I put a new headlight switch into my CJ7 for this problem back in 2000
and it fried out the headlight circuit last year. Only the pins for the
headlight melted down in the plug. I bypassed the damn thing and put a
rocker switch just under the dash edge for headlights. That way I can
'just' have the headlights on for daytime running. That also made my
headlights amazingly bright and white! I think there is a lot of loss
in that stock switch.
I have gone through 3 dimmer switches since 2000. The last one died on
the highway this summer at 2:00 AM on the first leg of a 3000 mile
trip. I just cut the wires and twisted them together with a murrett
cap.
If your Jeep body tub doesn't have a dedicated ground strap, then it
will steal grounds though light circuits or radio circuits or gas pedal
linkage or gear shift linkage or brake pedal, etc... Strange things
will happen when their isn't enough ground to go around.
Stock there should be a 1/2" wide mesh strap from the last head bolt up
to the firewall to have the alternator working the best. You can just
run one from the battery negative to the firewall too, but the engine
one is best.
There also was a 1.5" wide one running across one engine mount. This is
a frame ground for things like the gas gauge.
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/pictures.html?id=2115147590
(More Off Road album links at bottom of the view page)
"zenbutterfly via CarKB.com" wrote:
>
> Thanks guys. I thought it could be the switch too, but wouldn't it then
> affect the other lights as well, like the panel or running lights? Those
> haven't been affected at all. Now I haven't given the floor dimmer switch any
> thought. This could actually make the lights not work at all? As for the
> ground wire locations, that's been a tough one. This is an older jeep that
> someone before had their hands in and nothing is where it would normally be.
> I traced all the wires that I could find and couldn't find a ground wire
> anywhere, but know there has to be one or they would have never worked. I'll
> check underneath on the frame. If anyone has any other ideas, please let me
> know. Thanks a bunch for the input. I appreciate it.
>
> zenbutterfly wrote:
> >I have a 77 CJ5 that just incurred a headlight problem. The headlights will
> >work fine for about 4 days, then they both go out for about a week and both
> >come back on at the same time one day. The rest of my lights have had no
> >problems at all. Nothing flickers, it just either works for days or doesn't.
> >I have had 2 people suggest it's a ground wire problem. Does anyone know
> >where I can find the ground wire on this vehicle? Has anyone else had this
> >happen? Please help. I can't go anywhere after 6 O'clock.
>
> --
> Message posted via http://www.carkb.com
