I have a 1980 CJ-5 (in great shape) at a vacation spot in the mountains. On the very last day of our recent Holiday trip, the headlight switch got extremely hot, and started smoking. I stopped the car, turned off the lights, and let it sit for a while. Smoke was literally coming from underneath the dash, and I am positive it was the switch, as it was so hot (even on the dash side) that I could hardly touch the facing around the external knob without burning my finger. I let everything cool off for a few minutes, then continued on for the last two miles of my journey off the mountain. The switch again reheated, but i was able to place the vehicle in the garage where I store it. I think that I am lucky that this thing did not start a fire. I made sure everything was cooled off before I left it.
I plan to order the switch, but I just have one question......... is this switch very hard to get to, to replace it ? I am minimal to average mechanically skilled, but as an older person, it is hard for me to get to things under the dash. I assume that I should also disconnect one of the battery cables before I attempt to replace this switch, correct ?
Again, is this considered a difficult item to access, solely to replace the switch ? Is a special tool needed to loosen the front locking nut on the face of the switch knob ???
Thanks for any comments.
James