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Headlight Harness Up grade Questions

CJR

NAXJA Forum User
Location
PA
I just picked up a Putco 230004HW harness to use with my SilverStar sealed beams on my standard 88XJ. I got only hi or low beams, not quite sure which, so I need to electrically probe all the connections some more. I read that some H4 harnesses can be used with sealed beams. Also read its important to determine if I have a "switched-ground" or "switched-power" headlight circuit. If the Putco harness I have is wired for "switched-power", it's easy to switch the low beam wiring with the high beam wiring. Apparently a diode in the 88XJ headlight (switched-ground)circuit requires switching wires in the harness. I'm a little confused. Anyone use the 230004HW harness, as is, with sealed beams and not H4 bulbs? Or was it necessary to switch wires as stated above? Apparently, though a 6054 sealed beam pin layout is the same as the H4 pin layout, the hi/low wiring can be different? I'd appreciate any help.

Best regards,

CJR
 
I used it with sealed beams on my 98 but never had any issues.
 
It should be plug n pray. Worst case, you swap the the wire connectors on the sides of the plugs.
 
I just picked up a Putco 230004HW harness to use with my SilverStar sealed beams on my standard 88XJ. I got only hi or low beams, not quite sure which, so I need to electrically probe all the connections some more. I read that some H4 harnesses can be used with sealed beams. Also read its important to determine if I have a "switched-ground" or "switched-power" headlight circuit. If the Putco harness I have is wired for "switched-power", it's easy to switch the low beam wiring with the high beam wiring. Apparently a diode in the 88XJ headlight (switched-ground)circuit requires switching wires in the harness. I'm a little confused. Anyone use the 230004HW harness, as is, with sealed beams and not H4 bulbs? Or was it necessary to switch wires as stated above? Apparently, though a 6054 sealed beam pin layout is the same as the H4 pin layout, the hi/low wiring can be different? I'd appreciate any help.

Best regards,

CJR

The ground wires of the Putco harness need to be attached to a bare metal surface.

It's not the bulbs for sure.
 
First off, thanks for the responses!

Cruiser,

I scraped all paint off where the grounds attach to the body. I would assume that since I got both lights on one circuit to work, either low or high, that indicates to me that the grounds at each light are working. Each light has the same ground for both high and low beams. I found the article"Brighter Lights"(www.4crawler/4x4/cheaptricks/headlights.shtml) to be interesting. It is a Toyota website but the author addresses other makes when he discusses headlight wiring harnesses and diodes in the headlight circuits.

If everything checks out electrically, i.e. relays, continuity, voltages on each circuit, etc., then I'll try two jumpers to switch the 12V wires at each light to get the right combination to work with the diode in the headlight circuit. If that works, then I'll switch the two blades(hi & lo lights) in the male 3- blade plug that plugs into the existing wiring harness.

Best regards,

CJR
 
Last edited:
Cruiser,

The grounds on the harness were sandpapered and attached to the chassis where the paint was scrapped off. I have another harness with the same type relays. I swapped the relays and still only got one circuit to work, i.e. either low or high beams. I do not have fog lights.

Best regards,

CJR
 
If you have factory fog lights you will have to pull a fuse. I believe it's marked fog lights or drivers side headlight.
 
Cruiser,

The grounds on the harness were sandpapered and attached to the chassis where the paint was scrapped off. I have another harness with the same type relays. I swapped the relays and still only got one circuit to work, i.e. either low or high beams. I do not have fog lights.

Best regards,

CJR

Bad dimmer switch? Get out the meter......
 
Cruiser,

About a week ago, I replaced the headlight switch because I lost dash lights/dimmer, etc.. The new headlight switch got all my lights working properly again. However, that prompted me to upgrade the headlight wiring harness to take the load off the headlight switch/rheostat, etc.. Hopefully, the headlight harness will eliminate future replacements of headlight switches.

Best regards,

CJR
 
Cruiser,

About a week ago, I replaced the headlight switch because I lost dash lights/dimmer, etc.. The new headlight switch got all my lights working properly again. However, that prompted me to upgrade the headlight wiring harness to take the load off the headlight switch/rheostat, etc.. Hopefully, the headlight harness will eliminate future replacements of headlight switches.

Best regards,

CJR

It will do exactly that, and for very little more effort and expense of replacing another switch.

Bonus? About 40% brighter headlamps and knowing your lights aren't gonna die on you some dark night.
 
I'm confused.... You say you only get high, or lows? Basically you can't get both to come on at the same time is what you're saying. You can't get them both to come on because that's the way they are designed from the factory. If both filaments where on at the same time the bulb would get way to hot and burn out within minuets...
 
Scoobyxj,

I either have the high beams on or the low beams on, don't know which until I probe the sockets. I didn't mean to imply that both low and high beams were on at the same time. Apparently, one can't depend on the dash "high beam indicator light" to know the high beams are on. In other words, if I pull the headlight switch on and get lights BUT NO dash "high beam indicator light" that doesn't rule out the high beams being on. Probing the headlight connector will tell me if low beams are on or high beams are on. The website I posted in my initial post describes how the dash "High beam indicator light" is powered.

Best regards,

CJR
 
On older models, specifically pre-97, there is a plug and socket just behind the bulkhead, forward of the air box, and it is very subject to corrosion. I have had not only to clean contacts in these but bypass pins that have corroded right off. I would expect your new harness connects there, but just in case, if you have not investigated that plug, it's one of the first places to look when you lose lights, so make sure that the pins and holes are well lubricated and clean. Later models used a better sealed plug.
 
Solved the problem! But it was totally unexpected. Today was a warm day and I got a chance to electrically probe the Putco headlight wiring harness. First I determined that I had high beams but no low beams. Then I probed both headlight plugs and got perfect voltages on the low beam circuit and the high beam circuit. Likewise, when the high beams were on, the dash "high beam indicator light" was also on as expected.. I then plugged a spare standard 6054 sealed beam headlight into the wiring harness and got that low beam back. Problem solved.

Apparently, the low beam filament in each Silver Star seal beam had burned-out together when I lost the rheostat in the headlight switch. Something I did not expect. But the new installed sealed beams are working as they should. Likewise, this Putco upgrade harness was a "plug and play" and not a "plug and pray". Also discovered, using one test covered in the post I referenced, that my 88XJ has a "switched-power" headlight circuit.

Thanks for all the help! It was appreciated.

Best regards,

CJR
 
Solved the problem! But it was totally unexpected. Today was a warm day and I got a chance to electrically probe the Putco headlight wiring harness. First I determined that I had high beams but no low beams. Then I probed both headlight plugs and got perfect voltages on the low beam circuit and the high beam circuit. Likewise, when the high beams were on, the dash "high beam indicator light" was also on as expected.. I then plugged a spare standard 6054 sealed beam headlight into the wiring harness and got that low beam back. Problem solved.

Apparently, the low beam filament in each Silver Star seal beam had burned-out together when I lost the rheostat in the headlight switch. Something I did not expect. But the new installed sealed beams are working as they should. Likewise, this Putco upgrade harness was a "plug and play" and not a "plug and pray". Also discovered, using one test covered in the post I referenced, that my 88XJ has a "switched-power" headlight circuit.

Thanks for all the help! It was appreciated.

Best regards,

CJR

Who would have thought that? Thanks for the update!!
 
I'm referring to the grounds for the new harness.

For fun, swap the relays.

Do you have factory foglights?

Has anyone found a better quality harness than this for the headlight switch overload problems on the older jeeps like Renix? The relays in these seem to be garbage and cost more than the harness. I have two more rigs to upgrade and two I need to modify the relay sockets to use the old jeep square relays (bosch)
 
Not sure which thread I posted it in, maybe my MJ build thread. But, I picked up some chinexican harness with ceramic connectors and standard relays.

Has anyone found a better quality harness than this for the headlight switch overload problems on the older jeeps like Renix? The relays in these seem to be garbage and cost more than the harness. I have two more rigs to upgrade and two I need to modify the relay sockets to use the old jeep square relays (bosch)
 
Honda relays can be used to replace the cheapo Putco relays. I put a handful in my pocket at the junkyard. It is not difficult to build your own headlight wire harness. There are some more expensive harnesses on the Google, Susquehanna Motorsports makes a nice one.
 
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