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How involved to change head-light switch?

Johnny V

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Jersey Shore
Hi Everyone,

I just replaced, on my '89 Cherokee Laredo, the ignition cylinder and ignition switch. If it wasn't for the info on this forum I would have taken it to a garage and paid a couple hundred bucks...so thanks for all the help.

Anyway since the bottom dash is off I was thinking of replacing the head-light switch, for no other reason than it's never been changed in 15 years.

Did I get a good one that will never die and leave it until it stops working?

Or should I replace it?

Looks like I have to take the top dash off too to get to it. Is this correct?

Many thanks,

John V.
 
Johnny V said:
Hi Everyone,

I just replaced, on my '89 Cherokee Laredo, the ignition cylinder and ignition switch. If it wasn't for the info on this forum I would have taken it to a garage and paid a couple hundred bucks...so thanks for all the help.

Anyway since the bottom dash is off I was thinking of replacing the head-light switch, for no other reason than it's never been changed in 15 years.

Did I get a good one that will never die and leave it until it stops working?

Or should I replace it?

Looks like I have to take the top dash off too to get to it. Is this correct?

Many thanks,

John V.


I have not changed mine, but I would say if it ain't broke don't fix it. Mine is 17 years old and doesn't have a problem (knock knock).
 
i never changed the one on my 89, but if you decided to do it, you reach up from the under side of the dash, push the spring loaded pin on it and pull the handle all the way out. that releases the knob. then remove the nut facing you when looking at the switch, and pull the switch down from under the dash.
 
I don't think it's a common failure item, so I wouldn't bother to replace it, but it isn't terribly hard to replace either. It's a traditional old-fashioned American headlight switch, which means that the knob and shaft assembly is held in by a little button, which you can access through a hole right beneath the body of the switch. Disconnect the battery first, because the headlight switch is always energized, and you'll be groping around under the dash. Push the button and pull the knob out from the front. You may have to take the instrument cluster bezel off to get to the next step, which is to undo the nut that holds the switch in the panel, but it might be possible to reach it through the hole once the knob is out. Now just unplug the plug from the switch and remove it.

Since it isn't very hard to do, I wouldn't worry about it - wait until it fails if it ever does and do it then.
 
The nut on my '87's switch was slotted and so all I did was stick a flathead screwdriver through the hole and unscrew it.
 
If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

If you are paranoid, get one and put it under the back seat for an emergency, but these tend to last just about forever. The first thing to go tends to be the dimmer for the dash lights.
 
I'd recommend you change the switch before it fails. I was on a 400 mile trip and 120 mile from home I turn on the light switch since it is getting dusk. I started having my dash board light go from on to off. I continued to drive till I got to a town with a part store, another 40 miles. By the time I got to the exit for Clarksville, TN it was twilight. I was able to drive with parking lights but the circuit breaker was kicking in and out.

I drive down the road and find a big box parts store. I get the switch but did not have all my tools in the XJ. I had taken out my screw drivers cause I was trying to figure out what to replace them with. I end up buying some tools and changing it in the parking lot at 7 pm. This was feb and it was an a warn day. So I am changing this switch cause i had to get down the road, I had a hotel room waiting on me 250 miles away.

If you never take your XJ more than 20 miles from home waiting for failure. If you find yourself going 100 miles from home and you drive at night I'd change it out. My switch failed after 15 years.

If you don't change it at least buy it and throw it under the back seat so you will have it when it does fail. It is a $15 part, if it was a $115 part I'd might agree on waiting till it dies... but since it is less than $20 change it out cause of age and avoid what I had to live through.
 
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>but it isn't terribly hard to replace either.

Hmm...there is a lot of things in the way to get to it. I have the bottom dash off and the switch is way up inside. I can just see the wire going into the switch and that's it. There's a big metal brace that it's attached to and blocks access to it.

After my coffee I'll go out and have another look but it seems like it's a bear to get to.

Thanks guys!


John V.
 
Decided not to replace it - as I'm pooped out with working on my Jeep for this weekend. Upon further inspection it looked liked I'd have to take off the upper part of the dash and undo the warning light display and pull that out to get to the switch. Also the replacement part I got is a GP Sorensen "Made in Tiawan" and would rather install a USA made switch in the future.

In general are those GP Sorensen parts OK? I installed a Sorensen Ignition Switch and now I wish I went with a USA made brand - but the parts store was out of the USA brand.

John V
 
JohnnyV, I did not have to take out the speedo cluster to change my switch. I took off the instrument panel bezel but that was not necessary. I did take off the lower trim of the dash board, the piece which includes the ash tray. You may not have to take any panels off, it been too long ago for me to recall.

You just need to lay on your back and look up at the instrument panel. Then reach in and find the release button and pull out the "handle". It a lot easier to do this if you have not just spent the past 45 mins driving with the lights on, the switch will be cool if you did this before it failed. Then use a large tip common screwdriver and remove the "nut" holding the swich in place. Then lower the switch down and unplug the switch from the connector.

Re-assemble in reverse order. It is hard to align the new switch with the hole in the dash board but with patience you will get it. It is a one hand under the dash job.

Like I was saying if you do not drive farther than 20 miles from home during night time hours you can wait. My circuit breaker became weak, the rheostat for the dash board lights never did have a problem, I had full variable brightness when the circuit breaker failed.

What I learned is if the ignition switch goes bad then change the headlight switch also. My headlight switch failed 10 days after I changed the ignition switch. I would of changed the headlight switch but just did not think of it.

I had considered to replace the dimmer switch it had to be removed to change the ignition switch but it never is used in "urban" driving so I let it go.
 
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