Novak Conversions Jeep Wrangler TJ engine mounts

Low beam failure that wasn’t the switch

Leoshorty

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Last weekend my bride and I were out for a cruise in our ‘06 and I noticed we only had high beams. They are the stock headlights so nobody we met seemed to notice. I ordered the Toyota kit ($27 shipped!!!) and picked up a multifunction switch from Zone so I could upgrade and repair all at once. Pulled it into the shop this afternoon and swapped the switch first, thinking I’d make the repair before the upgrade. No change, still no low beams. Well fooey….
The connector looked remarkably good at the switch so I grabbed the test light, thought I’d see what was going on at the headlight end of the harness on the passenger side.
IMG_2137.jpeg

Never seen that before! The exposed wires were touching, causing the high beams to stay illuminated any time there was voltage applied. So I pulled the loom back some more and observed the insulation appeared to have gotten hot and withdrawn into the loom, even taking on the shape of the loom material.
IMG_2140.jpeg

Anyway, I pulled the wires out of the headlight connector individually and wrapped them with electrical tape, then installed the harness and upgraded headlight assemblies. Replaced my factory multifunction switch and I’ll return the other one to the parts store this week. I was in a hurry to get to dinner so I zip tied everything up secure but I’ll have to go back this week and tidy it all up. Two reminders for me, diagnose BEFORE you buy parts and more light is always better LOL! I’ve already ordered the 80/100w H4’s to complete the upgrade and will button it all up and aim the headlights this week once the bulbs come in.
 
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Interesting...
I had a similar situation on my '01 where occasionally the low beams would not come on.
Several years ago I had installed the Toyota headlights and harness kit.
I went searching thru the MFS, relays, harness wiring and connectors; I found that the passenger headlight connector wiring insulation was missing for approximately 1.5" and had been touching causing the wiring to periodically touch.
Instead of wrapping the exposed wiring; I cut the wiring back and inch, replaced the connector with a new headlight connector and pigtail with better wiring insulation.
I inspected the drivers side connector and wiring that is not used with the separate headlight harness; there were no problems observed so I wrapped that connector with rubber fusion tape to keep the moisture out.
 
By the time you get a piece big enough to fit over the spade connector it won’t shrink enough to tighten up on the wire. I have a spare headlight connector here that I will splice in when I finish tidying it all up but didn’t have it at the shop.

Most heat shrink is 2:1, but you can also get 3:1 and 4:1 shrink ratios. 6:1 also exists but is rather expensive.

Bags of pre-cut are fairly handy:
https://www.waytekwire.com/catalog/...al-wall-adhesive-lined-heat-shrink-1-1-4-long
Edit: Link is a bag of 1,000, but bags of 100 are available as well
 
Last edited:
Most heat shrink is 2:1, but you can also get 3:1 and 4:1 shrink ratios. 6:1 also exists but is rather expensive.

Bags of pre-cut are fairly handy:
https://www.waytekwire.com/catalog/...al-wall-adhesive-lined-heat-shrink-1-1-4-long

At $92 for that bag, I’m good with electrical tape! That’s more than twice what the headlight upgrade and better bulbs cost me. In all seriousness I’ve already replaced the pigtail with a better one and used heat shrink butt splices on it. I cannot get the headlights to hit what I consider the right aiming point though, I feel like the spread between high and low is too much and the high beams focus their beam too high. Still better than the stockers were.
 
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Novak Conversions Jeep Wrangler TJ engine mounts