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Headlight question

Anyone know the actual rating of the breaker in the headlight switch? '94 Wrangler YJ. It only controls the actual headlight beams, not the rest of the lights. My wife's headlights started flashing on and off the other night. I pulled the plugs on the bulbs and the plug on the light switch and checked the circuits to the bulbs for a shorted wire. Didn't find any. Swapped in a know good set of bulbs, still flashed after being on a minute or so. Jumped the wire to the headlights with a 15amp breaker and ran the lights for 1/2 hour without the switch. No heat at any connnectors or on any of the wires and no lights flashing. Ordered a switch, but I just wondered if the 15 amp breaker I used to test the system might be too big.

Reply to
Old Crow
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Couldn't tell you what the rating is, but the switch is cheap ($10 or so) even if it is a PITA to install.

I had an interesting experience with that breaker in an old Ford. It would only open on the High Beams and was very intermittent - usually only in the wee hours of the morning. Of course, I was usually on narrow Oklahoma back roads when it happened so things got a tad bit exciting before I caught on to dimming the lights. When the lights were completely useless on one cold, foggy night the light suddenly dawned: corroded contacts. Being a poor 2nd Lt. at the time I pulled the light switch, opened it up and cleaned the breaker contacts with some sandpaper. When I sold the clunker 5 years later the lights were still working fine.

Reply to
Will Honea

Reply to
RoyJ

I opened the old switch and the riveted contacts of the power feed wires are corroded. I think there's enough resistance that it's heated the breaker arm enough to weaken it. Should have the switch today and the Jeep fixed tonight.

Reply to
Old Crow

I used the breaker just as a test to make sure there wasn't a short I didn't find. Bare minimum was what I was after. New switch going in tonight.

Reply to
Old Crow

lamp is 55 watts on high beam, 110 watts total, would

minimum to hold, the 25 amp gives some leeway so it

find. Bare minimum was what I was after. New switch

I don't like those breakers in the switch. Once they blow once they go downhill fast. Best thing I did for the ZJ was installing a relay system for the headlights. Better relays, larger wire, and easily replaced blade fuses.

Reply to
DougW

Yeah, well, it's a '95, so these things are to be expected. I replaced the switch and the lights quit flashing on and off. Got it for like $20 at O'reilly's. I do this for a living, so when I mess with a vehicle just to "improve" it, it's not my daily driver, but one of the Harleys. The daily drivers just get maintained and driven.

Reply to
Old Crow

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