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97 XJ on its 5 factory fog light switch...

Ben824

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Woodstock, GA
Ok so I bought my XJ back in 2002 and ever since then I have been blowing fog light switches (not fuses). It starts out as them not coming on occasionally when I turn the lights on. When it starts doing this I usually just tap or jiggle the switch and they come on. This then becomes more frequent until they stop coming on all together. I have taken apart a few of the switches each time this happens and everytime the inside of the swith just looks like it melted. Right now I'm running Sylvania Silverstar bulbs in the factory fog lights and they have been in for about 4 or 5 months. I bought a brand new fog light switch at the stealership about this time last year for $35 and it finally blew about 3 weeks ago. There is a jeep salvage yard not to far from where I live so I drove over there and pulled one out of a TJ for $5 and it lasted until recently so about 3 weeks. Now before the Sylvania Silverstar bulbls I had one original fog light bulb and one that I replaced with OEM replacement about 2 years after owning the jeep. But like I said I have, until recently, been frying these switches almost every year. Any clue to what my problem might be?
 
As you have found out the switches will not handle the load of the lights. One way to remedied this is to use the switch to activate a relay. Run a fused hot lead to the relay and heaver wire to the lights. You will see an improvement in brightness because you have supplied larger wiring to the lights. Use the original wiring to trigger the relay. If you want more info PM me
 
The problem in a nutshell is that, unlike earlier XJ's this vintage does not use any relay for the fog lights (the relay in the circuit is to turn power on to the switch, depending on what lights are on). The entire power for the lights passes through the switch, and it's just not up to the job. Your best bet, I think, would be to interrupt the power output of the factory fog light switch, and use that to trigger an external relay so that you can provide the fogs with their own fused power circuit.
 
As you know the factory switch is prone to failure, to cure this problem, Jeep offered a newly designed jumper harness that plugged in between the switch and the vehicle harness. This jumper was free of charge (for about 2 years; approx '02-'03?) with the purchase of a new switch. That last I heard was that you wer no longer able to purchase a switch without the jumper harness and the new pricing was just under $100.
If you're still able to buy just the switch in your area, I'd just do as was already suggested and add a relay if you do not want to go with the factory jumper.
 
rockclimber- That's a sweet link brother, thanks!
 
yah i run them whenever i turn the lights on cuz every XJ owner knows the headlights suck even when u get the 55 watt ones so i run them so i can get more light
 
Have you upgraded to 'euro spec' H4 lenses? Technically, not called an 'H4 lense', but a headlight that accepts an H4 bulb typically has a 'euro spec' lense pattern, sharp cuttoff, etc. An upgrade to Hella/IPF/Cibie H4 lenses will increase your light output significantly.
 
JEEPZZ said:
As you know the factory switch is prone to failure, to cure this problem, Jeep offered a newly designed jumper harness that plugged in between the switch and the vehicle harness. This jumper was free of charge (for about 2 years; approx '02-'03?) with the purchase of a new switch. That last I heard was that you wer no longer able to purchase a switch without the jumper harness and the new pricing was just under $100.
If you're still able to buy just the switch in your area, I'd just do as was already suggested and add a relay if you do not want to go with the factory jumper.


You got a P/N for that jumper?
 
Ben824 said:
You got a P/N for that jumper?
I'll see if I can find a separate P/N for the jumper. Last I heard it was sold together with the switch and shared the P/N with the switch and they just changed the P/N suffix. ex: 12345AA > 12345AB
 
Well not saying your wrong but everytime I have bought a factory switch at the dealership which is oh 4 times (last one I got from a junk yard) and they never came with a jumper and they cost $35.
 
Ben824 said:
Anybody tried the IPF headlights replacements? I have had my eye on them for a while.

I've been running IPF lights for around 6 years now. I really like them. I normally stick to Hella junk, but I was told that the IPF's have thicker (more durable glass). They gravel bombardment from many colorado winters...
 
Ben824 said:
Well not saying your wrong but everytime I have bought a factory switch at the dealership which is oh 4 times (last one I got from a junk yard) and they never came with a jumper and they cost $35.
The reason why you have been through, oh 4 switches is because you don't have the new jumper harness.
Ben824 said:
You got a P/N for that jumper?
Well I couldn't find the P/N but I did find that Jeeps Are Us still sells the switch with the jumper harness AND just as I suspected, it's still listed over $100.
pigtsw34.jpg


..and here's the link
Like I said earlier, for a few years the dealership included the new harness jumper with the purchase of a new fog light switch, all for under $25. I was originally tipped off to this discount by another forum member on a thread long ago.
 
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