another headlight problem

[raviolli]

okay so after putting in a new header panel (and grille, headlight bezels, headlights, and sidemarkers) my headlights stopped working. not right away, though. After i finished putting everything together, all the lights worked. like before anyways....my blinkers and hazards never worked. then about ten minutes later, i tried again and nothing. the tail lamps work as they should (all the time), but nothing in the front comes on. the odd thing is, the highbeam light in the cluster stays on constantly with the lights. even if i flip the highs on and off. but nothing works up front. this started a few weeks ago. i was finishing up a lift kit and replacing a motor in my dads truck so i havent fooled with it yet, but i don't know where to start. I'm not good with electrical issues and i hate chasing wires around, but it seems to me theres probably a short somewhere. i don't know if its related, but my battery is losing its charge too. when i brought this jeep home less than a year ago, i was told it had a new starter and battery. you can tell its new-ish at least by looking at it. and even while this thing sat for months on end, and who knows how long at the PO's house, it cranks over without hesitation every time.

also, one of the nights i decided to give it a try, my dad was leaning on the fender and they came on for about 20 seconds. then they turned off again. i reached in and moved the harness around and still nothing.

this might be obvious to someone else, but I'm stumped :dunno:

:help:

[flint54]

I have had a similar problem on a different vehicle (non Jeep) and it turned out there was corrosion

in the connectors. Symptoms very similar to what you describe. Scrubbed them well and them

applied that anti-corrosion goop they sell in the bulb section to the connector terminals. Problem

solved. Perhaps this could be your issue as well?

[raviolli]

that was actually my first thought because when i replaced everything on the front clip, i used the old headlight harness and noticed a lot of corrosion at the connector. i was really hoping that would be it, but it doesnt explain the highbeam light on the cluster...or at least it doesnt make sense to me lol :hmm:

like i said though, i was working on the lift. now that i finally drilled out the last broken bolt, tapped it, and finished the job, maybe ill actually get around to cleaning up the connector

[Eagle]

... i havent fooled with it yet, but i don't know where to start. I'm not good with electrical issues and i hate chasing wires around, but it seems to me theres probably a short somewhere.

I don't think there's a short. The headlight switch has a circuit breaker built into it. A short would trip the circuit breaker. First, you would probably hear it trip, and second, you wouldn't have taillights until it cooled off and reset itself.

 

Which suggest that the problem is more likely a bad ground in the front wiring.

[raviolli]

thats good news, thanks for the input :bowdown:

i have to work both of my jobs tomorrow but wednesday ill actually have time to clean up the connectors and see what happens. ill be sure to post and let yall know whats up

fingers crossed

[raviolli]

cleaned up the connector today and sure enough, that was it. lights work again as they should (aside from my turn signals and hazards which didnt work before)

...but i thought i remembered my ambers underneath the headlights coming on with the side markers...or at least one of them anyways. now neither one of them comes on. and like i said, my blinkers and hazards don't work. shouldnt they come on with the rest?

[flint54]

:clapping:

[64 Cheyenne]

cleaned up the connector today and sure enough, that was it. lights work again as they should (aside from my turn signals and hazards which didnt work before)

...but i thought i remembered my ambers underneath the headlights coming on with the side markers...or at least one of them anyways. now neither one of them comes on. and like i said, my blinkers and hazards don't work. shouldnt they come on with the rest?

 

Sounds like bad front sockets, common problem. Easy to fix, replace. Solved my front turn signal gremlins.