I had to replace the wires that went into the switch cause they were burned out. I had to soder new wires onto the harness in the dash it wasn't fun but with new wires into the switch everything ran perfectly for the rest of the time I had that jeep

 

Fixed mine with the putco wiring harness jobby hasn't flashed since... Guess the greatly reduced load has taken pressure of the old wiring possibly preventing heat build up with the relays...

 

Yep. Takes the load off the circuit breaker in the headlight switch.

 

Sorry in advance for the long post, I am just trying to be as specific as possible in describing my problem, because it seems people posting here have had different problems and different solutions. Please let me know if you can help! Especially asking STAND'SREDXJ, because you had the same problem of the dash lights going out with the brights on.

I am having the same flashing lights problem--along with seemingly other related electrical probelms--on my '93 Cherokee.

I bought this vehicle a few months ago. The horn has never worked. The cruise control does not work [fine by me], and the windshield wipers do not "intermediate", they are either off or on full blast, no matter the setting [also fine by me]. The left turn signal never "blinked", I had to blink it, haha. Also, when the main headlight switch was in "parking lights" setting, the headlights came on, just a little dim, never thought this was a problem though.

After a long period of sitting, I finally got the Jeep running again. Immediately I had several additional electrical problems: neither turn signal works now, though the hazard flashers do. Checked fuse and voltage to fuse block, replaced the turn signal flasher, no change. Shortly after, the headlights started randomly going out and coming back on after a few minutes of night driving. If I mess around with the main headlight switch OR the turn signal ****, switching the wipers on or flashing the brights, sometimes they come back on. I hear a clicking when the lights go off and on, so I can believe it is a circuit breaker opening and closing. Also, when my brights are on, the instrument panel illumination lights go out [wtf??]

For a few days, no gauges worked and neither did the chime [annoying buzzer] module, but I believe this was an unrelated loose fuse connection.

Because there were so many problems coming out of the turn signal/beam selector switch/cruise control/wiper switch/horn area, I replaced the directional/hazard switch inside of the steering column, which a lot of the wiring for these runs though. No change, the hazards still work and no turn signal and the headlights still flash.

I've looked over a wiring diagram and marked every possible cause. I am about to get started scouring for shorts, loose wires, etc. The first thing I will check is two grounds which are the only two grounds for the components involved, Ground I, and Ground J. Then, based on what I have read here I will check the wiring coming into the main headlight switch. I will probably end up running whole new wires to the headlights from this switch at any rate, I believe I am having a problem with the circuit breaker opening and closing in the switch. But this does not answer why my blinkers are not working. I believe that may be a second unrelated problem, and I will probably replace the turn signal lever next. Lastly, I will check all connectors I can find in these circuits, as well as possibly remove the instrument panel and check/clean all connections. If I am reading my wiring diagram correctly some wires pass through connectors in the instrument panel.

Please let me know what you think, this one has me baffled, especially the dash lights going on with the brights on. Thanks a lot in advance.

--Elliott

 

^^ Sounds like you have a massive ground problem, not just headlight issues.

 

Refresh grounds. Install supplemental harness.

 

Replaced the main headlight switch with the newest one from junkyard I could get, think it was a '99 Cherokee if I recall correctly. The flickering headlight problem seems to have been resolved for now. If it comes back I'll replace it with a new one from the parts shop, if that doesn't solve it, I'll get a supplemental harness. I personally would much rather replace a component, even a junkyard one to get me by for now, than to spend the time rewiring something.

The other problems are unresolved, and I just noticed when the brights are on, not only does the dash lose it's lights, the chime module loses power, as well as the parking lights and the tail running lights. I will post this problem in a separate thread. Thanks again

 

Dash/interior fires can be quite spectacular and fast moving.

 

Kinda bass-ackwards reasoning there. Get the harness!!!

 

Why bother. They don't want to fix the problem fully. Harness is plug and play. Brighter lights. Less chance of burning another switch out. But eh

 

You're right. Why bother fixing something properly, with suggestions from those who have proven results, when you can jury rig time and time again........

 

Yup. More productive to just get a beer. Least something gets done then.

Oh and I've lost my headlight switch from it burning out, years ago before my harness, and let me tell you. Driving on a highway with no headlights at night isn't safe, fun or anything. Thankfully day runners did work and tail lights but no headlights.

 

Yep. My point exactly, and apparently yours also. But, what do experience and knowledge have to do with speculation and conjecture?

 

guess we're just being bullies trying to help someone. Then people say CF users aren't friendly, don't care about newbs and we gather like chickens and cluck. So even with us helping, there's those negatives

 

That can happen for sure. We can't stop trying though.