some interior lighting questions (door jamb switch and headlight knob)

four questions, really...

1) the two front door jamb switches don't work...no interior lights when opening the front doors. the back ones do work...is it probable that both front switches went bad and both back just happen to be good, or are both front ones on the same circuit that there could be a bigger problem somewhere? if it's just as easy as replacing the front two i'll gladly go into that, but if it's going to be a huge problem then it's not that big a deal...

2) if i'm replacing said door jamb switches, how do i go about doing so?

3) on my little headlight knob - i've only got dash lights when i have the knob turned all the way to the left, just before the point where the next turn will click it into turning all the interior lights on...is this likely a problem with the knob itself or is there something else behind it i need to change to fix this dimming functionality? or, is that how it's supposed to work?

4) does anyone have a list of all the bulbs for the dash lights?

i've got a 1988 cherokee laredo...

as always any help would be appreciated...this forum is so great, i've gotten so much done since joining!

cant help ya on the door lights thing as my 98 2 dr does the same thing let me knoww what ya come up with as far as the dimmer sw. yea they should be on all the way thru your turning of the knob they just get dimmer the further you turn the knob to the right dont know for sure but its probably the switch (headlight)

sorry double post damn wireless card

Hallo Jeeper. The door jamb switches are easy to replace.
Use a 9/16" socket and turn them out. Careful with the wire.
It is a release to renew the headlight switch after so many years!. The dimming mode will gives problems after a long lifetime. Sometimes it will become very hot and will melt the wires and contacts. :wave1:

Make sure the center turns in the outer housing of the door switch. Spray some liberal amounts of oil in there to help loosen things up.
If the center part of the door switch turns with the outer part, the wires will turn with it and can knot up and even break.
It's also a good idea to disconnect the battery and have some plan for holding the wires out of the hole.
The dimmer function is part of the switch itself, though kind of a piggyback type setup. After having the rheostat mess up on three different switches, I finally discovered a partial short to ground in the harness that was likely causing all the grief. It's usually just the switch, but other things can also go wrong.
Be sure and clean your instrument cluster connectors while you have it out. I really can't remember how many bulbs there are in the instrument cluster, but more than you'd think, maybe 6 or 8????
It's also possible to have wire problems under the drivers side carpet. Two places typically mess up, the splices near the door sill and where the wires go over the hump.

how difficult is it to replace the headlight knob switch thing? just a matter of pulling the old and connecting the new?

8Mud said:

Make sure the center turns in the outer housing of the door switch. Spray some liberal amounts of oil in there to help loosen things up.
If the center part of the door switch turns with the outer part, the wires will turn with it and can knot up and even break.
It's also a good idea to disconnect the battery and have some plan for holding the wires out of the hole.
The dimmer function is part of the switch itself, though kind of a piggyback type setup. After having the rheostat mess up on three different switches, I finally discovered a partial short to ground in the harness that was likely causing all the grief. It's usually just the switch, but other things can also go wrong.
Be sure and clean your instrument cluster connectors while you have it out. I really can't remember how many bulbs there are in the instrument cluster, but more than you'd think, maybe 6 or 8????
It's also possible to have wire problems under the drivers side carpet. Two places typically mess up, the splices near the door sill and where the wires go over the hump.

Click to expand...

the door jamb switch turns? i thought it was just a push-pin type switch...

the jamb switch screws into the pillar, with a nut around the outside providing a way to screw the switch in and out. turn the nut to remove/install the switch, but be careful with twisting the wires in the back.

crackers8199 said:

how difficult is it to replace the headlight knob switch thing? just a matter of pulling the old and connecting the new?

Click to expand...

Haha did you find a 9/16"socket?
It isn't so difficult to switch the HL switch.
You have to remove the underdash panel for easy access.(7 screws)
There is a little pin, that you have to push in(beneath in the HL body),when you have pull out the knob in the front. Now you can take out the knob with the rod completely.
The nut on the front is easy to remove now. Don't forget to release the connector. :laugh3: