Switched out the headlight switch when headlights stopped working. the headlights now work when the headlight switch plunger is pulled out but i can only get taillights and gauge cluster lights to work when i pull the plunger slighty out and it goes off before the first click. and just before getting to the third click. replace the plunger as well. out of ideas. anyone have any ideas or had this issue before?

 

Check all fuses obviously but to me this sounds like a headlight switch issue, is the switch you replaced it with a known good one, is it new? Check the connection at the back of the switch, the pins themselves make sure they're clean of corrosion and such.

 

Yea it's a new headlight switch. And fuses are good. I'm stumped the lights obviously work I just cant get them to stay on with the plunger engaged. It has to be a very certain spot in between pulls and one bump driving and it cuts off

 

I'd check the plug itself first like I said, check the individual pins for corrosion and proper clamping force, then I'd take it back and swap it out for a different switch. The new one could be faulty, stranger things have happened.

 

The new headlight switch I purchased was faulty. Racked my head for hours trying to fix this thing. Swapped it out. Problem solved smh

 

Glad it was a simple fix, always sucks when it takes a bit of time to get there though

 

Dealing with the exact same thing in my girlfriend's 96. Headlights stopped working one afternoon when she got in heh Jeep to head home. Only high beams worked and had to be pulled and held. Running lights and everything else worked. Took the headlight switch apart nothing melted. Just looked 20 years old.

Plugged it back in and rested it under the dash and everything was working till like installed it and the dash. So we decided to just go replace it. Went to AutoZone and got one. Identical except has two grounds? Decided to use the one that's connected to the housing similar to the original one.

Plugged it all back in. Headlights work, high beams stay on and turn off like normal. But no running lights, dash cluster lights, buzzer. Noticed they come on inbetween detents like op mentioned. First running lights and dash only. I unplugged the ground and get same results so I figured the ground had a short/come disconnected? Put the old switch back in and get the same results as the new switch now. So flustered and stressed. Haven't tried returning and getting a new switch yet.

 

The headlight switches in these rigs are notorious for issues, there is a wiring kit that takes the current out of the switch and puts it through a relay to help increase reliability. Return the one you purchased and go from there.

 

Yeah i did that harness upgrade on my 98 a year ago. Going to do it to hers soon. Anyway, I got it fixed. I Got a switch from monument (Local auto parts store) instead and returned the AutoZone one although they looked identical. New one is a "standard" brand. Also some fuses for a blown #15 socket that I found that appeared at some point. Went though the fuses multiple times while diagnosing the issue to 🤷. Also disconnected the + battery terminal while connecting and reinstalling it before testing it. Apparently if you don't do that and plug in or unplug the switch while connected it will blow a fuse. Possibly two if you have a xj with more electrical options. Hers is a SE with manual everything. So either the switch was bad ( read there was a big bad batch of these switches on another thread and to get Napa or dealer. And also the fuse issue didn't help. So look into those

 

For anyone with this issue I just noticed that one of the pins on the new headlight switch was bent and was not being inserted along with the rest. After straightening the pin its working