Headlights Randomly Flash
Thread Starter
CF Veteran
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,842
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From: Woodinville, Bothell and Marysville Washington
Year: 2000
Model: Cherokee
Engine: I6 4.0
Headlights Randomly Flash
Here's the story: about a year ago i replaced my crappy $10 sylvania sealed beams with the upgraded $24 sylvania silverstar sealed beams. A few months later my headlights started flickering, then eventually died after a week. Took the dash apart and removed the headlight switch only to see a burnt up (slightly melted) connector at the harness. Replaced the switch and boom, headlights worked.... until tonight when it happened again (in front of a county sheriff, he asked some interesting questions.....) I haven't taken the dash apart and removed the switch yet, but i can assume its most likely going to be burnt connectors again. Ive read on a few searched posts, people having these problems with H4 conversion on stock harness, but could those upgraded sealed beams also cause this problem to happen on a stock harness? Last week i could swear I smelt a weird burning plastic, shall we say, sensation..... hmmmmm
Just curious on peoples opinion to replace the switch again or obviously replace the wiring harness
Just curious on peoples opinion to replace the switch again or obviously replace the wiring harness
CF Veteran
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 4,172
Likes: 4
From: Riviera, Texas
Year: 1998 Sport
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
A lot of the time it is caused from the connections are not tight enough. I have had it happen on my 98 2 times. When I replaced it the last time I made sure that everything was nice and tight and put a little dielectric grease on the connections and that was over 2 years ago and never had a problem since. BTW, I do have the H4 head lights with the stock wire harness.
Thread Starter
CF Veteran
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,842
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From: Woodinville, Bothell and Marysville Washington
Year: 2000
Model: Cherokee
Engine: I6 4.0
Ill have to check the connection, just hate taking the dash apart. Havent had a chance to look at the actual harness at the lights yet tho
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From: Prescott, Az
Year: 1990
Model: Cherokee (XJ)
Engine: 4.0
CF Veteran
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 5,482
Likes: 25
From: Virginia Beach by way of Michigan
More likely than not it's the light switch. Due to the push/pull design, the contacts wear. Pull the switch, tighten up the contacts and put some dielectric on them. Has it happen on my old AMC that used the exact same light switch style.
CF Veteran
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 1,206
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From: Southern Oregon
Year: 1990
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 4.0
Both switch and harness better safe then sorry.
If you have the patience and flexibility you can take the switch out without removing the lower dash, just expect a few cuts on your fingers.
If you have the patience and flexibility you can take the switch out without removing the lower dash, just expect a few cuts on your fingers.
Last edited by PNWjeeper; Jan 18, 2013 at 08:19 PM.
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Thread Starter
CF Veteran
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,842
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From: Woodinville, Bothell and Marysville Washington
Year: 2000
Model: Cherokee
Engine: I6 4.0
::CF Moderator::
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 43,971
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From: Prescott, Az
Year: 1990
Model: Cherokee (XJ)
Engine: 4.0
You won't be sorry. No more fried switchaes and way brighter headlights. Here's some installation instructions. Get those grounds done real well!
Cruiser’s Headlight Upgrade Harness Instructions
It's easy to install a supplemental headlight harness.
From the factory, the voltage to the headlight bulbs travels from the battery, inside the cabin, to the headlamp switch, and then back out to the lamps via undersized wire. It's not uncommon to find only 10.5 volts at the lamps.
The supplemental harness is installed so that it provides battery voltage to the lamps and is just triggered by the factory wiring. The result is about 30% brighter headlamps and headlight switches that don't melt and burn out.
Absolutely plug and play. Remove grille and headlamp bulbs. I fed my harnesses from the passenger side starting between the battery and the back of the headlamp housing, over to the driver side. Plug the driver side bulb into the new harness. Attach the new harness's ground wire under one of the small bolts on the radiator support after scraping the paint off under it. Attach the harness to the existing harness behind the grille working toward the passenger side. . Plug the new harness plug into passenger headlamp. Plug original headlamp plug into receptacle on new harness. Attach the ground for the passenger side just like you did the driver side under a radiator support bolt. Attach relays with provided bracket on the passenger side inner fender. Connect power wires to battery.
Revised 12/10/2012
Cruiser’s Headlight Upgrade Harness Instructions
It's easy to install a supplemental headlight harness.
From the factory, the voltage to the headlight bulbs travels from the battery, inside the cabin, to the headlamp switch, and then back out to the lamps via undersized wire. It's not uncommon to find only 10.5 volts at the lamps.
The supplemental harness is installed so that it provides battery voltage to the lamps and is just triggered by the factory wiring. The result is about 30% brighter headlamps and headlight switches that don't melt and burn out.
Absolutely plug and play. Remove grille and headlamp bulbs. I fed my harnesses from the passenger side starting between the battery and the back of the headlamp housing, over to the driver side. Plug the driver side bulb into the new harness. Attach the new harness's ground wire under one of the small bolts on the radiator support after scraping the paint off under it. Attach the harness to the existing harness behind the grille working toward the passenger side. . Plug the new harness plug into passenger headlamp. Plug original headlamp plug into receptacle on new harness. Attach the ground for the passenger side just like you did the driver side under a radiator support bolt. Attach relays with provided bracket on the passenger side inner fender. Connect power wires to battery.
Revised 12/10/2012
Thread Starter
CF Veteran
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,842
Likes: 0
From: Woodinville, Bothell and Marysville Washington
Year: 2000
Model: Cherokee
Engine: I6 4.0
You won't be sorry. No more fried switchaes and way brighter headlights. Here's some installation instructions. Get those grounds done real well!
Cruiser’s Headlight Upgrade Harness Instructions
It's easy to install a supplemental headlight harness.
From the factory, the voltage to the headlight bulbs travels from the battery, inside the cabin, to the headlamp switch, and then back out to the lamps via undersized wire. It's not uncommon to find only 10.5 volts at the lamps.
The supplemental harness is installed so that it provides battery voltage to the lamps and is just triggered by the factory wiring. The result is about 30% brighter headlamps and headlight switches that don't melt and burn out.
Absolutely plug and play. Remove grille and headlamp bulbs. I fed my harnesses from the passenger side starting between the battery and the back of the headlamp housing, over to the driver side. Plug the driver side bulb into the new harness. Attach the new harness's ground wire under one of the small bolts on the radiator support after scraping the paint off under it. Attach the harness to the existing harness behind the grille working toward the passenger side. . Plug the new harness plug into passenger headlamp. Plug original headlamp plug into receptacle on new harness. Attach the ground for the passenger side just like you did the driver side under a radiator support bolt. Attach relays with provided bracket on the passenger side inner fender. Connect power wires to battery.
Revised 12/10/2012
CF Veteran
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 47,923
Likes: 38
From: Broward County Fl.
Year: 1989 xj sport 2dr
Model: Cherokee
Engine: 12 hole bosch Injectors
If plug has and meltage replace it now also .https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f2/hea...melted-138325/
Last edited by freegdr; Jan 19, 2013 at 05:52 AM.
Thread Starter
CF Veteran
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,842
Likes: 0
From: Woodinville, Bothell and Marysville Washington
Year: 2000
Model: Cherokee
Engine: I6 4.0
If plug has and meltage replace it now also .https://www.cherokeeforum.com/f2/hea...melted-138325/
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Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 43,971
Likes: 1,579
From: Prescott, Az
Year: 1990
Model: Cherokee (XJ)
Engine: 4.0
Take a look. But, it's not gonna be carrying an excessive load once the supplemental harness is installed anyway.
Thread Starter
CF Veteran
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,842
Likes: 0
From: Woodinville, Bothell and Marysville Washington
Year: 2000
Model: Cherokee
Engine: I6 4.0