Re: Dimmer switch problem?
 

L.W.(Bill) ------ III wrote:
> Ditto.
> God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O
> mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/
>
> Jeff Strickland wrote:
> >
> > My money is on the dimmer switch itself.

The thermal switch is a self resetting circuit breaker,
no electrical problem was ever cured, by a larger fuse, in a fused
circuit!
nor a new thermal switch (which is part of the headlight switch)
it was stated in the 1st mess. that the lights went out, then came back
on.Too much load!plain and simple..find the problem.
75 CJ-5 original owner...

Re: Dimmer switch problem?
 

L.W.(Bill) ------ III wrote:
> Ditto.
> God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O
> mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/
>
> Jeff Strickland wrote:
> >
> > My money is on the dimmer switch itself.

The thermal switch is a self resetting circuit breaker,
no electrical problem was ever cured, by a larger fuse, in a fused
circuit!
nor a new thermal switch (which is part of the headlight switch)
it was stated in the 1st mess. that the lights went out, then came back
on.Too much load!plain and simple..find the problem.
75 CJ-5 original owner...

Re: Dimmer switch problem?
 

Gene wrote:
>
> L.W.(Bill) ------ III wrote:
> > Ditto.
> > God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O
> > mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/
> >
> > Jeff Strickland wrote:
> > >
> > > My money is on the dimmer switch itself.
>
> The thermal switch is a self resetting circuit breaker,
> no electrical problem was ever cured, by a larger fuse, in a fused
> circuit!
> nor a new thermal switch (which is part of the headlight switch)
> it was stated in the 1st mess. that the lights went out, then came back
> on.Too much load!plain and simple..find the problem.
> 75 CJ-5 original owner...

The dimmer switch is the problem.

If it was the thermal breaker, the lights would continue to flash on and
off. Been there, more than once. This wouldn't 'only' happen while he
was hitting the dimmer switch.

Mine go bad 'exactly' as he describes.

'Real' easy to test, just put on the highbeams and watch. If the
breaker is going, it will start flashing for sure.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

Re: Dimmer switch problem?
 

Gene wrote:
>
> L.W.(Bill) ------ III wrote:
> > Ditto.
> > God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O
> > mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/
> >
> > Jeff Strickland wrote:
> > >
> > > My money is on the dimmer switch itself.
>
> The thermal switch is a self resetting circuit breaker,
> no electrical problem was ever cured, by a larger fuse, in a fused
> circuit!
> nor a new thermal switch (which is part of the headlight switch)
> it was stated in the 1st mess. that the lights went out, then came back
> on.Too much load!plain and simple..find the problem.
> 75 CJ-5 original owner...

The dimmer switch is the problem.

If it was the thermal breaker, the lights would continue to flash on and
off. Been there, more than once. This wouldn't 'only' happen while he
was hitting the dimmer switch.

Mine go bad 'exactly' as he describes.

'Real' easy to test, just put on the highbeams and watch. If the
breaker is going, it will start flashing for sure.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

Re: Dimmer switch problem?
 

Gene wrote:
>
> L.W.(Bill) ------ III wrote:
> > Ditto.
> > God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O
> > mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/
> >
> > Jeff Strickland wrote:
> > >
> > > My money is on the dimmer switch itself.
>
> The thermal switch is a self resetting circuit breaker,
> no electrical problem was ever cured, by a larger fuse, in a fused
> circuit!
> nor a new thermal switch (which is part of the headlight switch)
> it was stated in the 1st mess. that the lights went out, then came back
> on.Too much load!plain and simple..find the problem.
> 75 CJ-5 original owner...

The dimmer switch is the problem.

If it was the thermal breaker, the lights would continue to flash on and
off. Been there, more than once. This wouldn't 'only' happen while he
was hitting the dimmer switch.

Mine go bad 'exactly' as he describes.

'Real' easy to test, just put on the highbeams and watch. If the
breaker is going, it will start flashing for sure.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: Non members can still view!
Jan/06 http://www.imagestation.com/album/pi...?id=2115147590
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)

Re: Dimmer switch problem?
 

I remember the feeling well.

You've got corrosion at the dimmer switch, either at the connector or
within the switch itself. I've had it happen on my `79 CJ5 a couple of
times. I let mine go for too long once and had a little smokey fire going
where the harness meets the connector -- a little scary at highway speeds.

The switch is easy to replace: two screws, perhaps driven into plastic
blocks set in the floor on yours, and a 3-wire harness connector.
Examine the connector carefully, clean/replace/rebuild as needed.
Wirebrushing away corrosion is only a stopgap fix because the rust comes
back now that the plating is gone. Pack the connector full of bulb grease
when you reassemble to slow the decay down. If you take the wires out of
the connector be sure to label them so you can put them back the right way
after lunch.

Because aftermarket electrical parts can be crappy, as Mike notes, buy the
best you can and figure on replacing the thing every couple of years.



On Wed, 8 Nov 2006, TrailMarker wrote:

> You know, when you're riding around after dark and you hit the dimmer
> switch to make the high beams come on, and lights just go out... even
> if only for a second or so... it can shake your nerves up a bit.
> So what would make an '85 CJ-7 act this way? Dirty/bad/corroded dimmer
> switch? Does anyone have experience with this? Is a switch cleaning a
> good starting point or would you recommend replacing it? Could it be
> something else?
> Thanks.
> Mark.
>
>

--
"I defer to your plainly more vivid memories of topless women with
whips....r"
R. H. Draney recalls AFU in the Good Old Days.

Re: Dimmer switch problem?
 

I remember the feeling well.

You've got corrosion at the dimmer switch, either at the connector or
within the switch itself. I've had it happen on my `79 CJ5 a couple of
times. I let mine go for too long once and had a little smokey fire going
where the harness meets the connector -- a little scary at highway speeds.

The switch is easy to replace: two screws, perhaps driven into plastic
blocks set in the floor on yours, and a 3-wire harness connector.
Examine the connector carefully, clean/replace/rebuild as needed.
Wirebrushing away corrosion is only a stopgap fix because the rust comes
back now that the plating is gone. Pack the connector full of bulb grease
when you reassemble to slow the decay down. If you take the wires out of
the connector be sure to label them so you can put them back the right way
after lunch.

Because aftermarket electrical parts can be crappy, as Mike notes, buy the
best you can and figure on replacing the thing every couple of years.



On Wed, 8 Nov 2006, TrailMarker wrote:

> You know, when you're riding around after dark and you hit the dimmer
> switch to make the high beams come on, and lights just go out... even
> if only for a second or so... it can shake your nerves up a bit.
> So what would make an '85 CJ-7 act this way? Dirty/bad/corroded dimmer
> switch? Does anyone have experience with this? Is a switch cleaning a
> good starting point or would you recommend replacing it? Could it be
> something else?
> Thanks.
> Mark.
>
>

--
"I defer to your plainly more vivid memories of topless women with
whips....r"
R. H. Draney recalls AFU in the Good Old Days.

Re: Dimmer switch problem?
 

I remember the feeling well.

You've got corrosion at the dimmer switch, either at the connector or
within the switch itself. I've had it happen on my `79 CJ5 a couple of
times. I let mine go for too long once and had a little smokey fire going
where the harness meets the connector -- a little scary at highway speeds.

The switch is easy to replace: two screws, perhaps driven into plastic
blocks set in the floor on yours, and a 3-wire harness connector.
Examine the connector carefully, clean/replace/rebuild as needed.
Wirebrushing away corrosion is only a stopgap fix because the rust comes
back now that the plating is gone. Pack the connector full of bulb grease
when you reassemble to slow the decay down. If you take the wires out of
the connector be sure to label them so you can put them back the right way
after lunch.

Because aftermarket electrical parts can be crappy, as Mike notes, buy the
best you can and figure on replacing the thing every couple of years.



On Wed, 8 Nov 2006, TrailMarker wrote:

> You know, when you're riding around after dark and you hit the dimmer
> switch to make the high beams come on, and lights just go out... even
> if only for a second or so... it can shake your nerves up a bit.
> So what would make an '85 CJ-7 act this way? Dirty/bad/corroded dimmer
> switch? Does anyone have experience with this? Is a switch cleaning a
> good starting point or would you recommend replacing it? Could it be
> something else?
> Thanks.
> Mark.
>
>

--
"I defer to your plainly more vivid memories of topless women with
whips....r"
R. H. Draney recalls AFU in the Good Old Days.

Re: Dimmer switch problem?
 

(Failure to follow posting direction repaired. Standard charge:
two-fifty.)

Yes, the headlight breaker is thermal actuated and is self resetting.

Yes, no electrical short is cured by higher-rated over-current devices.

No, replacing a thermal breaker can cure an electrical problem if the
problem is the breaker itself. Breakers can age out and become "soft".

The OP stated that the headlights went out briefly when he switched from
low to high beams. This is a symptom of a bad dimmer switch and is a
common problem in CJs.

An overload on the head lamp breaker will cause it to cycle continuously
while overloaded, not blink once only when switching from low to high.

Yes, his problem is simple, but you misinterpreted the symptoms for
something more complex.


On Fri, 10 Nov 2006, Gene wrote:

> The thermal switch is a self resetting circuit breaker,
> no electrical problem was ever cured, by a larger fuse, in a fused
> circuit!
> nor a new thermal switch (which is part of the headlight switch)
> it was stated in the 1st mess. that the lights went out, then came back
> on.Too much load!plain and simple..find the problem.
> 75 CJ-5 original owner...
>

> L.W.(Bill) ------ III wrote:
>> Ditto.
>> God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O
>> mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/
>>
>> Jeff Strickland wrote:
>>>
>>> My money is on the dimmer switch itself.
>
>

--
"I defer to your plainly more vivid memories of topless women with
whips....r"
R. H. Draney recalls AFU in the Good Old Days.

Re: Dimmer switch problem?
 

(Failure to follow posting direction repaired. Standard charge:
two-fifty.)

Yes, the headlight breaker is thermal actuated and is self resetting.

Yes, no electrical short is cured by higher-rated over-current devices.

No, replacing a thermal breaker can cure an electrical problem if the
problem is the breaker itself. Breakers can age out and become "soft".

The OP stated that the headlights went out briefly when he switched from
low to high beams. This is a symptom of a bad dimmer switch and is a
common problem in CJs.

An overload on the head lamp breaker will cause it to cycle continuously
while overloaded, not blink once only when switching from low to high.

Yes, his problem is simple, but you misinterpreted the symptoms for
something more complex.


On Fri, 10 Nov 2006, Gene wrote:

> The thermal switch is a self resetting circuit breaker,
> no electrical problem was ever cured, by a larger fuse, in a fused
> circuit!
> nor a new thermal switch (which is part of the headlight switch)
> it was stated in the 1st mess. that the lights went out, then came back
> on.Too much load!plain and simple..find the problem.
> 75 CJ-5 original owner...
>

> L.W.(Bill) ------ III wrote:
>> Ditto.
>> God Bless America, Bill O|||||||O
>> mailto:-------------------- http://www.----------.com/
>>
>> Jeff Strickland wrote:
>>>
>>> My money is on the dimmer switch itself.
>
>

--
"I defer to your plainly more vivid memories of topless women with
whips....r"
R. H. Draney recalls AFU in the Good Old Days.