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Headlight Problems? Please Help!!!

90red

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Austin, TX.
Okay, this is a very stupid mistake and hard for me to admit but here it goes. I was at work and left my headlights on. Battery went dead and I got a co-worker to give me a jump. Just put new cables on and both were black with tape indicating + and -. Hooked up the cables backwards, melted the cables to an almost usable state and burned my hands trying to get the cables off before I did too much damage. Righted my wrong, jumped the Jeep and all was well, I thought. Volts were low all the way home, but the next morning volts were back to normal. But the headlights did not come on. I looked at all my fuses and all fuses are okay. I am not good with electrical problems so I could use a little help. Oh, and thank goodness for my Optima Red Top. I dont think the stock battery would have survived that little incident. Thanks for all your help guys.

90red
Alex
 
pull off a headlight connector and with the light switch on see if there is any power (with a meter) and if there is check for ground, if there is no power check the wiring going to the back of the light switch and see if its burnt off. Or u can check the switch first.
 
You had a bad day man. Check engine to body ground and lamp grounds.
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Oh, and thank goodness for my Optima Red Top. I dont think the stock battery would have survived that little incident
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I must disagree Jell-O batteries do NOT stand up to use or abuse any better then a good A/L battery costing 1/3 to 1/2 what the pink tops do. The Jell-O do pack a good punch AT FIRST but after 2/3 years are about the same as a good A/L battery and die about the same age or sooner.
 
It isn't clear from the post whether only the headlights themselves are out, or whether the problem affects parking, license, etc. lights when you turn on the switch. If the latter, I'd suspect a fried switch, but you need to check wiring, especially as mentioned, grounds in either case. Grounds on XJ are minimal, and reverse jumping could easily cook one or more of them. I think the headlights are on a breaker rather than a fuse, so that would be another thing to check.
 
Forgot - 90XJ 4.0 5 Speed.

Thanks for all the suggestions guys. I also forgot to mention that if I pull back on the turn signal to activate high beams, the lights do come on but they dont stay on. As soon as I let go of the turn signal they go off. All the rest of the lights work. Thanks again guys.

90red
Alex
 
90red said:
Forgot - 90XJ 4.0 5 Speed.

Thanks for all the suggestions guys. I also forgot to mention that if I pull back on the turn signal to activate high beams, the lights do come on but they dont stay on. As soon as I let go of the turn signal they go off. All the rest of the lights work. Thanks again guys.

90red
Alex

I think you fried the switch.
 
I'm suffering from a similar headlight problem myself. I'll go ahead and check out all the suggestions, but in the meantime I was wondering if someone could clue me in on which relays are responsible for what. I can't find a diagram of the relays anywhere for my '90 xj (4.0/5spd)
 
in a 90 the headlights wouldn't be on a breaker, but likley a fusible link like my 87. Check the fusible links attached to the start relays post. I bet you find your problem there.
 
sounds like the switch, i know the highbeams in my 89 come on if i pull back without the other lights on but will go off like you said. and my lights work perfect
 
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