The multifunction combination switch for my yj broke on the inside. My lights are stuck on bright. I called the dealership today and got the part number 56007298. Unfortunately this part has been discontinued since 2018. I have called crown automotive and exterrain with no luck. I have looked on Amazon and ebay with no luck. The local junk yard does not have any jeeps wranglers in their yard. Any help on locating one would greatly be appreciated. I do not have tilt steering as I know that will be a question.
Multi-function combination switch
- Thread starter cdhulin
- Start date
zebraranger
Member
If you have the factory headlights and not LED's, most likely not bright enough to blind oncoming traffic on high beam anyway. Mine wasn't until I replaced them with LED lights.
The part number you have is for the wiper switch - that is incorrect. The switch for low to high beam is the dimmer switch. That one is mounted to the steering column and operated directly by a rod tied to the stalk.
Just so you know - the steering column area has multiple different switches. There is a the turn signal/hazard switch that controls turn signals and hazards. There is the wiper switch which is what the dealer gave you the part number for. Those two switches are inside the column. Then on the outside of the column you have an ignition switch and a dimmer switch. They are both actuated by rods.
The dimmer switch works in such a way that simple power flows to the headlight switch. When you turn on headlights, that power flows to the dimmer switch. The dimmer switch routes that power either to the low beam circuit or the high beam circuit. Or temporarily, if you pull back on the stalk to flash the brights at someone, the dimmer switch sends power to both.
Tilt or non-tilt only matters for the wiper/turn signal switch. Turn signal switches are also different from 87-93 and 94-95 due to the addition of the 3rd brake light for 1994. In 87-93, if you had the hazards on and hit the brakes, the turn signal switch would override the hazards to put on the brakes so people will know you’re braking. In 94, with the third brake light, since it’s always constant when brake pedal is on, the turn signal switch allows the hazards to continue operating when you hit the brakes, making the third brake light your only brake light.
Here is the dimmer switch you need.
Just so you know - the steering column area has multiple different switches. There is a the turn signal/hazard switch that controls turn signals and hazards. There is the wiper switch which is what the dealer gave you the part number for. Those two switches are inside the column. Then on the outside of the column you have an ignition switch and a dimmer switch. They are both actuated by rods.
The dimmer switch works in such a way that simple power flows to the headlight switch. When you turn on headlights, that power flows to the dimmer switch. The dimmer switch routes that power either to the low beam circuit or the high beam circuit. Or temporarily, if you pull back on the stalk to flash the brights at someone, the dimmer switch sends power to both.
Tilt or non-tilt only matters for the wiper/turn signal switch. Turn signal switches are also different from 87-93 and 94-95 due to the addition of the 3rd brake light for 1994. In 87-93, if you had the hazards on and hit the brakes, the turn signal switch would override the hazards to put on the brakes so people will know you’re braking. In 94, with the third brake light, since it’s always constant when brake pedal is on, the turn signal switch allows the hazards to continue operating when you hit the brakes, making the third brake light your only brake light.
Here is the dimmer switch you need.
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Thank yall both so much. I did swap to led lights but thankfully kept the factory ones. I will put factory ones back on for now. That dimmer switch did come up at the auto store. I will see if they have one in stock if not Rock auto for the win. I appreciate the information I am definitely no longer stressing.
Couldbe a few different things. This is the column mounted dimmer. It could be bad.
At the top of the column is the wiper/washer switch that can break and make activating turn signals and bright lights either very difficult or impossible. This is what your multifunction stalk goes into.
At the top of the column is the wiper/washer switch that can break and make activating turn signals and bright lights either very difficult or impossible. This is what your multifunction stalk goes into.
Update on my jeep. I bought a new switch. It was not the switch that was bad. I was able to use the old switch and just depress where the rod goes into it to switch to dims. I did end up putting new switch on as old one is close to 28 years old. I figure if I have to tear it down it's getting replaced since I don't want to do it twice. When I put the new switch on I did try to change from brights to dims but noticed the rod was not being actuated. So I removed the steering wheel and noticed a piece of another switch was broken. Is this the wiper switch? Its where my stalk attaches to. On a side note I cannot remove the stalk. I have twisted it and pulled, pulled it, twisted it the other way and pulled it. That thing just won't budge. Under the red wire in the rectangle hole is where the piece broke off. I guess that is what pushes the rod to activate the dimmer switch.
Thank yall for the help and yall time. I greatly appreciate it.
Thank yall for the help and yall time. I greatly appreciate it.
That likely is the bad wiper switch. The rod hooks into it and the wiper switch actuates the rod when you pull on the stalk. So if the rod isn’t being pulled, that is probably the problem.
rrjank
New Member
I thank you for this but I have another question. I thought pulling back on the stalk turned on the brights, not just flaashing them on. Currently, all my lights work, with the exception of the high beams. I am troubleshooting if it is electrical or a mechanical issue. I was leaning to the dimmer switch needing to be adjusted or replaced. My rod is connected to the dimmer and I can see it move when I pull the rod back on the stalk. But nothing happens--there is no 'click'. So how are the high beams turned on normally?
There’s sort of a 2-stage operation for the brights. Pull it back until you feel some resistance, that turns them on temporarily (as long as you hold the stalk) for flashing. This flashing mode is a middle ground between low beam and high beam and lights both circuits up. If you let go in this mode, the stalk should spring back forward to normal mode.
If you keep pulling the stalk until there’s an audible click, it actually switches the circuits and reroutes power to go to the high beam circuit instead of the low beam circuit.
If none of this is happening, then you probably have a bad dimmer switch would be my guess. Any difference felt in the stalk over the range should normally come from the spring loaded detents in the dimmer switch. If none of that is happening, the dimmer switch is probably broken or something.
rrjank
New Member
Right on. Thank you for the valuable breakdown. The replacement dimmer has been ordered.