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No headlights, only flash to pass (highbeams). Searched

9

99xjclassic

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Michigan
I have a 1995 Jeep cherokee. I have no headlights, only highbeams, which I have to hold the lever to get them to operate. I also do not have dash lights, but my gear selector light works and properly dims when I turn the switch. All my parking lights and others function properly. I did do several searching and came up with a few things.Tell me what you think? Any suggestions?

Headlight Switch?
Ignition Switch?
Wires under by the airbox?
 
there should be a headlight relay, maybe the one for the low beams took a crap? that wouldnt explain the dash lights tho.... my dash lights are on the same circut as the console lights, i shorted one out and now they're all dead and mine is a 95 as well.
 
Maybe my dash lights have nothing to do with the problem, just didnt want to leave any info out. This is how I recieved the vehicle, so I do not know if they stopped at the same time?
 
Sounds like the headlight switch, that is what all those items have in common.

Maybe the "Pull to Flash High-Beams" on the turn indicator lever, by-passes the Headlight Switch. That makes sense, because you can usually flash the hi-beams with that lever even with the switch turned to "OFF" for the headlights.
 
Chances are the headlight problem is the headlight relay or that particular circuit. If there is a fuse to that relay in the PDC it should be outlined on the box. Otherwise (this is on my 90) I'd check the relay by the airbox. As far as the dash lights are concerned, check to see if you have taillights (not brake, just running lights) if not your fuse is out.

My disclaimer:
I'm an electrical idiot but these are just common sense type things. I don't know squat about impedence, resistance or fusible links. The difference between a watt and a volt is all a big mystery to me. I'm too damn old to try and figure it out now. If it works, it works. If not I usually just jab things with hot wires until it does work.
:idea: :idea::idea::idea::idea::idea::idea::idea::idea:
 
before you start throwing money at it check where the harness connects near the air box, under the hood. These often get dirty and the connectors fail to make contact. Pull them apart, clean them good, and put them back together and see if they work then.
If that does not work then replace the headlight switch.
 
The high-beam flash function is on a separate circuit and has its own fuse.

If someone has messed with the headlight switch wiring, they might have left the ground connector off which would cause the dash lights to not work.
 
Look by the fender side of the airbox, sounds to me like you have a short in the wiring harness conecter... hapend to my old '94. All that I did was took out the airbox to see the problem, hardwired the wires to each other (that is only the ones that were fubared in the conecter). Sugestion disconect the bat first to be safe.

Not sure if it will help you but it worked for me.
 
ParadiseXJ said:
My disclaimer:
I'm an electrical idiot but these are just common sense type things. I don't know squat about impedence, resistance or fusible links. The difference between a watt and a volt is all a big mystery to me. I'm too damn old to try and figure it out now. If it works, it works. If not I usually just jab things with hot wires until it does work.
:idea: :idea::idea::idea::idea::idea::idea::idea::idea:
Click to expand...
Its real simple, electricity is just smoke inside the wire being moved about to make things operate.

I KNOW THIS BECAUSE, as soon as the smoke leaks out of the wire everything stops working.:)
 
Went out tonight and took out the airbox. I unpluged all the wiring, and realized one of the wires was disconnected from the harness! I will hard wire all these and hopefully fix my problem. I will let you know! Also does anybody know what that huge box with all the wires going into it, is on the divers side in the engine compartment by the airbox. Thanks!
 
99xjclassic said:
Went out tonight and took out the airbox. I unpluged all the wiring, and realized one of the wires was disconnected from the harness! I will hard wire all these and hopefully fix my problem. I will let you know! Also does anybody know what that huge box with all the wires going into it, is on the divers side in the engine compartment by the airbox. Thanks!
Click to expand...

Are you reffering to the ecu?
 
I don't think that I put it in the post, but my problem turned out to be that a small bit of plastic had broken off inside the headlight swith and had jammed the contacts.

The really wonderful thing about XJ is that there are so many of them that auto parts places generally have stock of many parts. I had no trouble at all obtaining a new switch.
 
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