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headlights/taillights not working

SeansXJ

SeansXJ

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Antelope, Ca or on the Rubicon
headlights/taillights not working.. where is the headlight relay/switch?

1990, 4.0, aw4 with ABS

im ignorant on this, never had any issues with my XJs lights please forgive me.


got up this morning turned on my lights and the check anti-lock light comes on..did'nt realize my lights were not on until i got behind someone. i did some searching and did'nt find anything with the anti-lock issues also(brakes feel fine)...anyone have any ideas...im at work no chilton, which is the relay?


thanks
Sean
 
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Usually the anti-lock light comes on if one of the wheel sensors isn't picking up the tone wheel anymore. Not a big problem until your brakes act up. A work around is to pull the anti-lock fuse. This prevents the brakes from anti-locking when they shouldn't.

As for headlights, start checking fuses, work your dimmer back and forth to try to clean the connection, etc.
 
also no hazards i can hear the clicking in the fuse like its working but no lights. i have turning signal lights though...weird...the anti-lock light is coming on only when i turn the headlights on so im guessing its getting power because a circuit is broke somewhere?
 
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really weird...when i brake the anti-lock light comes on. when i turn on the hazards the anti-lock light comes on and when i turn the headlights on the anti-lock turns on..so i headed to the yard....

just got back from the yard, picked up a brake switch, headlight switch and 8 good realys. so i put the relays all in and now the anti-lock light does'nt come like it was but im still stuck with no lights besides reverse and turn signals.
 
no..i will...but how would that effect the tails and hazards? just curious...
 
im not getting power to the brake switch and the headlight switch..im trying to figure it out, im a newbie to this though.
 
No power to the light switch? Sounds like a blown fusible link.
 
all the fuses under the dash are good, replaced all 8 relays under the hood, swapped the headlight switch and brake switch also swapped the solenoid near the battery and i still have nothing. i have no power to either switch at the moment. so back to the main harness, i cut into one of the wires last week on the main harness, i just barely hit/nicked the red wire but it arched the coil resistor, fixed that issue. i had a feeling that maybe i should check to see if that had anything to do with the lights. well i hot wired into the red wire i nicked and now the lights all work...so now i need to find the break...where is the fuseable link located for the lights? im learning here thats for sure!!!

thanks for all the help guys!
Sean
 
89xj said:
have you check voltage and ground at the headlight sockets?
Click to expand...

SeansXJ said:
no..i will...but how would that effect the tails and hazards? just curious...
Click to expand...

that was just a suggestion for the headlights, but a bad ground anywhere in the curcuit can cause problems.

are you testing to see if there is power going through the fuses? a visual check of the fuses wont tell you if you have voltage, only whether the fuse is good. also check that the fuse is seated proporly in the fuse slot and is making contact to the leads/contacts in the fuse block.

you can use a fuse test light that connects to the 2 very small contacts on the end of the fuses while in the fuse block or just put a volt meter to the contacts to verify you have power.

using a meter, you need to trace the curcuit that is not working to see where there is a break in power.
 
SeansXJ said:
...where is the fuseable link located for the lights? im learning here thats for sure!!!

thanks for all the help guys!
Sean
Click to expand...

Not sure where the fusible link is, but when you find it, I'd put in a circuit breaker or at least an inline fuse. A fusible link for the lights is a sucky idea. Later models had an individual fuse for each light.
 
thanks i will do all the above, i really need to find the fuseable link. i will be on it right after work.
 
SeansXJ said:
thanks i will do all the above, i really need to find the fuseable link. i will be on it right after work.
Click to expand...

On your Renix, the starter relay on the passenger's side fenderwell has one large lug that serves as the PDC. Running off and on that lug are numerous wires with fusible links in them. One is for the lights. Use a 12 volt test light probe, ground it and poke into those wires past the fusible links to test for continuity.

If they are good, then there is an open in the harness between there and the headlight switch--you said there was no power to the switch. The switch itself has a 25 amp circuit breaker.

Good luck.

If the fusible link is blown, put an ANL fuse and holder in there: http://www.donrowe.com/accessories/fuse_anl.html

You should be able to source some brand locally.
 
thank you very much Joe! i really appreciate your help. you are always very helpful. next time im near grants pass i owe you a beer!!!

one question..is that ANL fuse and holder a nessesity?? meaning can i use a basic fuseable link from the parts store or is that too small?
 
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SeansXJ said:
thank you very much Joe! i really appreciate your help. you are always very helpful. next time im near grants pass i owe you a beer!!!

one question..is that ANL fuse and holder a nessesity?? meaning can i use a basic fuseable link from the parts store or is that too small?
Click to expand...

You need to replace it with an stock capacity fusible link or ANL/Marine type fuse. My reason for suggesting the ANL with holder is serviceability. You may have a short that caused the fusible link to blow, or it could just have been age.

Give me a shout if you get up this way. It says NoCal in your location, how far up do you usually get?
 
i get up to Rosebud to visit family and fish the umpqua.


im getting into the wires tommorow morning, i had to get towed home today. i shorted a wire in the harness last week after i nicked it trmming my fender supports on the driver side. 3 days later it rained pretty good and the next morning i had the light issues so i think the main harness has a break somehwhere. so yeah tommorow morning it is! also gotta find out the amp rating on the factory fuseable link if it is the problem indeed.


thanks again Joe!
 
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