CJ Light problem

81 CJ7, just for offroad, mostly daylight hours, so never have need for
high beams, but last month I was out with a bunch of people, long story
short, one of them, a cherokee, ended up ripping off his steering box, we
tried for hours to get him mobile, but no luck. Anyway, first time I have
ever had need for high beam lights on the way home, push button on the
floor, so first push of the button my lights go out, I hit it again and
again and get high beam, but no lo beam. First thought was button was shot,
swapped that but no luck. Any ideas, light switch itself maybe? Haven't
looked but is there a fuse just for lo beam?

On Feb 22, 9:55*am, "Greg" > wrote:
> * 81 CJ7, just for offroad, mostly daylight hours, so never have need for
> high beams, but last month I was out with a bunch of people, long story
> short, one of them, a cherokee, ended up ripping off his steering box, we
> tried for hours to get him mobile, but no luck. Anyway, first time I have
> ever had need for high beam lights on the way home, push button on the
> floor, so first push of the button my lights go out, I hit it again and
> again and get high beam, but no lo beam. First thought was button was shot,
> swapped that but no luck. Any ideas, light switch itself maybe? Haven't
> looked but is there a fuse just for lo beam?

the 'main' switch (dash) powers both high and low beam when on. The
floor switch just switches the high beam on and off (it should not
switch the lights off). It appears like it switches both off because,
probably, your low beams never come on.

Sounds like your low beam circuit is broken. when on high beam your
low beam should be on too. check both head lights when on high beam,
is low beam on too? (probably not) I bet it is probably a short in the
low beam wire. there's not that much wire in a cj , your best bet is
to trace it back. (you can use a mutimeter to check for a short or
broken wire in the low beam circuit )

Thanks, will check. The reason I originally thought it was the floor switch
is because the lo beams were on, it was when I hit the high beam switch that
they went out, 2 more clicks got me high beams again. That is proably the
first time the high beam has been switched since owning the jeep, 4 - 5
years.

"csdude" > wrote in message
...
On Feb 22, 9:55 am, "Greg" > wrote:
> 81 CJ7, just for offroad, mostly daylight hours, so never have need for
> high beams, but last month I was out with a bunch of people, long story
> short, one of them, a cherokee, ended up ripping off his steering box, we
> tried for hours to get him mobile, but no luck. Anyway, first time I have
> ever had need for high beam lights on the way home, push button on the
> floor, so first push of the button my lights go out, I hit it again and
> again and get high beam, but no lo beam. First thought was button was
> shot,
> swapped that but no luck. Any ideas, light switch itself maybe? Haven't
> looked but is there a fuse just for lo beam?

the 'main' switch (dash) powers both high and low beam when on. The
floor switch just switches the high beam on and off (it should not
switch the lights off). It appears like it switches both off because,
probably, your low beams never come on.

Sounds like your low beam circuit is broken. when on high beam your
low beam should be on too. check both head lights when on high beam,
is low beam on too? (probably not) I bet it is probably a short in the
low beam wire. there's not that much wire in a cj , your best bet is
to trace it back. (you can use a mutimeter to check for a short or
broken wire in the low beam circuit )

On Feb 22, 8:05*pm, "Greg" > wrote:
> *Thanks, will check. The reason I originally thought it was the floor switch
> is because the lo beams were on, it was when I hit the high beam switch that
> they went out, 2 more clicks got me high beams again. That is proably the
> first time the high beam has been switched since owning the jeep, 4 - 5
> years.
>
> "csdude" > wrote in message
>
> ...
> On Feb 22, 9:55 am, "Greg" > wrote:
>
> > 81 CJ7, just for offroad, mostly daylight hours, so never have need for
> > high beams, but last month I was out with a bunch of people, long story
> > short, one of them, a cherokee, ended up ripping off his steering box, we
> > tried for hours to get him mobile, but no luck. Anyway, first time I have
> > ever had need for high beam lights on the way home, push button on the
> > floor, so first push of the button my lights go out, I hit it again and
> > again and get high beam, but no lo beam. First thought was button was
> > shot,
> > swapped that but no luck. Any ideas, light switch itself maybe? Haven't
> > looked but is there a fuse just for lo beam?
>
> the 'main' switch (dash) powers both high and low beam when on. The
> floor switch just switches the high beam on and off (it should not
> switch the lights off). It appears like it switches both off because,
> probably, your low beams never come on.
>
> Sounds like your low beam circuit is broken. when on high beam your
> low beam should be on too. check both head lights when on high beam,
> is low beam on too? (probably not) I bet it is probably a short in the
> low beam wire. there's not that much wire in a cj , your best bet is
> to trace it back. *(you can use a mutimeter to check for a short or
> broken wire in the low beam circuit )

hmm, that almost sounds like your old switch is a different one than
is usually used. the switch is supposed to switch high beams on and
off and not 'cycle' between off, low and high.

No it's not cycleing between off, lo and high, it's supposed to be
lo-high, but with no lo it's high and nothing. What I was tring to say was
my lo beams were working fine for the last few years, it wasn't till that
first high beam click that they went out.

"csdude" > wrote in message
...
On Feb 22, 8:05 pm, "Greg" > wrote:
> Thanks, will check. The reason I originally thought it was the floor
> switch
> is because the lo beams were on, it was when I hit the high beam switch
> that
> they went out, 2 more clicks got me high beams again. That is proably the
> first time the high beam has been switched since owning the jeep, 4 - 5
> years.
>
> "csdude" > wrote in message
>
> ...
> On Feb 22, 9:55 am, "Greg" > wrote:
>
> > 81 CJ7, just for offroad, mostly daylight hours, so never have need for
> > high beams, but last month I was out with a bunch of people, long story
> > short, one of them, a cherokee, ended up ripping off his steering box,
> > we
> > tried for hours to get him mobile, but no luck. Anyway, first time I
> > have
> > ever had need for high beam lights on the way home, push button on the
> > floor, so first push of the button my lights go out, I hit it again and
> > again and get high beam, but no lo beam. First thought was button was
> > shot,
> > swapped that but no luck. Any ideas, light switch itself maybe? Haven't
> > looked but is there a fuse just for lo beam?
>
> the 'main' switch (dash) powers both high and low beam when on. The
> floor switch just switches the high beam on and off (it should not
> switch the lights off). It appears like it switches both off because,
> probably, your low beams never come on.
>
> Sounds like your low beam circuit is broken. when on high beam your
> low beam should be on too. check both head lights when on high beam,
> is low beam on too? (probably not) I bet it is probably a short in the
> low beam wire. there's not that much wire in a cj , your best bet is
> to trace it back. (you can use a mutimeter to check for a short or
> broken wire in the low beam circuit )

hmm, that almost sounds like your old switch is a different one than
is usually used. the switch is supposed to switch high beams on and
off and not 'cycle' between off, low and high.

Greg wrote:
> No it's not cycleing between off, lo and high, it's supposed to be
> lo-high, but with no lo it's high and nothing. What I was tring to
> say was my lo beams were working fine for the last few years, it
> wasn't till that first high beam click that they went out.

I had problems with my old Chevy. Similar switch. End result was I
simply bypassed the whole shooting match since everything was old and
buggered up anyway. The end result was much brighter headlights.

Similar concept here.
http://forums.off-road.com/jeep-shor...-switch-2.html

Just used the original light switch and hooked up a toggle on the dash for
a high beams/low beam relay.

Might read here.
http://www.jeepsunlimited.com/forums....php?p=4354557



--
DougW

On mine, the pigtail on the floor switch also fell apart from corrosion.
Canadian Tire even sells those pigtails in the 'help' section, but
those fail very fast also. I would check a wrecker for a GM van and get
one (pigtail) there maybe. I am using a Centech harness now and I
filled the plug with dielectric grease and got the 'Mopar' floor button
for $16.00 vs the $5.00 one because the CT ones only last about 2 years
before falling apart.

Oh, CJ dimmer switches turn on 'either' the high or low beams, not both,
that would blow the circuit breaker in the switch almost instantly.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG AT's, 'glass nose to tail in '00
'New' frame and everything else in '09. Some Canadian Bush Trip and
Build Photos: http://mikeromainjeeptrips.shutterfly.com

Greg wrote:
> No it's not cycleing between off, lo and high, it's supposed to be
> lo-high, but with no lo it's high and nothing. What I was tring to say was
> my lo beams were working fine for the last few years, it wasn't till that
> first high beam click that they went out.
>
> "csdude" > wrote in message
> ...
> On Feb 22, 8:05 pm, "Greg" > wrote:
>> Thanks, will check. The reason I originally thought it was the floor
>> switch
>> is because the lo beams were on, it was when I hit the high beam switch
>> that
>> they went out, 2 more clicks got me high beams again. That is proably the
>> first time the high beam has been switched since owning the jeep, 4 - 5
>> years.
>>
>> "csdude" > wrote in message
>>
>> ...
>> On Feb 22, 9:55 am, "Greg" > wrote:
>>
>>> 81 CJ7, just for offroad, mostly daylight hours, so never have need for
>>> high beams, but last month I was out with a bunch of people, long story
>>> short, one of them, a cherokee, ended up ripping off his steering box,
>>> we
>>> tried for hours to get him mobile, but no luck. Anyway, first time I
>>> have
>>> ever had need for high beam lights on the way home, push button on the
>>> floor, so first push of the button my lights go out, I hit it again and
>>> again and get high beam, but no lo beam. First thought was button was
>>> shot,
>>> swapped that but no luck. Any ideas, light switch itself maybe? Haven't
>>> looked but is there a fuse just for lo beam?
>> the 'main' switch (dash) powers both high and low beam when on. The
>> floor switch just switches the high beam on and off (it should not
>> switch the lights off). It appears like it switches both off because,
>> probably, your low beams never come on.
>>
>> Sounds like your low beam circuit is broken. when on high beam your
>> low beam should be on too. check both head lights when on high beam,
>> is low beam on too? (probably not) I bet it is probably a short in the
>> low beam wire. there's not that much wire in a cj , your best bet is
>> to trace it back. (you can use a mutimeter to check for a short or
>> broken wire in the low beam circuit )
>
> hmm, that almost sounds like your old switch is a different one than
> is usually used. the switch is supposed to switch high beams on and
> off and not 'cycle' between off, low and high.
>
>

csdude wrote:
>
> hmm, that almost sounds like your old switch is a different one than
> is usually used. the switch is supposed to switch high beams on and
> off and not 'cycle' between off, low and high.

Not on a CJ. The switch turns on 'either' the high or low beams, not
both at once.

Mike
86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG AT's, 'glass nose to tail in '00
'New' frame and everything else in '09. Some Canadian Bush Trip and
Build Photos: http://mikeromainjeeptrips.shutterfly.com

On Feb 24, 9:00*am, Mike Romain > wrote:
> csdude wrote:
>
> > hmm, that almost sounds like your old switch is a different one than
> > is usually used. the switch is supposed to switch high beams on and
> > off and not 'cycle' between off, low and high.
>
> Not on a CJ. *The switch turns on 'either' the high or low beams, not
> both at once.
>
> Mike
> 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG AT's, 'glass nose to tail in '00
> 'New' frame and everything else in '09. Some Canadian Bush Trip and
> Build Photos:http://mikeromainjeeptrips.shutterfly.com

I know, the switch is supposed to switch the high beam circuit on and
off. I was just wondering because he seemed to have off, low and
high, if at some point another switch 'appeared' in his cj.
I have seen some older jeeps with a lot of creative wiring.

I don't have off, lo and high, it should be lo-high, but it is now
off-high, I have to no lo beam in the equation anymore.

"csdude" > wrote in message
...
On Feb 24, 9:00 am, Mike Romain > wrote:
> csdude wrote:
>
> > hmm, that almost sounds like your old switch is a different one than
> > is usually used. the switch is supposed to switch high beams on and
> > off and not 'cycle' between off, low and high.
>
> Not on a CJ. The switch turns on 'either' the high or low beams, not
> both at once.
>
> Mike
> 86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG AT's, 'glass nose to tail in '00
> 'New' frame and everything else in '09. Some Canadian Bush Trip and
> Build Photos:http://mikeromainjeeptrips.shutterfly.com

I know, the switch is supposed to switch the high beam circuit on and
off. I was just wondering because he seemed to have off, low and
high, if at some point another switch 'appeared' in his cj.
I have seen some older jeeps with a lot of creative wiring.