Headlight question

Anyone know the actual rating of the breaker in the headlight switch? '94
Wrangler YJ. It only controls the actual headlight beams, not the rest of
the lights.
My wife's headlights started flashing on and off the other night. I pulled
the plugs on the bulbs and the plug on the light switch and checked the
circuits to the bulbs for a shorted wire. Didn't find any. Swapped in a
know good set of bulbs, still flashed after being on a minute or so.
Jumped the wire to the headlights with a 15amp breaker and ran the lights
for 1/2 hour without the switch. No heat at any connnectors or on any of
the wires and no lights flashing. Ordered a switch, but I just wondered if
the 15 amp breaker I used to test the system might be too big.

--
Old Crow
'82 FLTC(P) 92"
'87 FLTC
'61 F-100 302/C-6
BS#133, SENS, TOMKAT, SLOB#13, MAMBM

Old Crow wrote:

> Anyone know the actual rating of the breaker in the headlight switch? '94
> Wrangler YJ. It only controls the actual headlight beams, not the rest of
> the lights.
> My wife's headlights started flashing on and off the other night. I
> pulled the plugs on the bulbs and the plug on the light switch and checked
> the
> circuits to the bulbs for a shorted wire. Didn't find any. Swapped in a
> know good set of bulbs, still flashed after being on a minute or so.
> Jumped the wire to the headlights with a 15amp breaker and ran the lights
> for 1/2 hour without the switch. No heat at any connnectors or on any of
> the wires and no lights flashing. Ordered a switch, but I just wondered
> if the 15 amp breaker I used to test the system might be too big.

Couldn't tell you what the rating is, but the switch is cheap ($10 or so)
even if it is a PITA to install.

I had an interesting experience with that breaker in an old Ford. It would
only open on the High Beams and was very intermittent - usually only in the
wee hours of the morning. Of course, I was usually on narrow Oklahoma back
roads when it happened so things got a tad bit exciting before I caught on
to dimming the lights. When the lights were completely useless on one cold,
foggy night the light suddenly dawned: corroded contacts. Being a poor 2nd
Lt. at the time I pulled the light switch, opened it up and cleaned the
breaker contacts with some sandpaper. When I sold the clunker 5 years later
the lights were still working fine.

--
Will Honea

25 amp circuit breaker on the headlamp circuit in a YJ. IIRC, the
standard lamp is 55 watts on high beam, 110 watts total, would be 10
amps as the standard draw. Your 15 amp breaker would be the bare minimum
to hold, the 25 amp gives some leeway so it doesn't go off unnecessarily.

On 1/24/2011 4:45 PM, Old Crow wrote:
> Anyone know the actual rating of the breaker in the headlight switch?
> '94 Wrangler YJ. It only controls the actual headlight beams, not the
> rest of the lights.
> My wife's headlights started flashing on and off the other night. I
> pulled the plugs on the bulbs and the plug on the light switch and
> checked the circuits to the bulbs for a shorted wire. Didn't find any.
> Swapped in a know good set of bulbs, still flashed after being on a
> minute or so.
> Jumped the wire to the headlights with a 15amp breaker and ran the
> lights for 1/2 hour without the switch. No heat at any connnectors or on
> any of the wires and no lights flashing. Ordered a switch, but I just
> wondered if the 15 amp breaker I used to test the system might be too big.
>

"Will Honea" > wrote in message
...
> Old Crow wrote:
>
>> Anyone know the actual rating of the breaker in the headlight switch?
>> '94
>> Wrangler YJ. It only controls the actual headlight beams, not the rest
>> of
>> the lights.
>> My wife's headlights started flashing on and off the other night. I
>> pulled the plugs on the bulbs and the plug on the light switch and
>> checked
>> the
>> circuits to the bulbs for a shorted wire. Didn't find any. Swapped in a
>> know good set of bulbs, still flashed after being on a minute or so.
>> Jumped the wire to the headlights with a 15amp breaker and ran the lights
>> for 1/2 hour without the switch. No heat at any connnectors or on any of
>> the wires and no lights flashing. Ordered a switch, but I just wondered
>> if the 15 amp breaker I used to test the system might be too big.
>
> Couldn't tell you what the rating is, but the switch is cheap ($10 or so)
> even if it is a PITA to install.
>
> I had an interesting experience with that breaker in an old Ford. It
> would
> only open on the High Beams and was very intermittent - usually only in
> the
> wee hours of the morning. Of course, I was usually on narrow Oklahoma
> back
> roads when it happened so things got a tad bit exciting before I caught on
> to dimming the lights. When the lights were completely useless on one
> cold,
> foggy night the light suddenly dawned: corroded contacts. Being a poor
> 2nd
> Lt. at the time I pulled the light switch, opened it up and cleaned the
> breaker contacts with some sandpaper. When I sold the clunker 5 years
> later
> the lights were still working fine.
>
> --
> Will Honea
>


I opened the old switch and the riveted contacts of the power feed wires are
corroded. I think there's enough resistance that it's heated the breaker
arm enough to weaken it. Should have the switch today and the Jeep fixed
tonight.

--
Old Crow
'82 FLTC(P) 92"
'87 FLTC
'61 F-100 302/C-6
BS#133, SENS, TOMKAT, SLOB#13, MAMBM

"RoyJ" > wrote in message
m...
> 25 amp circuit breaker on the headlamp circuit in a YJ. IIRC, the
> standard lamp is 55 watts on high beam, 110 watts total, would be 10 amps
> as the standard draw. Your 15 amp breaker would be the bare minimum to
> hold, the 25 amp gives some leeway so it doesn't go off unnecessarily.
>

I used the breaker just as a test to make sure there wasn't a short I didn't
find. Bare minimum was what I was after. New switch going in tonight.

--
Old Crow
'82 FLTC(P) 92"
'87 FLTC
'61 F-100 302/C-6
BS#133, SENS, TOMKAT, SLOB#13, MAMBM

"Old Crow" wrote ...
> "RoyJ" wrote ...
>> 25 amp circuit breaker on the headlamp circuit in a YJ. IIRC, the standard lamp is 55 watts on high beam, 110 watts total, would
>> be 10 amps as the standard draw. Your 15 amp breaker would be the bare minimum to hold, the 25 amp gives some leeway so it
>> doesn't go off unnecessarily.
>>
>
> I used the breaker just as a test to make sure there wasn't a short I didn't find. Bare minimum was what I was after. New switch
> going in tonight.

I don't like those breakers in the switch. Once they blow once they go
downhill fast. Best thing I did for the ZJ was installing a relay system
for the headlights. Better relays, larger wire, and easily replaced blade
fuses.

--
DougW

"DougW" > wrote in message
...
> "Old Crow" wrote ...
>> "RoyJ" wrote ...
>>> 25 amp circuit breaker on the headlamp circuit in a YJ. IIRC, the
>>> standard lamp is 55 watts on high beam, 110 watts total, would be 10
>>> amps as the standard draw. Your 15 amp breaker would be the bare minimum
>>> to hold, the 25 amp gives some leeway so it doesn't go off
>>> unnecessarily.
>>>
>>
>> I used the breaker just as a test to make sure there wasn't a short I
>> didn't find. Bare minimum was what I was after. New switch going in
>> tonight.
>
> I don't like those breakers in the switch. Once they blow once they go
> downhill fast. Best thing I did for the ZJ was installing a relay system
> for the headlights. Better relays, larger wire, and easily replaced blade
> fuses.
>
> --
> DougW
>


Yeah, well, it's a '95, so these things are to be expected. I replaced the
switch and the lights quit flashing on and off. Got it for like $20 at
O'reilly's.
I do this for a living, so when I mess with a vehicle just to "improve" it,
it's not my daily driver, but one of the Harleys. The daily drivers just
get maintained and driven.

--
Old Crow
'82 FLTC(P) 92"
'87 FLTC
'61 F-100 302/C-6
BS#133, SENS, TOMKAT, SLOB#13, MAMBM