Rabit Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 Hello everyone, I'm new to the forum & Land Rovers in general. I now own a 1991 Defender 90 pick up truck (2.5 NA Diesel) & I'm in the process of tidying it up as it was purchased from a farm (lots of encrusted animal poo included). Most of the panels are a mismatch in colour & the wheels were/are awful (tidying the steelies up). Onto my electrical problem; My headlights have started playing up. My OS light works on sidelight, normal beam & high beam, whereas my NS light only works on the high beam? I've searched the internet/forums & most point to the light switch/stalk, but mine works on full beam so doesn't that rule it out? I've then gone into the fuse box & this is the diagram. In red is the number of the fuse actually in the holder. In blue are the bits that I've managed to find out it's use: I pulled fuses 11-14 all out, & the lights still worked (as described before)?. At first I thought the fuse box had been screwed in upside down due to the strange fuse locations, but I found the fog light fuse ruling out that thought. I have no idea what 15-17 do either. Any advice on what it could be, what I would need to test certain parts & also how to do those tasks (as I know very little about the electrics) would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance - Robert (Rabit) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted November 8, 2013 Share Posted November 8, 2013 15 & 16 are fuses for side/tail lights 17 is brake lights & reverse light, the central symbol is not used in your vehicle so ignore it. 18 is air cond fans again not fitted to your 90. you've got 1 & 2 the wroing way round, 1 is for hazard lights as that triangle is the correct symbol for hazards & on the dash &/or switch lights up a red triangle 3 is also instrument lights & indicators. hth & welcome, please read the useful info for new members pinned thread at top of defender forum. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie64 Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 dont want to steal your thread but im not sure these layout diagrams are 100% accurate i have a 300tdi pick up and of the three relays at the bottom the far right one isnt needed as i dont have a heated rear window being a pick up, the central relay is the start relay and the left hand one is also spare?!?! the headlight relay is pink and located behind the instrument binnacle i believe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 the pink relay is part of the dim dip system, normal headlight relay should be behind or in the fusebox Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanuki Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 "Pink relay" and big-resistor dim-dip nonsense hasn't been a legal requirement for 20 years - rip it out ! It's a historic messy electrical liability that will shorten your headlamp-bulb life. It's far better to just remember to turn your headlamps on after you've started your engine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mmgemini Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 "Pink relay" and big-resistor dim-dip nonsense hasn't been a legal requirement for 20 years - rip it out ! It's a historic messy electrical liability that will shorten your headlamp-bulb life. It's far better to just remember to turn your headlamps on after you've started your engine. Actually if you remove the relay, then link two of the relay holder terminals like I recomend. Then you get headlights with ign Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabit Posted November 9, 2013 Author Share Posted November 9, 2013 Thank you all for your answers & welcome. I took the headlight out & made sure the earth was good. There are 3 wires into the headlight; Blue/Red, Blue/White & Black. My situation was that the OS worked perfectly, but the NS only on full beam. I took the Blue/Red & Blue/White & switched them over & I now have headlights again? :-// My NS sidelight & normal beam now works, but it doesn't work on full beam now? If I 'flash' the lights only the OS brightens to full beam, & if I click full beam on; the NS light goes out? I'm quite glad that I've got sidelights & normal beam again though, whether what I did is safe I do not know. I can live with the 1 light flasher, it'll be like it's winking people through ;-). Any ideas as to what's going on? Re- the pink relay; Is it a large relay box, larger than the ones that clip in under the fusebox? Lucas make? A couple more electrical Qs; My cigarette lighter is getting power but the lighter itself isn't holding in when pressed or even heating up at all, any ideas? Is there a fuse for the lights in the display as only 2 out of 3 work, I've tested a working bulb & it doesn't work so may be the holder or something else? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 were the headlight wires in a plastic 3 way plug ? blue/white is main beam blue/red is dip beam. as the other light is not working correctly, there is still a fault, possibly a broken wire on the left lights, the wiring runs along the inside of the inner wing, examine it for chaffing, maybe it's shorting out on the metal inner wing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabit Posted November 9, 2013 Author Share Posted November 9, 2013 were the headlight wires in a plastic 3 way plug ? blue/white is main beam blue/red is dip beam. as the other light is not working correctly, there is still a fault, possibly a broken wire on the left lights, the wiring runs along the inside of the inner wing, examine it for chaffing, maybe it's shorting out on the metal inner wing. The 3 wires go into a plug that fits onto the back of the headlight yes. When I took the light surround plates & grill off to paint them, I didn't realise they were connected further in so I just cut them & reconnected upon refitting. I'll have to check tomorrow as it's too dark now. I've just been sat in the cab trying to figure out why some of my instrument lights aren't working & removed my non-working(?) fuel gauge. I checked the lights again before getting out just now & back to nothing!? *sigh* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabit Posted November 9, 2013 Author Share Posted November 9, 2013 I'll check all the wires tomorrow then. Do fuses 11-14 control the front lights, as mine had from left to right; 5A-5A-10A-20A, when it says it should be 7.5A-7.5A-7.5A-7.5A? How do you actually test which fuse controls what? :-( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
western Posted November 9, 2013 Share Posted November 9, 2013 11 & 12 are fuses for dip headlights 13 & 14 are fuses for main [full] beam headlights, with these on you should get a blue warning light on the dash. remove each fuse in turn & see what doesn't work. dead instrument lights could just be a blown bulb, undo the 2 screws. extract panel, unplug & the bulb holder need a twist to remove them, each on can be tested by applying a 12b feed to one side & a earth to the other side, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie64 Posted November 10, 2013 Share Posted November 10, 2013 i also found that i managed to wear out the actual switch which caused me major headlight issues new one off ebay for a couple of quid sorted everything Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie64 Posted November 10, 2013 Share Posted November 10, 2013 note: switch on the steering column Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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