Intermittent Headlights
- Thread starter Root Down
- Start date
The interior lights do not flicker at all. The headlights themselves both flicker together. Is it more likely the dim/bright switch or the plunger?
I think some of your confusion is that your post got hijacked earlier by another member with a similar, but not entirely same issue. Your issue sounds like just a bad plunger. Here is what I used to replace my plunger on my 1997. I had the exact same issue as you. It took about 15 minutes to replace it. Make sure the part fits your Jeep since it is a 98.
Standard Ignition 9 Terminal Headlight Switch
Part #: DS357 Line: STD
Last edited:
I don’t drive much at night so I was amazed when the lights went out on the freeway in the dark. Pure panic!!! After you clean your underwear……
Change the easy plug (plunger switch) . Likely you will see burned, (or heat distortion) of the female plug.
I initially cleaned the receiver plug as well as possible. I used a Dremel grinder to level the distorted plastic on the female plug.
Two months.
Late at night the lights failed. Jiggle the switch and get 30 seconds of light.
The female plug was ordered from NAPA locally. Take a moment to study soldering technique on The inter web.
It it a very restricted space for soldering!
Age has rendered me as less than awkward, so my soldering looked like dog shat. Still working fine
Could be luck, or just good looks!
Change the easy plug (plunger switch) . Likely you will see burned, (or heat distortion) of the female plug.
I initially cleaned the receiver plug as well as possible. I used a Dremel grinder to level the distorted plastic on the female plug.
Two months.
Late at night the lights failed. Jiggle the switch and get 30 seconds of light.
The female plug was ordered from NAPA locally. Take a moment to study soldering technique on The inter web.
It it a very restricted space for soldering!
Age has rendered me as less than awkward, so my soldering looked like dog shat. Still working fine
Could be luck, or just good looks!
Alright, I finally got around to replacing the plunger. No change. I bought new headlights and am going to take a crack at changing those out tomorrow. I did unplug the connector on the current headlight and put it on the new bulb, still no light. There was another small wire on the light I didn’t hook up, but I think that’s for an internal hazard light or something. I could be wrong. That said, I’d love to get to the bottom of this without paying someone!
First, a fuse will not cause an intermittent problem to answer your last question. What was the plunger you replaced? Was that the headlight switch? And what small wire on what light did you not connect? Was it a black wire? Do your headlights have a secondary light inside them like a halo ring?
The plunger is the headlight switch. The small wire is red and honestly I'm not sure if it has a secondary light but I'm guessing it does. I bought these:
https://www.extremeterrain.com/axia...dlights-black-housing-clear-lens-j150093.html
I'm really starting to suspect a wiring problem. I've checked everything I can see but it appears to run through the firewall and I haven't checked the wires behind the dash.
Per that webpage the red wire is for the "DRL/Turn Signal Accent Lights"
That secondary part in their kit is an anti-flicker module for JKs and LJs and it should not be installed on your TJ. Since both headlights are flickering the problem is between the driver's side headlight and the headlight switch. The passenger-side headlight gets its power from the driver's side headlight connector.
That secondary part in their kit is an anti-flicker module for JKs and LJs and it should not be installed on your TJ. Since both headlights are flickering the problem is between the driver's side headlight and the headlight switch. The passenger-side headlight gets its power from the driver's side headlight connector.