Jeep Cherokee

 Service Manual

Power distribution systems » Description and operation
Power distribution center

DESCRIPTION

Fig. 1 Power Distribution Center Location

1 - LEFT FENDER
2 - BATTERY
3 - POWER DISTRIBUTION CENTER

All of the electrical current distributed throughout this vehicle is directed through the standard equipment Power Distribution Center (PDC) (Fig. 1). The molded plastic PDC housing is located on the right side of the engine compartment, just behind the battery.

The PDC houses up to fourteen blade-type maxi fuses, which replace all in-line fusible links. The PDC also houses up to twelve blade-type mini fuses, and up to eight International Standards Organization (ISO) relays (four standard-type and four micro-type).

The PDC housing is secured to a stamped sheet metal bracket in the engine compartment by mounting slots and tabs that are integral to the PDC housing.

The PDC mounting bracket is secured with two screws to the right front inner fender shield above the right front wheel house. The PDC housing has a molded plastic cover that includes two integral hinge tabs on the inboard side, and an integral latch on the outboard side. The PDC cover is easily opened or removed for service access and has a convenient fuse and relay layout map integral to the inside surface of the cover to ensure proper component identification.

A separate molded plastic B(+) terminal stud cover is secured by two integral tabs and a latch to one end of the PDC housing.

The PDC cover, the PDC housing lower cover, the PDC B(+) terminal stud cover, the PDC relay wedges and the PDC relay cassettes are available for service replacement. The PDC main housing unit, the fuse wedges, the fuse cassette and the bus bars cannot be repaired and are only serviced as a unit with the headlamp and dash wire harness. If the PDC main housing unit, fuse wedges, fuse cassette or the bus bars are faulty or damaged, the headlamp and dash wire harness unit must be replaced.

OPERATION

All of the current from the battery and the generator output enters the PDC through two cables and eyelets that are secured with a nut to the PDC B(+) terminal stud located on one end of the PDC housing.

The PDC B(+) terminal stud cover is unlatched and removed to access the battery and generator output connection B(+) terminal stud. The PDC cover is unlatched and opened or removed to access the fuses or relays. Internal connection of all of the PDC circuits is accomplished by an intricate combination of hard wiring and bus bars. Refer to Power Distribution in the index of this service manual for the location of complete PDC circuit diagrams.

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