Help with delay in headlights coming on.

diablokicks

diablokicks

Registered User
Location
Layton
When i Start my 99 TJ wrangler in the morning, my headlights don't come on. The park lights, and back lights come on, but neither of the headlights turn on. They will eventually turn on, but it takes time (5 + minutes). It only happens in the colder weather, usually in the morning. Has anyone experienced this? What could be causing it? How can i track down where the problem is?

My thinking is that the cold weather is contracting the metal connections and so they are not making a good connection, and eventually the engine warms under the hood up and expands the connection? Just a stab in the dark there.
 
both my TJ and my dad's did this a few years ago. It ended up being the switch. I think it was something like $15 and took like 20 mins to replace. Pretty easy.
 
rockchucker said:
both my TJ and my dad's did this a few years ago. It ended up being the switch. I think it was something like $15 and took like 20 mins to replace. Pretty easy.
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Do you know which switch it is? Sorry, not very good with the electrical portion of vehicles.
Or if you can direct me to where it is i can dig and find it.
 
Probably the headlight relay. The coil may be getting cold and stiff or condensation inside it. It will be under the dash or under the hood near the fuses...sorry, I don't know much about Jeeps.
 
bryson said:
If it is the switch, it would be the one in the dash where you pull the knob to turn on the lights.
Click to expand...
this. literally the headlight switch that you pull to turn your lights on, dim your dash, etc. you have to reach up under the dash, push a little button on the top back of the switch. this releases a lock and you can pull the knob out. undo 4ish screws to get the dash piece that goes under the steering column and i think that is all you have to do to get the switch out. well, other than unscrew and unplug it of course.
 
rockchucker said:
this. literally the headlight switch that you pull to turn your lights on, dim your dash, etc. you have to reach up under the dash, push a little button on the top back of the switch. this releases a lock and you can pull the knob out. undo 4ish screws to get the dash piece that goes under the steering column and i think that is all you have to do to get the switch out. well, other than unscrew and unplug it of course.
Click to expand...

Ordered the Part last night. I will replace it. It didn't really bother me until i was late for work two days in a row waiting for the lights to turn on when they felt like it.
 
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