Quick question about automotive ground for fuel pump

[motownbrowne]

I've got an 87 Jeep wrangler. It's my cheap substitute for a UTV. Anyway, the fuel pump quit working after doing some research, I cut away an access panel in the floor and tested the pump with a 12V battery. The pump is fine. I have determined that the problem is the ground wire.

I'm wondering if I can just create a new ground. Can I just run a few feet of wire and bolt it to the body or frame of the Jeep? I did some searching on this, but I couldn't find anyone spelling it out. Hopefully one of you could give me a hand with this.

 

[pmsmechanic]

Now I'm not sure about this model but Chrysler generally uses the ground side of the circuit for switching stuff on and off. The computer switches off the ground to shut a circuit off.

I would try grounding the gas tank with a set of booster cables and see if your vehicle still works normally (IE as in the fuel pump shuts off when you turn the key off) before making a permanent connection and then wondering why your fuel pump doesn't shut off.

 

[motownbrowne]

Thanks for pointing that out, I hadn't thought of that.

On this vehicle, the ground just travels back up the frame and grounds to the sheet metal near the E-brake in the cab. I did cut the ground and temporarily taped it to a shiny bit of the body from where I cut the access hole in the floor. The Jeep now runs (didn't this morning), and the pump operates as it should. As far as I can tell anyways.

 

[TemporaryKubotaOwnerMark]

No problem doing that. The Cherokee switches the hot side, not the ground side.

Since you have an 87, check out cruiser54 | True tales from "The Book" for a lot of great tips on the older Cherokees. Or www.cherokeeforum.com for a place to get help from Cherokee addicts.