"Mike Romain" <romainm@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:40708290.8317ADFC@sympatico.ca...
> When it's happening, put your hand carefully on the light switch and see
> if it's hot or even better see if it makes a click or snap when the
> lights are flicking.
>
> If it's hot, the headlights are drawing too many amps. You might want
> to check the connections on the back of the bulbs, you said you did
> clean the grounds?
>
> Do you have stock headlight bulbs in there?
>
> Any added lights tied into the headlights?
>
> Mike
> 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
> 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
>
> Davey wrote:
> >
> > Few days ago I started one post about headlights on my XJ and seemed
like
> > problem was solved after reconnecting main ground wire and many other
> > things, but this happened again. I was so happy two days with my
headlights
> > and this evening they started flickering again.
> > Please, any more suggestions??
> > Thanks
> > Davey

Yes, switch is getting hot, I don't know how hot it ''should be'' but it is.
I did check the connections but I'm not sure that I found real ground
connection for headlights because there (near the driver side headlight) I
found bunch of cables and connections. And those connections I cleaned.
There are fog lights on my rig but previous owner probably cut out
connections, so nothing else on switch but main lights. I own this car about
two years and I never changed bulb but seems like bulbs are fine. Probably
they are stock but what is difference between stock and others? Power?
Anyway, I found that many times something happened with electrical
installation on this Jeep. Even my power seats stopped working three months
ago due to very bad wire under the carpet but this is another, not so
important problem.
i will try again and will dissasemble everything. I really hate electrical
problems on car.

 

"Mike Romain" <romainm@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:40708290.8317ADFC@sympatico.ca...
> When it's happening, put your hand carefully on the light switch and see
> if it's hot or even better see if it makes a click or snap when the
> lights are flicking.
>
> If it's hot, the headlights are drawing too many amps. You might want
> to check the connections on the back of the bulbs, you said you did
> clean the grounds?
>
> Do you have stock headlight bulbs in there?
>
> Any added lights tied into the headlights?
>
> Mike
> 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
> 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
>
> Davey wrote:
> >
> > Few days ago I started one post about headlights on my XJ and seemed
like
> > problem was solved after reconnecting main ground wire and many other
> > things, but this happened again. I was so happy two days with my
headlights
> > and this evening they started flickering again.
> > Please, any more suggestions??
> > Thanks
> > Davey

Yes, switch is getting hot, I don't know how hot it ''should be'' but it is.
I did check the connections but I'm not sure that I found real ground
connection for headlights because there (near the driver side headlight) I
found bunch of cables and connections. And those connections I cleaned.
There are fog lights on my rig but previous owner probably cut out
connections, so nothing else on switch but main lights. I own this car about
two years and I never changed bulb but seems like bulbs are fine. Probably
they are stock but what is difference between stock and others? Power?
Anyway, I found that many times something happened with electrical
installation on this Jeep. Even my power seats stopped working three months
ago due to very bad wire under the carpet but this is another, not so
important problem.
i will try again and will dissasemble everything. I really hate electrical
problems on car.

 

"Mike Romain" <romainm@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:40708290.8317ADFC@sympatico.ca...
> When it's happening, put your hand carefully on the light switch and see
> if it's hot or even better see if it makes a click or snap when the
> lights are flicking.
>
> If it's hot, the headlights are drawing too many amps. You might want
> to check the connections on the back of the bulbs, you said you did
> clean the grounds?
>
> Do you have stock headlight bulbs in there?
>
> Any added lights tied into the headlights?
>
> Mike
> 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
> 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
>
> Davey wrote:
> >
> > Few days ago I started one post about headlights on my XJ and seemed
like
> > problem was solved after reconnecting main ground wire and many other
> > things, but this happened again. I was so happy two days with my
headlights
> > and this evening they started flickering again.
> > Please, any more suggestions??
> > Thanks
> > Davey

Yes, switch is getting hot, I don't know how hot it ''should be'' but it is.
I did check the connections but I'm not sure that I found real ground
connection for headlights because there (near the driver side headlight) I
found bunch of cables and connections. And those connections I cleaned.
There are fog lights on my rig but previous owner probably cut out
connections, so nothing else on switch but main lights. I own this car about
two years and I never changed bulb but seems like bulbs are fine. Probably
they are stock but what is difference between stock and others? Power?
Anyway, I found that many times something happened with electrical
installation on this Jeep. Even my power seats stopped working three months
ago due to very bad wire under the carpet but this is another, not so
important problem.
i will try again and will dissasemble everything. I really hate electrical
problems on car.

 

OK, so it is time for you to give us more information, Davey.

You said that you had already replaced the headlight switch and
the dimmer switch, did the problem appear before or after you did this (if
before, why did you replace those parts)?

Mike has asked you a couple of times if you've got standard or
aftermarket lamps installed as headlights. The answer is important, some
aftermarket lamps pull far too much power.

Did you do anything else electrical to the Jeep before this
started?

Do the headlights *flicker* or do they *blink*? Do they both do
it at the same time? Flickering suggests a bad connection someplace,
blinking (especially with a ticking noise behind the dash) suggest that
the headlight breaker is tripping. Headlight breakers are just a thermal
switch, not unlike a signal flasher, made of a bimetal strip and a pair of
contacts: If you pull more power than the rating it heats up, the bimetal
strip bends away and opens the contacts. When it cools down it bends back
and closes the contacts. Close, hot, blink. Close, hot, blink. Close,
hot, blink. Extra-bright aftermarket lights can pull more power than the
breaker's rating, so can a wire that has chafed through and is shorting
intermittantly to ground. Adding lights to the circuit (like driving
lights that are wired directly to the headlight circuit) could also be a
cause.

Most corroded connections increase the circuit resistance and won't trip
the breaker. The exception is the connection at the breaker: Corrosion
here causes extra heat and fools the breaker into thinking it is
overloaded.


On Sun, 4 Apr 2004, Davey wrote:

> Few days ago I started one post about headlights on my XJ and seemed
> like problem was solved after reconnecting main ground wire and many
> other things, but this happened again. I was so happy two days with my
> headlights and this evening they started flickering again. Please, any
> more suggestions?? Thanks
> Davey
>
>
>

 

OK, so it is time for you to give us more information, Davey.

You said that you had already replaced the headlight switch and
the dimmer switch, did the problem appear before or after you did this (if
before, why did you replace those parts)?

Mike has asked you a couple of times if you've got standard or
aftermarket lamps installed as headlights. The answer is important, some
aftermarket lamps pull far too much power.

Did you do anything else electrical to the Jeep before this
started?

Do the headlights *flicker* or do they *blink*? Do they both do
it at the same time? Flickering suggests a bad connection someplace,
blinking (especially with a ticking noise behind the dash) suggest that
the headlight breaker is tripping. Headlight breakers are just a thermal
switch, not unlike a signal flasher, made of a bimetal strip and a pair of
contacts: If you pull more power than the rating it heats up, the bimetal
strip bends away and opens the contacts. When it cools down it bends back
and closes the contacts. Close, hot, blink. Close, hot, blink. Close,
hot, blink. Extra-bright aftermarket lights can pull more power than the
breaker's rating, so can a wire that has chafed through and is shorting
intermittantly to ground. Adding lights to the circuit (like driving
lights that are wired directly to the headlight circuit) could also be a
cause.

Most corroded connections increase the circuit resistance and won't trip
the breaker. The exception is the connection at the breaker: Corrosion
here causes extra heat and fools the breaker into thinking it is
overloaded.


On Sun, 4 Apr 2004, Davey wrote:

> Few days ago I started one post about headlights on my XJ and seemed
> like problem was solved after reconnecting main ground wire and many
> other things, but this happened again. I was so happy two days with my
> headlights and this evening they started flickering again. Please, any
> more suggestions?? Thanks
> Davey
>
>
>

 

OK, so it is time for you to give us more information, Davey.

You said that you had already replaced the headlight switch and
the dimmer switch, did the problem appear before or after you did this (if
before, why did you replace those parts)?

Mike has asked you a couple of times if you've got standard or
aftermarket lamps installed as headlights. The answer is important, some
aftermarket lamps pull far too much power.

Did you do anything else electrical to the Jeep before this
started?

Do the headlights *flicker* or do they *blink*? Do they both do
it at the same time? Flickering suggests a bad connection someplace,
blinking (especially with a ticking noise behind the dash) suggest that
the headlight breaker is tripping. Headlight breakers are just a thermal
switch, not unlike a signal flasher, made of a bimetal strip and a pair of
contacts: If you pull more power than the rating it heats up, the bimetal
strip bends away and opens the contacts. When it cools down it bends back
and closes the contacts. Close, hot, blink. Close, hot, blink. Close,
hot, blink. Extra-bright aftermarket lights can pull more power than the
breaker's rating, so can a wire that has chafed through and is shorting
intermittantly to ground. Adding lights to the circuit (like driving
lights that are wired directly to the headlight circuit) could also be a
cause.

Most corroded connections increase the circuit resistance and won't trip
the breaker. The exception is the connection at the breaker: Corrosion
here causes extra heat and fools the breaker into thinking it is
overloaded.


On Sun, 4 Apr 2004, Davey wrote:

> Few days ago I started one post about headlights on my XJ and seemed
> like problem was solved after reconnecting main ground wire and many
> other things, but this happened again. I was so happy two days with my
> headlights and this evening they started flickering again. Please, any
> more suggestions?? Thanks
> Davey
>
>
>

 

OK, so it is time for you to give us more information, Davey.

You said that you had already replaced the headlight switch and
the dimmer switch, did the problem appear before or after you did this (if
before, why did you replace those parts)?

Mike has asked you a couple of times if you've got standard or
aftermarket lamps installed as headlights. The answer is important, some
aftermarket lamps pull far too much power.

Did you do anything else electrical to the Jeep before this
started?

Do the headlights *flicker* or do they *blink*? Do they both do
it at the same time? Flickering suggests a bad connection someplace,
blinking (especially with a ticking noise behind the dash) suggest that
the headlight breaker is tripping. Headlight breakers are just a thermal
switch, not unlike a signal flasher, made of a bimetal strip and a pair of
contacts: If you pull more power than the rating it heats up, the bimetal
strip bends away and opens the contacts. When it cools down it bends back
and closes the contacts. Close, hot, blink. Close, hot, blink. Close,
hot, blink. Extra-bright aftermarket lights can pull more power than the
breaker's rating, so can a wire that has chafed through and is shorting
intermittantly to ground. Adding lights to the circuit (like driving
lights that are wired directly to the headlight circuit) could also be a
cause.

Most corroded connections increase the circuit resistance and won't trip
the breaker. The exception is the connection at the breaker: Corrosion
here causes extra heat and fools the breaker into thinking it is
overloaded.


On Sun, 4 Apr 2004, Davey wrote:

> Few days ago I started one post about headlights on my XJ and seemed
> like problem was solved after reconnecting main ground wire and many
> other things, but this happened again. I was so happy two days with my
> headlights and this evening they started flickering again. Please, any
> more suggestions?? Thanks
> Davey
>
>
>

 

Davey wrote:
>
> "Mike Romain" <romainm@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
> news:40708290.8317ADFC@sympatico.ca...
> > When it's happening, put your hand carefully on the light switch and see
> > if it's hot or even better see if it makes a click or snap when the
> > lights are flicking.
> >
> > If it's hot, the headlights are drawing too many amps. You might want
> > to check the connections on the back of the bulbs, you said you did
> > clean the grounds?
> >
> > Do you have stock headlight bulbs in there?
> >
> > Any added lights tied into the headlights?
> >
> > Mike
> > 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
> > 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
> >
> > Davey wrote:
> > >
> > > Few days ago I started one post about headlights on my XJ and seemed
> like
> > > problem was solved after reconnecting main ground wire and many other
> > > things, but this happened again. I was so happy two days with my
> headlights
> > > and this evening they started flickering again.
> > > Please, any more suggestions??
> > > Thanks
> > > Davey
>
> Yes, switch is getting hot, I don't know how hot it ''should be'' but it is.
> I did check the connections but I'm not sure that I found real ground
> connection for headlights because there (near the driver side headlight) I
> found bunch of cables and connections. And those connections I cleaned.
> There are fog lights on my rig but previous owner probably cut out
> connections, so nothing else on switch but main lights. I own this car about
> two years and I never changed bulb but seems like bulbs are fine. Probably
> they are stock but what is difference between stock and others? Power?
> Anyway, I found that many times something happened with electrical
> installation on this Jeep. Even my power seats stopped working three months
> ago due to very bad wire under the carpet but this is another, not so
> important problem.
> i will try again and will dissasemble everything. I really hate electrical
> problems on car.

If the headlights are stronger than the stock 55W bulbs, this will
overheat the breaker inside the headlight switch and it will start
flashing off and on eventually. It takes time to wear out the breaker
by heat.

Add a set of fogs to the power and the switch pops fast. Cut the wires
off the fogs and 'hope' the switch will hold until you sell it to the
next poor guy?

Do you have regular looking sealed beam headlights in there or are the
bulbs plug in from the back ones?

Flashing off and on is a blown breaker. Flickering is a bad connection.

You said the wire on the headlight switch was burned and you changed the
end. Did you do this before changing the switch or after when the
lights started flicking again?

If you cleaned this up after, you were likely too late. If the new
switch blew it's breaker before you cleaned up the connection, it will
never work stable again. Once the breaker is blown, you need a new
switch.

You can wait until the switch is hot and then go feel the wires out near
the headlights. If the wires near the headlights are hot, suspect the
bad connection out there. If they are cold, then it's at the switch
again.

Mike

 

Davey wrote:
>
> "Mike Romain" <romainm@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
> news:40708290.8317ADFC@sympatico.ca...
> > When it's happening, put your hand carefully on the light switch and see
> > if it's hot or even better see if it makes a click or snap when the
> > lights are flicking.
> >
> > If it's hot, the headlights are drawing too many amps. You might want
> > to check the connections on the back of the bulbs, you said you did
> > clean the grounds?
> >
> > Do you have stock headlight bulbs in there?
> >
> > Any added lights tied into the headlights?
> >
> > Mike
> > 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
> > 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
> >
> > Davey wrote:
> > >
> > > Few days ago I started one post about headlights on my XJ and seemed
> like
> > > problem was solved after reconnecting main ground wire and many other
> > > things, but this happened again. I was so happy two days with my
> headlights
> > > and this evening they started flickering again.
> > > Please, any more suggestions??
> > > Thanks
> > > Davey
>
> Yes, switch is getting hot, I don't know how hot it ''should be'' but it is.
> I did check the connections but I'm not sure that I found real ground
> connection for headlights because there (near the driver side headlight) I
> found bunch of cables and connections. And those connections I cleaned.
> There are fog lights on my rig but previous owner probably cut out
> connections, so nothing else on switch but main lights. I own this car about
> two years and I never changed bulb but seems like bulbs are fine. Probably
> they are stock but what is difference between stock and others? Power?
> Anyway, I found that many times something happened with electrical
> installation on this Jeep. Even my power seats stopped working three months
> ago due to very bad wire under the carpet but this is another, not so
> important problem.
> i will try again and will dissasemble everything. I really hate electrical
> problems on car.

If the headlights are stronger than the stock 55W bulbs, this will
overheat the breaker inside the headlight switch and it will start
flashing off and on eventually. It takes time to wear out the breaker
by heat.

Add a set of fogs to the power and the switch pops fast. Cut the wires
off the fogs and 'hope' the switch will hold until you sell it to the
next poor guy?

Do you have regular looking sealed beam headlights in there or are the
bulbs plug in from the back ones?

Flashing off and on is a blown breaker. Flickering is a bad connection.

You said the wire on the headlight switch was burned and you changed the
end. Did you do this before changing the switch or after when the
lights started flicking again?

If you cleaned this up after, you were likely too late. If the new
switch blew it's breaker before you cleaned up the connection, it will
never work stable again. Once the breaker is blown, you need a new
switch.

You can wait until the switch is hot and then go feel the wires out near
the headlights. If the wires near the headlights are hot, suspect the
bad connection out there. If they are cold, then it's at the switch
again.

Mike

 

Davey wrote:
>
> "Mike Romain" <romainm@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
> news:40708290.8317ADFC@sympatico.ca...
> > When it's happening, put your hand carefully on the light switch and see
> > if it's hot or even better see if it makes a click or snap when the
> > lights are flicking.
> >
> > If it's hot, the headlights are drawing too many amps. You might want
> > to check the connections on the back of the bulbs, you said you did
> > clean the grounds?
> >
> > Do you have stock headlight bulbs in there?
> >
> > Any added lights tied into the headlights?
> >
> > Mike
> > 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00
> > 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's
> >
> > Davey wrote:
> > >
> > > Few days ago I started one post about headlights on my XJ and seemed
> like
> > > problem was solved after reconnecting main ground wire and many other
> > > things, but this happened again. I was so happy two days with my
> headlights
> > > and this evening they started flickering again.
> > > Please, any more suggestions??
> > > Thanks
> > > Davey
>
> Yes, switch is getting hot, I don't know how hot it ''should be'' but it is.
> I did check the connections but I'm not sure that I found real ground
> connection for headlights because there (near the driver side headlight) I
> found bunch of cables and connections. And those connections I cleaned.
> There are fog lights on my rig but previous owner probably cut out
> connections, so nothing else on switch but main lights. I own this car about
> two years and I never changed bulb but seems like bulbs are fine. Probably
> they are stock but what is difference between stock and others? Power?
> Anyway, I found that many times something happened with electrical
> installation on this Jeep. Even my power seats stopped working three months
> ago due to very bad wire under the carpet but this is another, not so
> important problem.
> i will try again and will dissasemble everything. I really hate electrical
> problems on car.

If the headlights are stronger than the stock 55W bulbs, this will
overheat the breaker inside the headlight switch and it will start
flashing off and on eventually. It takes time to wear out the breaker
by heat.

Add a set of fogs to the power and the switch pops fast. Cut the wires
off the fogs and 'hope' the switch will hold until you sell it to the
next poor guy?

Do you have regular looking sealed beam headlights in there or are the
bulbs plug in from the back ones?

Flashing off and on is a blown breaker. Flickering is a bad connection.

You said the wire on the headlight switch was burned and you changed the
end. Did you do this before changing the switch or after when the
lights started flicking again?

If you cleaned this up after, you were likely too late. If the new
switch blew it's breaker before you cleaned up the connection, it will
never work stable again. Once the breaker is blown, you need a new
switch.

You can wait until the switch is hot and then go feel the wires out near
the headlights. If the wires near the headlights are hot, suspect the
bad connection out there. If they are cold, then it's at the switch
again.

Mike