# 2012 Jeep Compass - Headlight & Blinker Not Working **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** compass, jeep, headlights\ **Created:** [August 20, 2021, 5:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-jeep-compass-headlight-blinker-not-working/178842 "2021-08-20T17:06:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![harmonyepperly\_176793](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/977dab/32.png) [@harmonyepperly\_176793](https://community.cartalk.com/u/harmonyepperly_176793)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2021, 5:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-jeep-compass-headlight-blinker-not-working/178842/1 "2021-08-20T17:06:55Z")
In my 2012 Jeep Compass, the right headlight and blinker are not working. We changed the bulb, but it made no difference. The blinker will turn on but is very, very dim. I believe it may have a short of some kind? A few years ago, that same headlight went out for a few hours, and was back on by the time we got to the store to buy a new light. Any advice is appreciated, thanks so much. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2021, 5:28pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-jeep-compass-headlight-blinker-not-working/178842/2 "2021-08-20T17:28:39Z")
I believe it isn’t a short but a corroded or broken ground connection. There is a wire or 2 or 3, usually black, coming off the plugs from the bulbs that should be attached to the metal body someplace close to the light. That wire likely has broken off and is hanging in space no longer connected. It needs the insulation stripped back a small amount and a new terminal crimped on and re-attached to the metal body. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2021, 5:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-jeep-compass-headlight-blinker-not-working/178842/3 "2021-08-20T17:44:24Z")
You may be looking at the early signs of a failing Totally Integrated Power Module. > **[2012 Jeep Compass TIPM Failure](https://www.carcomplaints.com/Jeep/Compass/2012/electrical/TIPM_failure.shtml)** > > The 2012 Jeep Compass has 2 problems reported for tipm failure. Average repair cost is $2,000 at 104,000 miles. Tester ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2021, 6:03pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-jeep-compass-headlight-blinker-not-working/178842/4 "2021-08-20T18:03:53Z")
The ground screw for the right headlamp is loose, tighten it. ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2021, 6:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-jeep-compass-headlight-blinker-not-working/178842/5 "2021-08-20T18:08:58Z")
I suspect Testor is correct. The headlight and the turn signal are separate units. ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2021, 6:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-jeep-compass-headlight-blinker-not-working/178842/6 "2021-08-20T18:23:51Z")
The right headlight and turn signal share the same ground, G104 located just to the left of the headlamp. The headlight and turn signal have separate circuits in the TIPM, should they fail at the same time?. ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2021, 6:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-jeep-compass-headlight-blinker-not-working/178842/7 "2021-08-20T18:33:49Z")
Okay, I **assumed** (yes I know what that mean) they had seperate grounds. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2021, 6:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-jeep-compass-headlight-blinker-not-working/178842/8 "2021-08-20T18:55:38Z")
> [@harmonyepperly\_176793](#): > > A few years ago, that same headlight went out for a few hours, and was back on by the time we got to the store to buy a new light. I have yet to see a ground tighten itself after a few hours to where a circuit starts working again. Tester ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2021, 11:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-jeep-compass-headlight-blinker-not-working/178842/9 "2021-08-20T23:30:20Z")
The fact that the light is dim suggests something is limiting the current flow, but it is not entirely disconnected. In other words a bad or corroded connection somewhere. All the connections in the circuit have to be considered suspects, including the ground (as above), the connector to the fixture, etc. If the ground screw isn’t the culprit (and that’s the place to start), the next is the connector(s) near the light fixture. If I had this problem I’d probably start by back-probing the voltage at the bulb connector. As posted above it might just be a problem in one of the control modules too. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2021, 11:34pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-jeep-compass-headlight-blinker-not-working/178842/10 "2021-08-20T23:34:54Z")
> [@Tester](#): > > I have yet to see a ground tighten itself after a few hours to where a circuit starts working again. I’ve never seen a screw tighten itself, but my Corolla had a rear tail-light with a loose ground connection. Sometimes it would work ok, and sometimes not. This was pointed out to me in a somewhat embarrassing location, at the DMV … lol … turned out that the nut affixing the fixture’s ground wire was loose. It was probably loose when I first purchased the car. ---
**Author:** ![weekend-warrior](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/weekend-warrior/32/26122_2.png) [@weekend-warrior](https://community.cartalk.com/u/weekend-warrior)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2021, 11:42pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-jeep-compass-headlight-blinker-not-working/178842/11 "2021-08-20T23:42:48Z")
maybe its low on blinker fluid. LOL ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/7/5/75a3c2a18f498ba1dc61e929fc17e03a6cd28bc2.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Renegade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Renegade](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Renegade)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2021, 12:53am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2012-jeep-compass-headlight-blinker-not-working/178842/12 "2021-08-21T00:53:00Z")
> [@weekend-warrior](#): > > maybe its low on blinker fluid. LOL Or the wrong color. 😄