Weird headlight question

Just recently the first 15 minutes or so when i start the car and turn the lights on i try turning them off but they stay on. The parking lights go off but the headlights stay on. Ater about 15 minutes of driving you can turn the lights off no problem. Does anyone know whats going on?

no ideas anyone?

Is that not part of the courtesy package, provide some light while you unlock your front door, does it do it when you shut the ignition off ??

Are you always turning the lights off the same way?

The XJ had an option called Headlight Sentry that was a delayed off to allow you to get from the vehicle to the front door of the house. If you switch off the headlights before switching off the igition, the lights just go off. If you switch off the ignition first, then switch off the lights, they stay on for something like 45 seconds or a minute. (And if you just switch off the ignition but not the lights, they stay on and you come back to a dead battery, unlike some cars that shut the headlights off for you to prevent this.)

You may not be paying attention to the sequence in which you perform the two operations.

ey eagle did every xj have this...or is their a way of activating this as i cant get mine to do this.

pete

I would say it's the sentennial delay, but the lights should go off in about 45 seconds. "in the first 15 min's" leads me to say that there is something wrong with it. If you turn off the lights before you turn off the key they should go off in normal fashion. If you turn the key off first they should stay on for the 45 seconds. Some on here have stated that you have to remove the key before turning off the lights to actvate it, but mine is just key off first. The 15 minutes shouldn't be a factor in anything it does. The controller is behind the knee bolster on a brace if you want to try unplugging it. Also you may have Daytime running lamps, that may be malfunctioning. It's located on the pass side fender up by the firewall. All my location info is from my 2000 FSM so if you have a pre 97 it may be located elsewhere.

i messed with it some more today and here's what i got. I get what you are saying about the courtesey light but that should be on if i turn the key off before the lights off. My problem is that while the car is running I can turn the lights off and the parking lights go off but not the headlights. If i now flash the highbeams the lights will go off. I'm confused!

Sticking relay in the PCM.

jeepsrock said:

did every xj have this

Click to expand...

No.

I agree, I would check the relays.

my headlamp delay would start clicking, causing my headlights to strobe... so i just unplugged it. who needs sentry anyways

brandon

shimmy said:

my headlamp delay would start clicking, causing my headlights to strobe... so i just unplugged it. who needs sentry anyways

brandon

Click to expand...

A indacation of the undersised headlight wiring in the xj.