Headlights won't work after collision

[CatawbaJeep]

Long time lurker, first time posting. This group's threads have helped me fix many things over the years, but this one's got me stumped. '01 TJ, swapped out OEM headlights for Oracle LED lights a few months back. Lights work great, low & hi beams, and rings flash with turn signals. Yesterday, Maggie May (my Jeep) rear ends a vehicle at about 40 MPH. Hanson front bumper takes the impact and performs like a champ - scratches and dents, but no real damage to grill or frame. Hazards all work (and rings on Oracle LED's flash, but headlights won't come on with the switch on steering column stem. I think wiring must be loose, but then I try hi beams by pulling back on stem. High beams (and low beams - all beams) come on, but won't click to engage and stay on. Hi beams work if I hold the stem back, they go off if I let go, and can't get low beams to work at all. I don't think wiring or power because I CAN get them to turn on, but I'm thinking fuse/relay/switch... something broke or jarred loose in the impact. I know someone out there has an idea - what to look for first?
EDIT: Should have added - is the MFS the likely culprit?

 

[Dr. Internet]

If you wired your new headlights through a relay, check the relay. Use a voltmeter and be sure it is working. Check all the connections to the relay and/or switch. Check the wires on the lights, especially the common wires, like ground. I am fairly certain you will find either a disconnected or broken wire. Good luck!

 

[KennethS]

My TJ is different than yours and doesn’t have that MFS, so I can’t compare the operation. But my newer vehicles will not lock the high beams on if the headlights are not turned on - they will come on when the lever is pulled, but turn off when the lever is released. This is with a vehicle that has automatic headlights. I have to turn the switch from AUTO to ON in order to lock the high beams on. Dunno if this will help your issue, but maybe focus on the low beam operation?

 

[CatawbaJeep]

If you wired your new headlights through a relay, check the relay. Use a voltmeter and be sure it is working. Check all the connections to the relay and/or switch. Check the wires on the lights, especially the common wires, like ground. I am fairly certain you will find either a disconnected or broken wire. Good luck!

Thank you for the response. I did not run them thru a relay, just directly wired into the original wiring. And the fact that everything turns on when I pull the MFS stalk for hi beams makes me think the wiring is good. Am I thinking about that correctly?

 

[CatawbaJeep]

My TJ is different than yours and doesn’t have that MFS, so I can’t compare the operation. But my newer vehicles will not lock the high beams on if the headlights are not turned on - they will come on when the lever is pulled, but turn off when the lever is released. This is with a vehicle that has automatic headlights. I have to turn the switch from AUTO to ON in order to lock the high beams on. Dunno if this will help your issue, but maybe focus on the low beam operation?

Makes sense, the comment ab hi beams working was just to say I know theyre getting power, so wiring should be good

 

[Dr. Internet]

Thank you for the response. I did not run them thru a relay, just directly wired into the original wiring. And the fact that everything turns on when I pull the MFS stalk for hi beams makes me think the wiring is good. Am I thinking about that correctly?

The high beams and low beams are usually on different wires. I would check them. Another thing you could do is get a small jumper wire and run it from the POS terminal on the battery directly to the connector tabs on the back of the headlight and see if it lights.

 

[WVJeep304]

I try hi beams by pulling back on stem. High beams (and low beams - all beams) come on, but won't click to engage and stay on. Hi beams work if I hold the stem back, they go off if I let go, and can't get low beams to work at all.

This part right here is the key IMO. If one function can illuminate highs & lows, then the wiring is intact from the lights to the MFS. Without looking at a schematic, I don't know how the wiring works in regards to low beam & high beam separately from the MFS itself. But this would lead me to believe it's either the MFS, or an issue where the low beam wire is powered by the switch for low beam only function.

Edit: To clarify that last sentence, I'm unsure if low beam power vs high/low beam together is separated outside of the MFS, or inside. The answer to that is going to point to the root of the problem I believe. This is just a guess, as I haven't had an issue like this that I couldn't narrow down to defective aftermarket lights (in a JKU).

 

[CatawbaJeep]

This part right here is the key IMO. If one function can illuminate highs & lows, then the wiring is intact from the lights to the MFS. Without looking at a schematic, I don't know how the wiring works in regards to low beam & high beam separately from the MFS itself. But this would lead me to believe it's either the MFS, or an issue where the low beam wire is powered by the switch for low beam only function.

Edit: To clarify that last sentence, I'm unsure if low beam power vs high/low beam together is separated outside of the MFS, or inside. The answer to that is going to point to the root of the problem I believe. This is just a guess, as I haven't had an issue like this that I couldn't narrow down to defective aftermarket lights (in a JKU).

Agreed, and yes, not sure if high beams power and low beam power are separate, but I cant imagine they are, and when I hold high beams on, but the low bulb and hi bulbs illuminate.

 

[KennethS]

I was thinking pulling the lever back with the headlights off activates the “flash to pass” feature which illuminates the headlights (I think both hi and lo). So that part works, and you need to look at power to the low beams, possibly at the headlight switch.

 

[macleanflood]

Have you unplugged the headlights and just provided power and ground to make sure they work?

-Mac

 

[CatawbaJeep]

Alright, folks, after thinking even more about it, and reading all of the helpful suggestions here, we pulled the MFS stalk off the steering column and put on a new one this morning. We now have working low beams, hi beams, turn signals and hazards. Definitely needed to pull the relay switch (small square u it that plugs into the back) out of the old module and put it into the new module, as the new one didnt come with it. With everything back together now, we're back in business!
Old one:

New installed with cover removed:

 

[Steel City 06]

Tangentially related:

Check your motor mount brackets where they are bolted to the block. It's not uncommon for one or more stud mounting holes in the block to shear out in a collision. If one or more are busted, the rest will usually quickly follow. However, if you have at least a couple good ones remaining, you might be able to get away with just the larger repair-style motor mount engine brackets.

Won't cause this lighting issue presumably but might become a much bigger headache if the brackets pull out while driving.