ZJ battery draw

[specialk]

My dad has a 97 ZJ.   Battery was dead the other day after it had been starting and running the days before.  He picked up  a new battery and when installed, the head lights are coming on immediately. (he thinks they are the high beams as it looks bright)
- no key in the ignition
- light switch is on off position

My first thoughts are bad relay.

Any other ideas?

[morerpmfred]

Daytime running light switch letting full power through ?

[w squared]

Well, if the realy somehow stuck in the closed position, that would account for the dead battery and the lights being on.

Just tell him to take out the headlight bulbs. That'll let him drive it normally without causing any problems with the battery. That's how the ZJ tech manual says to fix it....right Johnny?

[esi]

We had a 96 dodge 1/2ton . When the daytime running light module goes bad the headlights stay on all the time.

[binare]

99% sure its the drl module, black box attached to the inner drivers side fender.

[specialk]

thanks guys.   I have passed that along.

[JackstandJohnny]

the shifter arm module on the steering column can also cause issue with the lights acting weird.  i've got one if you need kev. 

[specialk]

And as for your idea Todd...  one light bulb is easy to pull...  the other by the battery is a bitch and would be to much work :-)

[SwampSinger]

thanks guys.   I have passed that along.

make sure he unplugs that stupid thing right away...  mine was melting wires when it went bad

[yellowjeep101]

I had the same issue a few weeks ago, the drl can short out and cause the headlights to go on. It's a black box, I'm not sure where on a zj, but if you unplug it your headlights will work properly. But you will lose the high beam indicator on the dash.

[morerpmfred]

With a test like and a jumper wire it takes like 5 minutes or less to get the high beam indicator to work.

[raf2379]

the only way to fix this issue is to replace the ZJ with any of the choices bellow

XJ
TJ
JK