88 XJ noe head lights, no dash lights.

My GF recently picked up a 88 XJ that needs some work. This weeks project is the headlights. The will not come on when the switch is pulled. No high or low beams. No Dash lights either. The Dome light does come on when the switch is rotated.

What and where should I start looking at? I have only done a quick inspection and have not really had the chance to do a deep dive on this yet. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Verify the fuses are good, then inspect the switch.

I have checked the fuses in the cluster under the drivers side dash. Is there a secondary block?

While I was checking the fuses, I eyeballed the light switch. How does one get the switch out? It does not look like it wants to come out very easy.

SpeedyVic said:

I have checked the fuses in the cluster under the drivers side dash. Is there a secondary block?

While I was checking the fuses, I eyeballed the light switch. How does one get the switch out? It does not look like it wants to come out very easy.

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You need to find a midget with tiny hands. The switch and wiring at the switch and the bulkhead connector are often burned, melted and damaged. Jeep did a poor mans job on the wiring there. The entire light load goes thru that switch, and the switches and wiring can't handle it for long. Expect to need to replace the switch, and to do some connector and wiring repair there as well. Most of use install a $35 head light relay wiring harness under the hood to take the load off the head light switch.

There are several good head light threads here in this forum on the harness upgrade and on getting the switch in and out, but basically the wires are too short and the access takes small nimble hands or a buzz saw, LOL!

And no, there is no secondary fuse block, only a few fuse link wires near the battery, which I have yet to see go bad.

Thanks for the info. I'll have to try and get the switch out in the next little while. It was -5° here this morning. Nothing ever wrenches easy when it is this cold.

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=1090772&highlight=headlight+switch+removal

That should be a big help!!! There are others if you search long and hard.

How do you get the knob and shaft out of the switch to get to the part as described by your link?

SpeedyVic said:

How do you get the knob and shaft out of the switch to get to the part as described by your link?

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On the body of the light switch is a little button--you will have to find it by feel--push it in and the knob and shaft pull straight out. It is on the opposite side--bottom--from the electrical connection very near the dash.

SpeedyVic said:

How do you get the knob and shaft out of the switch to get to the part as described by your link?

Click to expand...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLERZvQsMd0

Thanks again everyone! With all your help, I think I will be able to save this XJ from getting parted out. Once I get the lights working, I need to focus on the death wobble that comes up at around 40 mph.

Thats going to have to wait until some warmer weather though! -7° here this morning. It's going to be a nasty winter!

check the fusible link by the batt. i had the same problem on my 90 xj spent 5 hours looking for the problem (was my first truck and i didnt know alot about wireing at the time) i then gave up and asked my dad(hes been working on car for 40+ years) to look at it. in less than a minute he found that it was a fuseible link.