no headlights!!!

[cj5steve]

i just went outside and fired up the jeep.while it was warming up i turned the heat on and cleaned off the windsheild.hopped back in and turned the headlights on and the heater almost shut off like i turned it on low,the headlights did not come on neither did my side marker lights the dash lit up very dimmly.and my turn signal lights and my highbeam light on the dash lit up.i have tail lights.i changed the headlight switch and checked the wires on the back of my heater motor switch.help please i need this fixed by tommorrow. :roll:

 

[far_right]

i would check the grounds first, then fuses :?

 

[XJNick]

Check the grounds, especially the ground between the battery/engine block/chassis. Also put a voltmeter on the battery with the engine OFF, then do the same with the engine RUNNING. You should get a reading of 11.5~12 volts for the first test, and 13.5~14.5 volts for the second test. This will tell you if the battery or alternator are having issues. :mrgreen:

-Nick :!:

 

[cj5steve]

btt

 

[Inspector-Gadget]

Hello cj5steve,

A semi-scientific Gadget guess: melting snow has turned to water. The water leaked into something electrical and caused a short circuit. The water-caused short circuit is drawing a huge current when you turn on the headlights and overloads the alternator-battery. (Clues: heater motor slowed and dash lights dimmed)

I don't believe the problem is a bad ground. A bad ground is the equivalent to a high resistance placed into an electrical circuit. A high resistance results in less current flow, not more (Assumes constant voltage).

I wish you had described the behavior and readings of the dashboard voltmeter with the headlights off and on.

Regards,

Gadget

 

[ndnatty]

Check the fuses. I had one that didn't blow completely and causes the same problem.

 

[cj5steve]

it turned out to be a bad ground on the blower motor.i did the blazer motor swap in the summer and since i have a glass body i put a hoze clamp around the body of the motor with a ground wire in between is there a better way to ground this. :mrgreen:

 

[Inspector-Gadget]

Wow!

I am completely baffled by that result.

:shock:

Gadget

 

[LBR]

Hi cj5steve
A thought on grounding - if a place on the heater motor was obtainable to take a little heat, scratch down to bare metal and solder your wire end directly to it. Do make sure that it isn't in a crucial location that would damage (melt) any internals. LBR