hello everyone

I am having a issue with my headlights. I got home today from doing some errands and the headlights to my jeep was on for no reason. then they went off. must not have been doing it long becasue the battery did not seem drained but if it continues i'd always worry about it being drained on the battery.

i recently changed the following not sure if any of these might be the cause

turning signal running lights changed to led lights

overhead console changed to led lights.

replaced the light switch as well.

i just can't figure out why the headlights would just turn on and off on their own.

ryan
1996 jeep grand cherokee limited
4l v6

 

With the Limited, you might have the auto headlight option. Make sure the switch isn't set on that position.

 

Hello dave1123


i made sure the switch was not set to the auto but i'd think even if it was when the vehicle is turned off it wouldn't turn on the head lights.

but i made sure it was turned off and really started to think maybe it was set that way but then the other day i got back home and the lights was on but turned off before i could get to them. i had been checking a lot since the first time but since its random and only for a minute or two i have no idea if it really was doing it.

the battery still seems fine and charged enough to start the jeep (right now its disconnected as to not bother the neighbors).

the light switch is brand new. thought this was one of the things a replacement switch was going to solve.

any other suggestions?

also i seen another thread about not using the stock lighting system something about by the time power gets back to the lights the volts has dropped by 1 or 2 so they are not as bright as they should be.

thats beyond what i can do not sure how much it would cost me to get done. i think kits to do it range from 30-50 or more.

but i'd like to know what is causing it and if or how to fix it but I am at a lose on what to do next.

Ryan

 

If I recall correctly, the ZJs headlights go thru relays so I can't see any voltage drop involved there, but what's causing them to come on by themselves, I haven't a clue unless you've got a short somewhere.

BTW, you've got an I6, not a v6.

 

Check the headlight delay relay located under the dash on the driver's side









They go bad and stay stuck on sometimes, you'll know it was stuck because it will be extremely hot when you touch it. You can remove it and everything will still work like normal.

 

ok not to ask a stupid question whats the difference between an i6 and a v6?

 

i6 = In-line 6 cylinder. One row of 6 cylinders
v6 = two rows of 3 cylinders on each side, forming a V

 

thanks for the reply. once the internet came back up at work where it was not slow as a snail i looked it up.

i never knew this. i thought everything was v plus cylinders and have been saying that for years. i knew my duster was a straight six but i always called it a straight v6.

so after all these years no one ever corrected me now i feel so stupid.

i think my van is a v8 its got a 318 mag engine.

not sure what the kia is, its a 4 banger.

guess now to edit my thing to make it correct.

now as for the relay, would having one of those going bad or bad cause the lights to just randomly turn on and off. i am not sure they turn on long enough to get it hot though. as the lights only stay on for a min or two then turn off and may not do it again for minutes or hours or even days.

but i'll check it over the weekend see if i can find and get to it and remove it.

ryan

 

A lot of engine designs are weird. I got a rude awakening when I started working on radial engines in the Navy. They always have a odd number of cylinders and only one crankpin. One cylinder has the master rod in it that has a ring for the other rods to fit into, sort-of like a star. It also has a cam RING that runs around the outside of the case to operate the valves. It fires odd cylinders first, then the even ones. As in 1,3,5,7,9,2,4,6,8 for a 9-cylinder single row engine. The ones I worked on had 1820 cu in and made 1500 hp on a single stage supercharger.

Pratt&Whitney made radials with up to 28 cylinders (4 rows of 7 cylinders) for use in bombers and airliners. To extend the range of the B17, they had Power Recovery Turbines geared to the crankshaft that the exhaust spun.

Funny how war advances scientific knowledge. Of course if you want REALLY weird, research the Wankel engine used in the Mazda XR7. These were a German design that took the Japanese to perfect.

There are also opposed flat cylinder design like the air-cooled VWs or Porsches. (Let's not forget Chevy Corvair!) This design is even used in small aircraft.

 

I haven't even figured out how to add the specs to the messages I send without typing them in every time so I totally get the feeling stupid thing lol it's a honest mistake and I see it often, I've also seen older jeep grand cherokees posted as 99's for sale when I know they aren't, it happens