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low beam headlights switching off

M

minus one

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Colorado
alright... i don't have a clue to where i'd even start.

i'm on my way home from a buddies tonight... pull off an offramp onto another interstate and hit a small bump.... as soon as i did, my headlights went out. i could flip on my highbeams but my low beams were gone. also, all of the rest of my lights were fine. i pulled off at the first exit, messed with my lights some to see what all was working. no matter what i tried, i couldn't get the low beams to work. i shut my rig off, restarted it and they worked fine. i hit a bunch of larger bumps on the way home and didn't have anymore problems.

ANY clues at all where to start?

thanks for any help i can get...

minus.
 
My standard reply to this sort of problem is first to check the front light harness connector that lives down by the air cleaner, which is a high suspect for corroded pins. I've had pins rot right off on these.
 
hey matthew.. thanks for the response.

i thought about that too but being that the highbeams worked fine and it was just the lows that went out (but worked again when it was restarted) makes me think its gotta be something else.

i'm so ignorant when it comes to the electronic stuff.
 
really? this is gonna sound kinda dumb maybe but your talking about the actual connection right behind the dash?

thanks for your help here guys.. definitely appreciated!!

minus.
 
minus one said:
hey matthew.. thanks for the response.

i thought about that too but being that the highbeams worked fine and it was just the lows that went out (but worked again when it was restarted) makes me think its gotta be something else.

i'm so ignorant when it comes to the electronic stuff.
Click to expand...
Matthew is right on about the corroded connector. Yes, you *CAN* lose just the low beams on this. You can also lose your high beams, your parking lights, and your turn signals, depending on which wire cracks off.
 
Next time you have this happen to you take a look at the dashboard. Notice if the dashboard goes black or stays lit. If the dashboard lights stay on with no flicker then I'd look at the dimmer switch mounted on the column.

If the dashboard lights flicker then I'd look at the headlight switch.

I wish you has posted the year of your XJ.

On my 88 XJ the ground for the headlights is by the washer bottle on the driver's fender. Make sure those terminals are attached to the fender. It can also be a bad ground, don't forget that.
 
Sounds like a bad dinner switch. Do a search on ignition switch replacement to get the tips on how to install your new dimmer swich.
 
hey thanks a ton guys... you've been a huge help for sure! i really wouldn't have had a clue where to start..

two days from now i'd be swapping out headlights... "ah, that should fix it!" :)

minus.
 
It's your headlight switch. It has the dimmer function built into it for your dash lights etc. Do you have the pull on type headlight switch? The one you pull out to the first indent and the parking lights go on and then pull out all the way for your headlights, then you can rotate the knob to dim your dashlights? If this is the one you have I'd say, "It's your headlight switch assembly"


Alex
 
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