Flock2Tribe

Hi all. I bought this 96 Cherokee (XJ) Sport last February. Up until now I've been able to handle any of the minor diagnostics and fixes but I'm not an electrician at all. So I was hoping for a little help. Here's a breakdown of what's been happening with my lights.


July: High Beams flicker and then shut off and stop working.
August: Low Beams flick on an off after extended driving.
September: Passenger side low beam dead completely. High beams both work for about 3 minutes of driving, then flicker, then off.
Yesterday: I replace the head lamps. Passenger side works on high beams, this is the only light that works, no lo beams
Today: Both High beams work, flicker after a few minutes and then remain on.

(The water pump was replaced in October but that can't possibly matter at all, right?)

I'm wondering if this is both an issue with the switch and the ground. However I don't know where either of those are located and have never done anything electrical to a vehicle outside of replacing a bulb or fuse. I really don't have time to take it to the shop, I can't afford not have a vehicle this week. I'm pretty sure I can figure it out, just hoping someone can point me in the right direction.

Thanks, gang!

NM-XJ

It's hard to teach electrical diagnostics over the interwebs. You're on the right path, I'd check grounds and switch first. But there's no easy way to directly test the switch, all you can really do is check continuity of the entire headlamp wiring. If I recall correctly, the stock harness grounds back at the battery. I'm ashamed to admit that I can't truly recall, as I built a new non-stock harness for mine last fall, and totally changed the way the lights ground to frame.

At any rate, check all the ground points you can find.

To test the circuit continuity, which might suggest a faulty switch (OR faulty wiring), take a look at the H4 plug pinout. You'll want to take a multimeter, set to a range that measures a range of about 8-15VDC, and look at voltage across the LOW pin to GROUND (with lows ON), and then the HIGH to GROUND (with high beams ON). Give it a bit to see if the voltage is steady and doesn't fluctuate. You should see a voltage near but less than the system voltage. If you see no voltage indication, your wiring or switch is suspect.

Oswalla

Headlamp switch is really simple to test. I have to assume you have and know how to use a multi meter. Here is a vid of a similar switch. I got into mine after I did the wiring harness upgrade, used my wire wheel dremel attachment and polished the brass contacts inside switch. I have a chevy van with the same switch I fixed just this way years ago.


Your grounds should be close to headlights. Drivers side is backside of light, just below radiator cross member,on the sheet metal facing engine compartment. Seems to me the passenger is located similarly.

Not positive so maybe someone with your year will confirm, but you might have a headlight relay in those years ? Thinking its part of the light delay shut off system ?

How are the side marker and rear lights working with headlights activated ?

Flock2Tribe

Thank you both. This gives me enough info to give a few things a try.

Oswalla, I have the passenger side marker and the driver side marker hasn't worked in quite sometime. My tail lights have always been fine, they're steady on.

cruiser54

I bet the integrated circuit breaker in the switch is tripping due to high resistance in the circuit.

No matter what, the first thing I would do is install a supplemental harness to eliminate the resistance.






It’s easy to install a supplemental headlight harness.

From the factory, the voltage to the headlight bulbs travels from the battery, through connectors, inside the cabin, to the headlamp switch, and then back out to the lamps via undersized wire and more connectors. 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 35% brighter headlamps and headlight switches that don’t melt and burn out.

Here’s a link to a harness on ebay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/CERAMIC-H4-H...-/330997592807

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 1-31-2016

Flock2Tribe

I finally got my harness in the mail and I think I followed these instructions closely but now I have no action on hi or lo. Suns about to set, gonna have to try in the morning.

cruiser54

Stick with it.

DCWinterXJ

Well what Cruiser said is accurate of course but if you got the kfab wiring harness this is the video that you need to watch for proper installation. You will remove all power from the interior switch, and it just becomes a switch. However that could still be bad. I followed this video to a T then installed killer LED headlights. Best thing I have ever done! Even without custom headlights you should be way better off once your harness is set up correctly! Good luck!

Flock2Tribe

That's hilarious DCWinterXJ. I just YouTubed that exact video to see if I installed everything right. According to this KSuspension guy I did everything right. I guess more digging needs to be done.

DCWinterXJ

Haha that is pretty funny! It is a good video. Somebody showed it to me so I thought I would pay it forward. I am working on my own electrical(I think) gremlins too. My Jeep has chosen to start or not start when it wants, and it will just turn over and over and nothing or it will start right up. But my headlights work fantastic! I tell yah man this old *** wiring really sucks. Well good luck! I am bringing mine into the shop since those guys did the engine swap...I think I get a little leeway on that.

BunchWJ04

I had the same problem of trying to start by never turning over. Replaced the pcm and all was good.