Head lights won't go off.

[myknjil2006]

I replaced the head light dimmer switch and now the head lights won't turn off. The head light switch turns on and off all the other lights execept the head lights. Any ideas??

 

[CJ]

Hello myknjil2006 and welcome to the site!

Sounds to me like you crossed a wire or two during you dimmer switch installation - please double check your switch transfer!

 

[myknjil2006]

Ok I will go back and check the wires again. Thanks for the help.

 

[John Strenk]

This has got to be one of the most interesting electrical problem I've seen in a long time. I can't even think of a a failure mode that could cause this.

I think it must be some PO mischief in the works.

Maybe if the headlight switch broke apart or something. But nothing on the Dimmer switch can cause this problem

 

[rushpowersystems]

Power comes from switch to dimmer, the dimmer splits the power between the dim and bright lights. You have a short in the wiring or switch is damaged. Track the wiring back from the dimmer to the headlight switch, see if you have any burned wiring. Unplug the headlight switch to see if the lights go off, if not you need to go into the wiring.

 

[John Strenk]

Just in case: here is the head light switch wiring:

The difference in the switches are a little jumper. This change happened sometime in 1979 so if you get a new switch make sure you get the correct one.

 

[BajaEdition]

This has got to be one of the most interesting electrical problem I've seen in a long time. I can't even think of a a failure mode that could cause this.

I think it must be some PO mischief in the works.

Maybe if the headlight switch broke apart or something. But nothing on the Dimmer switch can cause this problem

you know, I can not think of another vehicle made that does not have so many PO hijenks as I have seen under a CJ's dash. I do not disbelieve anything I hear about wiring under there anymore. I think a good DC multi meter should be in every owners tool box as The amount of wires just hanging and going nowhere in the average CJ dash would make a Caltrans engineer proud.

 

[BrockGrimes]

you know, I can not think of another vehicle made that does not have so many PO hijenks as I have seen under a CJ's dash. I do not disbelieve anything I hear about wiring under there anymore. I think a good DC multi meter should be in every owners tool box as The amount of wires just hanging and going nowhere in the average CJ dash would make a Caltrans engineer proud.

Jeeps and Beetles my friend.

 

[BusaDave9]

This is an odd problem.
Are you sure you only messed with the dimmer switch?
The light switch will only apply 12 volts to the headlights. Before getting to the headlights the voltage will go to the dimmer switch. On CJs this is a button on the floor that will either sent that voltage to the high beam elements or the low beams.
Now how can working on the dimmer switch cause the headlights to stay on? Well a 12 volt short to the dimmer switch could cause that. But there isn't 12 volts anywhere near that dimmer. We are talking about a CJ now aren't we? The newer jeeps have the dimmer on the steering column. There I could see a 12 volt short.
Was there something else going on here?
I'm stumped.

 

[BusaDave9]

Hey, This reminds me of a joke.
When I was young they switched from having the dimmer switches on the floor to having them on the steering column. People in Iowa started to complain. They liked them better on the floor because now they were getting their feet stuck in the steering wheel.

Sorry if I offended anyone from Iowa. I am also from Iowa. I started to hear this joke when I moved to Minnesota. There is a Iowa/Minnesota joke feud.

BTW - what do you call a good looking girl in Iowa? A visitor.