Electrical Gremlins (XJ made an ass out of me)

tnomud · Dec 23, 2003

WTF????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This truck is slowly driving me crazy.

So, I am cruising down the highway at 70 MPH in the rain and in the dark. All of a sudden, the headlights start flashing rapidly like an angry driver would. The praking lights stayed on, it was just the headlights going on and off for about a minute. What the hell is up with that? :smsoap:

soulslngr · Dec 23, 2003

it sound like either a loose connection or i remember from my schooling there being something like a circuit breaker on some circuits instead of a fuse. auto makers did this so that critical things like headlights wouldnt just cut off, but the breaker would overheat shut off then when it cooled reconnect the circuit (much the same way a turn signal flasher works)

asatxj · Dec 23, 2003

sounds like a ground problem, could be loose. OR perhaps your switch is bad. That is known to happen.

maineiac · Dec 23, 2003

i had the same problem on my 85 it was a connector behind the drivers side headlight that was corroded i took it apart and cleaned it with contact cleaner and it never did it again

Jay Welch · Dec 23, 2003

I believe there's a circuit breaker in the headlight switch that cuts out when the switch gets hot and draws too much current. Happened to my '89. Changed the switch and it's all set now.

Good luck,
Jay in MA

tnomud · Dec 23, 2003

Jay Welch said:
I believe there's a circuit breaker in the headlight switch that cuts out when the switch gets hot and draws too much current. Happened to my '89. Changed the switch and it's all set now.

Good luck,
Jay in MA

Connectors on the lights are brand new when I did the H4 conversion. The parking lights stayed on when this happened. It hasn't happened in a few days.

Matthew Currie · Dec 23, 2003

tnomud said:
Connectors on the lights are brand new when I did the H4 conversion. The parking lights stayed on when this happened. It hasn't happened in a few days.

I haven't checked a wiring diagram for the XJ, but on these setups the breaker is usually used only for the headlights. The other lights are fused. If you just did a high-wattage conversion, it might just be too much for the breaker.

tnomud · Dec 26, 2003

Matthew Currie said:
I haven't checked a wiring diagram for the XJ, but on these setups the breaker is usually used only for the headlights. The other lights are fused. If you just did a high-wattage conversion, it might just be too much for the breaker.

OK, it did it again last night at the EXACT same place on the EXACT same highway it happened before. It only happens on the same 1 mile stretch of road by the airport................and thats all................weird huh?

The headlights go off for 2 seconds, then back on.............off for a few.........then back on????????? The parking and dash lights never go off.

Where is the relay for the headlights?

Electrical Gremlins (XJ made an ass out of me)

tnomud

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soulslngr

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asatxj

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maineiac

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Jay Welch

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tnomud

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Matthew Currie

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tnomud

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