headlights won't turn on
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: oklahoma city,OK
Posts: 68
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Year: 1987
Model: Cherokee
Engine: inline 6
headlights won't turn on
So randomly I got in my jeep to leave the house and I noticed my headlights weren't coming on. They've worked fine up until now. I checked all the fuses under the dash and under the hood and none of them are blown. Then I had a neighbor who's a mechanic come by and check em out with an electrical tester and he said they're all ground and no power. I've been using my fog lights so faar. But I have no idea what the problem is. My multi function switch has been broken as far as switching from hi beam to low but turn signals have always worked. Any ideas?
#2
CF Veteran
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 1,004
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes
on
2 Posts
Year: 1992
Model: Cherokee
Engine: Inline 6 4.0L
Headlight switch. Cheap and easy if you can kep your cool. Its a job that takes 3 hands, but you only have one..
DISCONNECT BATTERY
Reach up under your dash as if to gab the back of the headlight switch. on the underside there is a button. Depress the button and pull on the headliht SWITCH lever. It comes out revealing a flat head lock nut
Unscrew the locknut and the switch is free......
Now you just have to unhood the wiring harness which has a plastic clip.... yep .... one handed.
you can get a slim flathead through the Swithc Lever opening that you can use to unclip the small harness.
Reconnect battery
test
reinstall
DISCONNECT BATTERY
Reach up under your dash as if to gab the back of the headlight switch. on the underside there is a button. Depress the button and pull on the headliht SWITCH lever. It comes out revealing a flat head lock nut
Unscrew the locknut and the switch is free......
Now you just have to unhood the wiring harness which has a plastic clip.... yep .... one handed.
you can get a slim flathead through the Swithc Lever opening that you can use to unclip the small harness.
Reconnect battery
test
reinstall
#3
CF Veteran
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Hamburg AR
Posts: 1,249
Likes: 0
Received 12 Likes
on
11 Posts
Year: 1995
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0 HO
Originally Posted by jeepsterokc
So randomly I got in my jeep to leave the house and I noticed my headlights weren't coming on. They've worked fine up until now. I checked all the fuses under the dash and under the hood and none of them are blown. Then I had a neighbor who's a mechanic come by and check em out with an electrical tester and he said they're all ground and no power. I've been using my fog lights so faar. But I have no idea what the problem is. My multi function switch has been broken as far as switching from hi beam to low but turn signals have always worked. Any ideas?
#4
CF Veteran
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 5,302
Likes: 0
Received 19 Likes
on
16 Posts
Model: Cherokee
It's a bit troublesome that none of your fuses show power...but the headlights aren't fused, so we'll ignore that for now. (I suspect an error in the test...dead fuses would show more symptoms than just no headlamps)
The headlamps are fed directly from the battery, through a fusible link, to the headlight switch, then through the dimmer switch and off to the bulbs. The headlight switch contains a 25a breaker for the headlights.
I'd start by checking for +12V at the red wire on the headlamp switch. Should be there since your fogs work...but check anyway.
If nothing there, the problem is between the battery and the switch. Likely the (red) fusible link @ the starter relay battery terminal.
If you have power there, check the red/white tracer wire coming off the switch. There should be +12V there with the headlight switch activated. If not the switch is bad.
If you have power at that point, move on to the dimmer switch.
Red/white is +12V in from the headlight switch.
Gray is low-beam out, Gray/white is high-beam out.
The headlamps are fed directly from the battery, through a fusible link, to the headlight switch, then through the dimmer switch and off to the bulbs. The headlight switch contains a 25a breaker for the headlights.
I'd start by checking for +12V at the red wire on the headlamp switch. Should be there since your fogs work...but check anyway.
If nothing there, the problem is between the battery and the switch. Likely the (red) fusible link @ the starter relay battery terminal.
If you have power there, check the red/white tracer wire coming off the switch. There should be +12V there with the headlight switch activated. If not the switch is bad.
If you have power at that point, move on to the dimmer switch.
Red/white is +12V in from the headlight switch.
Gray is low-beam out, Gray/white is high-beam out.
Last edited by Radi; 05-15-2012 at 03:00 AM.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Mitchfrenchxj89
Stock XJ Cherokee Tech. All XJ Non-modified/stock questions go here
19
07-31-2016 08:54 PM
Dannymac1216
Stock XJ Cherokee Tech. All XJ Non-modified/stock questions go here
13
09-08-2015 06:28 AM
shotseven
Stock XJ Cherokee Tech. All XJ Non-modified/stock questions go here
0
09-06-2015 03:06 PM
Trevordickya
Stock XJ Cherokee Tech. All XJ Non-modified/stock questions go here
4
09-04-2015 03:28 AM
studmuffin
Stock XJ Cherokee Tech. All XJ Non-modified/stock questions go here
1
09-03-2015 06:59 PM
Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)