster that strip is fully lit. Anyone know what this is? And I think its related when I close my door to lock the truck with the FOB it sometimes just lights up the heater strip and the clock on the radio comes on with the security light in the cluster, and it stays on, until I go and mess with the lock in the lift gate and drivers door and try to restart and fix again. Is this the famous Blower Motor Resister replacement, or will that only fix the motor on positions 2 and 3? its really driving me nuts, I am trying to listen to my satilite radio i'm running through the tape deck and every 5 seconds it shuts off and comes back on, and then the blower motor shuts off and comes back on. Help!

 

It looks like I don't have a wiring diagram for the early model D's. Do you have both a cigarette lighter and a power outlet up front or did you get a dual plug hook up for the GPS and radio? Accordiong to my 02 wiring diagram the cigarette lighter and the heater controls share a commmon ground G207. I would start there. It is on the passenger side in the footwell. It may be behind the kickplate. Make sure you have a tight connection there. Have the blower and radio on and wiggle the ground. if it goes off you have found your problem. The only other place that I see these two things running together is through the ignition switch which could very well be your problem. As for the lights staying on after locking up I'm not sure if/how that's related. That seems more like a CTM issue but I'm not too sure how it would relate. Maybe someone else will chime in with some ideas.

Did your issue with the lights staying on start around the same time?

 

Its all new to me i just picked it up over the weekend. Got a great deal, but its got a gremlen. I think its a ground too that is loose. I have the cigarette lighter and a power outlet and they seem to be connected to the same wiring that the blower dial direction of air flow dial and heat dial pannel are on and its shorting or grounding out every time there is a minor bump in the road (need rear shocks that doesn't help) I'll check the commmon ground G207 that sounds like the issue. The radio isn't affected by the grounding issue the instrument cluster isn't either just that stupid strip and the cigarette lighter and a power outlet strip

 

i think I have the same truck Mean Green if yours has the leather with the suade dodge symbols in grey.

 

Pretty much the same, mines a couple years newer and no suede. I do have leather interior with the rams head logo stitching no suede though. Gotta have leather with 4 and 5 year old boys.

The ground is probably the issue. If your D is wired the same as mine the accessory outlet isn't wired into the ignition. If it isn't at the ground you will just need to wiggle the wiring through it's circuit to find the poor connection.

 

I pulled my kick pannel, I see the amp for the radio a common ground that doesn't seem to have any loose wires and my floor interior light, is the G207 ground there or somewhere else? Does your kick pannel have the same wires or is mine different? I am still having the problem even after taking the pannel off and wiggeling the wires

 

Try the kick panel on the drivers side next

 

Odd numbers are passenger side. Even numbers are drivers side(G207 is G=ground, 2=passenger compartment 07=passenger side). It is grounded on the passenger side it's just a matter of finding the ground location. The wiggle test you are performing won't fix anything it will only help to replicate the problem ie when you hit a bump it goes out, meaning you need to have the component/s that are acting up on in order to find out when they lose continuity. When they lose continuity you need to inspect the area further for loose/corroded connections.

If you want to take a look at the ground on the drivers side there is one approximately where your left foot would rest up on the firewall.

 

I must be odd myself, hehe. 99 with a ground at driver and passenger kickpanels.... I say to confirm pop out the outlet and ohm test the resistance, with the ground on and ground off (taking off the ground off the kickpanel bolt) and test it out.
-@ outlet and close bare metal chasis part
then
- @ oultet and ground wire at eye(unbolted)

 

Ok new development in the story, I left it on just the defrost position on my HVAC control the one all the way to the right and the problem goes away. No short no dimming of panel its just fixed besides the blasting cold air from the passenger side floor. So I'm guessing the switch needs replacing?