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98 TJ: No headlights or turn signals!

I came out of the office last night started 'er up.. and no headlights! High and low, both out. then I noticed no signals either. I checked all the fuses, including under the hood but nothing fixed 'em. ALL other circuits worked fine, flashers too. So, I sat waiting for the wife to pick me up. After about an hour they started working again. Sunuva....

The fact that they came on after it was all warmed up tells me there's a bad connection somewhere that pulled apart once it got this cold(I'm in minnesota). My signal switch has been broken for a long time, where it won't turn off by turning the wheel.. other than that, this is a brand new problem. I guestimating that it may be a problem with the signal/highbeam switch in the steering column but how do I verify?

I've been googling up the wazoo today trying to find anyone with a similar problem, but nothing. Have any of you experienced this problem?

Where should I begin looking? (oh, I should mention that I'm SO d*mn broke right now that the dealer is not an option )

Thanks!

Tim

Reply to
Diezmon
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Do you have fog lights? Do they work?

Could be a bad ground. Clean the battery terminals and check the grounds to body & engine. There should be a ground for the lights on the passenger fender neat the grille. It'll be a wire with a round connector attched to the top of the fender with a sheet metal screw.

What mart of Minnesota are you in? I'm SE.

Reply to
Red Jeep

Nope, no fog lights.. although I'm now thinking of installing some driving lights, in case this happens again ;)

I'm guessing it's not the batt terminals because every single other electrical item worked.. I tried everything I could think of, even the hood light..

I'm in the eastern part of the cities.. freezing my ass off ;)

Tim

Reply to
Diezmon

The connection you 'might' be looking for is a fuse link. If you follow the positive battery cable, you will likely come to a bolt on the power distribution box. From this bolt, some 8" long fat wires are attached with loop connectors on one end and fat rubber tube crimp connectors where they joint the harness. These are the fuse links. Maybe the connection at the bolt needs cleaning?

I am not sure on what vehicle it was, but someone posted that the fuse links have been replaced with big fuses. If yours is like that, then I would suspect a bad/corroded/green connection on the fuse leg.

Other than that, I would suspect the signal/dimmer switch...

I don't know how handy you are, but I have rewired a TJ's headlights because they were too dim and no one could find out why. I made a harness like they have for aftermarket driving lights with a relay for high and low beams and put a dedicated rocker switch for a trigger ground on the center console front for the headlights. They became amazingly white.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail >
Reply to
Mike Romain

Southwestern part of the cities for me...

Have my own problem with getting my XJ started. At Bill's sugestion I checked out the neutral switch- sure enough it started beautifully when I tried to push the lever beyond park- and explains why my backup lights don't work either. Probably leave working on it until spring or until it quits totally- I'm no mechanic, but I'm pretty good with electrical stuff... Been putting in a remote starter to lessen the freezing my ass off part of living up here.

Reply to
Monte Castleman

According to the FSM for my '97, fuse #10 in the power distribution center is for the headlights. It is one of the huge fuses and has a rating of

30amps. Might not hurt to swap it just in case.

I'd drop by to lend a hand, but I'm in Rochester. Here in Minnesota's "banna belt" it is a balmy 19F (1F windchill). Good luck with your lights and keep us posted.

Monte, I have the same problem with my 1993 XJ's neutral switch. If I can't push the shifter forwards far enough, I jostle the shifter around neutral until it fires. I don't have backup lights either. I've been living with it for years...

Reply to
Red Jeep

I checked #10, along with all other fuses.. and all were good. I haven't had time to check the fusable links yet, it's just to damn cold out right now and I haven't hooked up my garage furnace yet :(

btw, same thing happened last night driving to the store(before the sun went down). I left it running while I was inside, and came out to perfectly working headlights..

sheesh... ;)

Reply to
Diezmon

Reply to
philthy

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