funky lights

[Bacon]

ok, so sometimes when i pull on my head light switch, my rear lights come on but no front ones. when this happens, both green arrows on my dash, as well as the blue high beam light all light up. sometimes when i pull the switch, the lights come on as they're supposed to. i'm thinking short somewhere? bad ground? has this happened to anybody else? can somebody tell me where the ground(s) is/are for the wiring harness leading to the headlights?? help would be appreciated. the front axle in my zj gave up the ghost last week, so the manche will be my DD for a little bit, and getting stranded at the mall because my headlights won't work just sucks.

[Geonovast]

I've had a similar thing happen, although I never figured out the cause.

 

I had an 89 XJ that had the dash lights come on when you turned on the truck, and when you flicked on the headlights, the dash lights would go off. Had to run the reading light at night to see the gauges.

 

We always figured it was the fuse box, since it had been soaked in brake fluid before we bought it.

[carnuck]

Bad ground in front is causing a feedback through the dash signal lights.

[Bacon]

Bad ground in front is causing a feedback through the dash signal lights.

 

this is kinda what i was thinking, but can anybody tell me where to find the grounds up front?

[Joe Jeep]

I found the groud that was causing my turn signals to stay lit when the headlights were turned on was behind the front grill.

[Eagle]

It's a bad ground, and the dash indicator lights coming on is the clue. When the parking lights can't get a ground at the socket, they look for a ground anywhere they can find one, and back-feeding through the turn signal circuit is often the available path.

 

Could be a corroded ground connection, or it could be bad sockets themselves.

[Bacon]

i noticed last night when it was dark that when i pulled the switch, my parking lights come on ever so lightly(pun not intended, but i'll go with it). so, eagle. you're saying it's probably one of my parking brake bulb not getting a good ground?

 

er, wait, just re-read your post. bad socket, or bad ground elsewhere... gotcha.