Headlights quitting at random, also, how to rewire?

Hello, I have a 96 Country with 190K. I was on the interstate the other night and the headlights went out. Turned them off and back on, and they were working fine. Occassionally, when I pull out the switch to turn them on, they don't come on at first, but then several seconds later. Bad headlight switch? If so, expensive? Also, I have heard about rewiring the headlights to achieve greater light output. How is this done? Thanks so much.

I rewired mine by using the wire leading to the light to activate a relay instead of the light, and then running a fused wire from the battery to the headlight, through the relay. Use one relay for the high beams and one for the low beams. I also used 4 separate fuses on it (left/right, high and low beams). It made somewhat of a difference and now the headlights get an almost perfect connection with the battery/alternator.

The headlight switch has a built-in circuit breaker. If you run higher-than-stock wattage headlights it will trip and reset upon cooling. There are other reasons that may cause a high amperage draw from stock lights. Interim workaround is use low beams only until you can fix.

Fix is either a new switch, if all else is OK. If you run better headlights, then the rewire with relay and #10 wire is recommended. Drawing the acual power straight from the battery is best.

The dealer may not be proficient at replacing the switch (mine wasnt). It is a couple minute process that involves pressing a release button to remove the knob, then simply unscrew the switch nut.

Anyone know where the actual headlamp relays are within the vehicle for an 87 Waggy??

There isn't one, unless you added it. The switch in the panel handles all the power - which is why it gets replaced when you do a headlamp upgrade, and install relays to make the switch live forever...

5-90

See Go Jeep's site for re-wiring yiur headlights to eliminate the the on-off cycling and to add heavier wires to increase voltage to the lamps, increasing the light output. It made a big difference to my 2001 XJ. The stock wiring is way to small.


http://go.jeep-xj.info/HowtoHeadlightLoom.htm