Headlight Switch - Orange Wire

[TrackRat]

In the process of finishing up my dash / gauge replacement project. Noticed that coming off of the headlight switch harness is an orange wire which the prior owner had snipped and taped off. What is this wire for? Gauge lights / dimmer?

 

[TrackRat]

There are actually two unattached wires coming off the harness... the orange one and a black one with some sort of a push-on connector at the end. Sorry for the tough to see photos.

 

[CJ]

Orange is usually instrument / dash light. Only way to be sure is check voltage to ground with a test light or meter while lights are on and you rotate the dash light knob and see if the voltage changes.
Black is most likely a ground so you can check with a meter for continuity to ground.

 

[TSB8C]

The black wire is for the under dash courtesy lights. These have a constant +12V and the headlight switch, when turned to the point it "clicks", grounds that black wire and completes the circuit to turn on the lights. As CJ said, the orange wire is for the dash lights and the voltage should vary when the headlight knob is turned to dim or brighten them.

 

[304black]

I got 2 Standard headlamp switches for my CJ5 and neither one will catch the knob shaft when pushed in with the old or new shaft

 

[TSB8C]

Have you tried pushing the small spring-loaded "button" on the top of the switch assembly while pushing in the shaft? That's how you release it to remove the shaft, but possibly that would also let you insert the shaft back in.

 

[304black]

Have you tried pushing the small spring-loaded "button" on the top of the switch assembly while pushing in the shaft? That's how you release it to remove the shaft, but possibly that would also let you insert the shaft back in.

It just slides in and out without pushing the spring button. I've never seen this happen in 50 years.