• NAXJA is having its 18th annual March Membership Drive!!!
    Everyone who joins or renews during March will be entered into a drawing!
    More Information - Join/Renew
  • Welcome to the new NAXJA Forum! If your password does not work, please use "Forgot your password?" link on the log-in page. Please feel free to reach out to [email protected] if we can provide any assistance.

no low beams for me!

tom from boston

NAXJA Forum User
So I'm driving home today, and my low beams just stop working. The brights work, but no regular old headlights. Unfortunately I don't have my FSM here with me - and I was slated to make an 8 hour drive tomorrow - doh! Any ideas what it might be? I don't seem to have any other electric issues.
Thanks,
Tom
 
hi - low sw on column (under dash left side of collum)- might have loosened up (fastened by 2 small nuts to hold adjustment in slots of hi-low sw. Move lever and you will see activating rod move in and out.
 
Another spot to check is the connector block in the left front fender behind the airbox. Mine corroded off the wires on the low beams and the front marker lamps. Turn signals and high beams still worked, though.

ChiXJeff
 
Tom,

I check my 88 XJ electrical trouble shooting manual and determined it could be:

1) The dimmer switch is bad.
2) Corrosion in the C100 connector, it the connector that connects to the fuse box and is located in the engine compartment - doubt that.
3) The C102 connector. It is a 10 pin connector and says it is located behind the left hand headlamp. It has 2 rows of 5 pins. It is the connector ChiXJeff talked about.

I don't think the wiring changed that much over the years but a look at the manual for your year would be better than trusting my 88 manual.

I think I'd clean the C102 connector first and see if that fixes the problem. If not then when you get home I'd change the dimmer switch, they are less than $20 when I checked 2 weeks ago.

I changed the ignition switch 2 weeks ago and got the ignition switch adjusted then the dimmer switch. I pulled out of the garage and no lights - low or high beam. It took me a minute to realize I forgot to replug the connector into the dimmer switch.

With the mileage of your XJ I'd recommend IF you change out the dimmer switch to also change out the ignition switch. It not much more work and with that many miles it smart money to change the ignition switch. I needed 8, 9, & 10 mm ignition wrenches to to the job. I got a set a sears for $13. You will have to drop the steering wheel column to get better access.

Two weeks ago I changed the ignition switch, then a week later my head light switch failed. If I had known I would of change the headlight switch while I had the dash board apart.

So if you end up changing the dimmer switch I highly recommend the ignition swich be replaced. The same two bolts hold those switches to the column. The headlight switch is located in a different place but after having the circuit breaker inside it start resetting while driving with the headlights on I am becoming a believer in changing out the headlight switch when ever you chang the ignition switch.

HTH

Martin
 
ugh!

just talk to my friendly parts guy (he really is friendly, and has helped me out a bung of times). turns out the dimmer switch for a 94 is a bit more than $20... more like $60. so that plus the wrenches to do it and tax and i'm looking at another $80 sunk into col. steve austin.

ouch.

-tom
 
Thanks for the suggestions guys. It looks like it is in fact the C102 connector. I squeezed my hand down there and wiggled it around. Bingo, lights! I'll be pulling it all apart and cleaning later this week, but at least it doesn't appear to be a $60 part! Yippee.
Thanks for help!
-Tom
 
Have you checked the fuses, Ithink there are seprate fuses for Hi and Lo this is where I would start, before I tore the whole jeep apart. Check all fuses with a test light
 
Back
Top