88 XJ headlight problems

The other morning I warmed up my Cherokee before leaving for work on a 5 degree morning. As I started to leave, I pulled on the lights, and only the parking lights came on. I played with the switch, turned the motor off, then restarted, kicked the hell out of the bumper, and still no headlights. The next day I started it, and the headlights worked fine. Any Ideas on what's happening?

About a week ago, I was coming home when the headlights got extremely white. The volt meter pegged for a few seconds, then went back to normal.

These two problems happened a few days apart, and haven't happened since. Whats up???

You got demons...
It sounds like your alternator became temporarily un-regulated, that's bad. Dunno how that happens. Maybe your switch is heading south & the cold is helping it.

could be a bad headlight switch. The switch in my 88 XJ failed a couple years ago. That switch lasted 18 months then failed. Got a new parts store switch and it failed out of the box. I went to the dealer and paid 35 for a dealer switch, hope it lasts 14 years like the stock switch.

Also you may want to check the head light ground, it the terminal attached to the fender by the washer fluid tank. remove the screw clean up the terminals, apply some ox-gard, grind off the paint with a wire brush and reassemble. The oxgard makes sure the connection happens and keeps the atmosphere out of the joint.

I suspect the switch is bad, sounds similar to the failure of the ignition switch - not all the contacts making contact. If you have not changed the ignition switch in the vehicles life time do it soon so it down when you want it down, not when the switch wants to fail.

I replaced the headlight switch, too. I had corrosion problems at a juncture behind the drivers side headlight. Had to remove the headlight and cut out tyraps to get to it. Cleaned it out, plugged it back together-ok. (My foglights didn't work either.)

I replaced the headlight switch in my 88XJ last year, although my syptoms were just the opposite from yours. I had lost all of my lights except the headlights. The dash lights may or may not have come on when I pulled the switch out, but a little giggling of the switch usually resulted in getting lights back. What I didn't realize, until a friendly local constabulary pulled me over, was that all of my exterior lights (except the headlights) were affected along with the dash lights. New headlight switch solved all my problems.

Wow, that gives me some leads! I better get to trouble shooting, it's nice and warm here today- 22 degrees and climbing. Thanks guys.

While we're at it, I'll add my favorite source of headlight and parking light woes, the connector to the front harness, which is located just behind the front bulkhead, beneath the air cleaner. I have not yet seen one that is not at least a little corroded. It was a constant battle on my old 87 to keep this together, and I finally had to bypass a couple of pins when they rotted right out. So even if this isn't the source of the current problem it might be a good idea to unplug and clean and lube it anyway.

Since it only is the headlights don't forget the dimmer switch (hi/lo). It is mounted on the left side of the steering column just up from the floor. If you can get it to happen again play with the dimmer and see if they start working again.

The 1st switch I replaced was because the top part that connects to the top
of the switch was melting,or had.Went to a "boneyard"cut out the piece I needed spliced it and all was good.
2nd was because the switch was toast.So far it's working fine,but now that I have mentioned this,it will probably screw up.....

Why the hell couldn't they make it a lot easier to change....