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headlights randomly flash

xj9687

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Lancaster, PA
ok so i've search and haven't been able to find anything i have 2000+ posts on a dodge forum and blah blah blah if this is a repeatative question please direct me to better search words because i understand. however I've had the headlight switch replaced 3+ times in my 96 Cherokee and the headlights are starting to randomly flash on and off again. i now have a Dakota and this is now my sisters Jeep but i noticed it today when she was following me back to school. When I had the Jeep I had the switched replaced 2 times and my dad once or twice so thats 3-4 times within 210k miles...now I know its got a shit load of miles but are there any easy fixes to this because we got it done at the shop before and they have always loved us for getting it fixed...aka a bitch and lots of sarcasm...so if I can rig something up since this Jeep will only be on the road at least as a DD for a little while longer id love that...sorry for the rant/long post but someone please direct me in the correct search words if its common or to an answer...thanks guys
 
Flash on and off, or high beam to low beam? Possibly, it's not the headlight switch, but the high-beam switch, in the steering column. This switch not only turns on the high-beam, but also interrupts the low beam. Take off the clamshell, and locate the high-beam switch. If you can, remove it and cycle it, maybe clean the connectors, etc. Let us know what you find.
 
I agree with heyhar, start with the multi-function switch on the column.

Anybody bother to examine the connector that goes on the headlight switch--they like to melt (just like the HVAC and ignition switches) leading to some interesting issues.

Autozone/O'Reilly parts?
 
I realize you don't like O'Reilly but since you bring it up, I'm curious why you throw them in the same pot with Autozone? I've used O'Reilly parts for as long as they have been in the Houston area (around 20 years?) and I find virtually no comparison between their name brand parts selection and those of Autozone.
 
I realize you don't like O'Reilly but since you bring it up, I'm curious why you throw them in the same pot with Autozone? I've used O'Reilly parts for as long as they have been in the Houston area (around 20 years?) and I find virtually no comparison between their name brand parts selection and those of Autozone.

I have found the quality of parts and service at Autozone and Schucks to be the same. O'Reilly has acquired Schucks, at least around here. If that has resulted in some kind of major change in parts quality and service quality, it didn't happen in this part of the country.

I stopped "settling" for Autozone, Schucks, Kragen, and all the other iterations of "discount" chain parts stores when it cost me more in comebacks from junk parts than any money I made on those parts from their low cost. Time is money, you only have certain number of chargeable hours per day/week/month/year, time that is reduced by paperwork, parts research, service writing, actual chargeable repair time, those hours you can't charge because something broke and it shouldn't be passed to the customer, and comebacks.

Shops that use low quality parts, or have to keep sending parts back on the truck because the counter monkey rides a bicycle and doesn't know what his backside from his mama's (blank), lose TIME. And P/off customers. And end up out of business after working like a dog.

I would rather turn work away than go cheap--there are plenty of shops down the road that will do it cheaper. At least until they lock the doors and disappear.
 
I had a similar problem with my 93 xj too. it took me some time to find a solution. What I did was to wire in a new 30 amp relay and switch and completely bypass the low beam circuit altogether. took some guidance from gojeep.com's website on his loom upgrade.

new switch to activate low beams
wired in switch to activate clean power from relay to low beam positive lead on the drivers side lamp.

now the lamps are bright, but i have two switches. I do think it could be the highbeam switch in the column perhaps thats was the only thing that i did not check connections on. i did the same new headlight switch new grounds at the switch and the connector for the headlights, clean all connections, check check and check and never found the problem...

hope it helps...
 
A friend of mine had problems similar to this on his XJ. It ended up being the wiring harness connector out under the hood. There is a large connector in the engine bay located in the drivers front corner by the airbox. It is the connector that is just inside the rad support and the other half runs out thru the support into the header pannel under the driverside headlight.
 
I have replaced my headlight switch twice in my 96. Every time the lights would start going off on their own. Pushing the switch in and out again helped me to get where I was going but eventually had to replace it.
Bad design.
 
I have replaced my headlight switch twice in my 96. Every time the lights would start going off on their own. Pushing the switch in and out again helped me to get where I was going but eventually had to replace it.
Bad design.

Where are you sourcing the replacement switches--dealer or aftermarket?
 
Where are you sourcing the replacement switches--dealer or aftermarket?

The first to fail was of course the OEM, the second was OReilly, Wagner I think; it didn't feel right from the start but worked, not for very long. After the Wagner failed I returned it under warranty. At this point I am not sure what happened, I may have asked for a different manufacturer, not sure. This one works fine so far.

Since you are interested in aftermarket quality, I'd like to tell you about the heater control valve.
The original leaked, replaced it with OReilly, a couple of months later it leaked, got another under warranty, a short while later it leaked. Got a refund and went to the dealer. No more problems.
The radiator cracked, bought a 3 row aftermarket, didn't fit, too high, bought another from OReilly and then from Autozone, no good both had filler necks sticking out too far against the air filter housing. Back to the dealer, perfect fit. Sometimes I don't feel doing the job over and over and I go straight to the dealer.
 
I hear you! Wasted time is wasted money.

There were a rash of aftermarket replacement headlight switches that didn't work properly with the parking lights, you could only get them to turn on by putting the switch between the "stops".

Too many inferior parts coming in.

Reminds me of when I was stationed at the embassy in Warsaw, Poland. If you bought something brand new from a store you usually had to pay to have it fixed so that it would work.

Eastern block commie made junk = third world made junk.

I miss "MADE IN THE U.S.A."!!
 
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