Hello!

I'm in the process of putting my dashboard back together. I got to the headlight switch and connected the ground to the little tab in the back - but it never really feels good to me. Feels like the connector always has some play or jiggle in it. I know full power runs through that switch and I've seen plenty of melted ones on Youtube. Melting any part of this harness is not on my agenda (that's why I'm doing all this in the first place!)
I really wish I would have soldered the thing when I still had the dash out. Now the fuse block is back in and the angle is very difficult - not to mention the plastic air tube directly below it...
Has anyone else noticed this before? Took a look at my old harness and the connector looks very much the same. Apparently is worked fine on the old one (not the source of the melting).
Am I just being paranoid here? Is there anyone here that's done this before and is like "YES - definitely do that!" - any recommendations for a solid connector outside of lopping off the connector and just soldering the thing there? (the little spade on the back of the switch does have a hole in it, for a good wire bend then solder but I can't really even see the thing to do the job. Maybe I'll loosen
it back out an see if I can get a better angle).
Just wanted to see if anyone's been through this before and what you did about it.

Light Switch Ground Connector 96 XJ classic

Many thanks,
Andy.Raleigh

 

Try squishing the press on connector so it grips tighter, then reinstall. if the connector over heats the spring tension of the connector can be annealed by the heat, making it impossible for it to grip tight, which results in high resistence and thus even more heat. however yours does not appear to have overheated, plastic not melted, metal nice and shinny. thus you should be able to successfully squish it a bit to allow it to grip better

good luck

 

"I know full power runs through that switch and I've seen plenty of melted ones on Youtube. Melting any part of this harness is not on my agenda "


While you're at it put in a headlight relay harness. No melting, brighter lights.

 

PO did an LED upgrade to the headlights. Would you still recommend the harness relay upgrade?

tx,
Andy

 

It's probably less of an issue with the LED's but I would still put in the relays. There is a lot of stuff going thru that crummy switch and as I found out long ago on a previous XJ it gets very dark very fast when that switch dies. The relay harness is easy to put in and doesn't cost much.