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Is this a earth fault ????


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Defender 110 300tdi 1997

Hi,

This is my first contribution to the forum and it is a tad weird.

The main problem appears to affect the windscreen wipers, the radio and the direction indicators.

1. Switch ignition on and wipers make one sweep (wipers off at this time)

2. Switch lights on and wipers start and continue.

3. Wipers will not run at full speed.

4. Switch radio on and it will turn on and off repeatedly.

5. With wipers off, indicate left or right and wipers will run.

I am sure there are several other events but these seem to be the main obvious problems.

Does anyone have any ideas or the location of the Header Joint K109 and it's earth point?

Thanks Rob

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Defender 110 300tdi 1997

Hi,

This is my first contribution to the forum and it is a tad weird.

The main problem appears to affect the windscreen wipers, the radio and the direction indicators.

1. Switch ignition on and wipers make one sweep (wipers off at this time)

2. Switch lights on and wipers start and continue.

3. Wipers will not run at full speed.

4. Switch radio on and it will turn on and off repeatedly.

5. With wipers off, indicate left or right and wipers will run.

I am sure there are several other events but these seem to be the main obvious problems.

Does anyone have any ideas or the location of the Header Joint K109 and it's earth point?

Thanks Rob

You made I larf! hysterical.gifhysterical.gifhysterical.gif

Sorry I can't help with the query, but I concur that an earth fault seems most likely, although this is far and away the worst one I have heard of :)

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Solved. problems caused by very poor installation of radio/cd player by previous owner. The blue connector blocks were not closed up on two of the power wires which were shorting and causing the problems. A good lesson learned for future wiring jobs.

Thanks for the help and glad I managed to make someone laugh.

Rob :hysterical::hysterical:

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Wow,

Just came on to see if anyone has had a similar problem to me........

The symptoms described are EXACTLY the same as I am getting, with the addition of the main beam light on the dash "glowing" in unison with the wiper sweep......and the headlights have lost some intensity!

Think I will be checking the stereo wiring first then......could have saved me a whole lot of time as was planning on looking at all the earthing points.

Cheers :rolleyes:,

Nick

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Hi Nick,

I also had the main beam symptom and the headlight intensity problem, I jumpered out the Dim-Dip Relay which cured that and may also have helped with the radio/cd player, I am not sure now as there was a 'grey matter' overload at the time. There was a definite problem with the 'blue connector blocks' that I cleared at the same time. All seems quiet now.

Do you have the wiring diagrams?

Rob

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Apologies for not thinking/suggesting scotchloks myself - I should have done since years ago I remember a car coming in the shop with really bad Christmas tree lights effect at the rear when indicating/braking/driving with sidelights. We set about the usual suspect - the earths, but quickly discovered it was down to badly fitted towbar electrics done with scotchloks. Senior moment I guess! Message to brain: Christmas tree effect = bad earth and/or scotchloks!

Glad you got it fixed :)

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Hi Nick,

I also had the main beam symptom and the headlight intensity problem, I jumpered out the Dim-Dip Relay which cured that and may also have helped with the radio/cd player, I am not sure now as there was a 'grey matter' overload at the time. There was a definite problem with the 'blue connector blocks' that I cleared at the same time. All seems quiet now.

Do you have the wiring diagrams?

Rob

Rob,

Not sure what you mean by jumpered out the dim dip relay....... weiredly I have a spare one of these (new......but got to find it first) would this help swaping first? And no I dont have any wiring diagrams sadly......if you do could you bang them my way? Am planning on working on it tommorow afternoon as I just havn't had the time this week.

Thanks for yor'r help.

Nick

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Hi Nick,

Good idea to try to substitute first. You should find the relay under the right hand dash, if you have a speaker there remove it and there should be two relays, you want the pink one. If you pull it straight up it will slide off a bracket and you will have the base with its leads attached as well.

Please find attached a pdf of the Defender wiring diagrams. Page 43.2 - 43.3 Exterior Lamps - head,side and tail lamps. If you want to jumper the Dim/Dip relay link the UR wires together, without the relay in.

Good luck, just send me a post if you need a hand.

Rob

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Hi Nick,

Just thought I had better explain the Dim/Dip jumper. There have been various post about the Dim/Dip being introduced to vehicles so that you could not drive on side lights alone. It was ruled out by the European Court. If one suspects the relay it can be jumpered out and is perfectly legal.

Tried to attach the pdf on the last post but without success, so tried again.

Rob

Defender Wiring Diagrams.pdf

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Rob,

Well today was not very productive....despite your help. Checked the dim dip with a new one -no change. Checked the stereo wiring, no scotchlocks and all seems ok. Removed stereo anyway. Symptoms no change.

Checked the earth from battery to chassie, all OK but cleaned and put back. No change

Checked earth from battery to gear box, all OK but cleaned and put back. No change.

Went to engine bay, checked earth on bulkhead drivers side, cleaned and put back, no change.

Remoed dash and checked switches, no change to headlight main beam light glowing when switch to lights and or wipers disconected....

After that had to put all back together and call it a night.

One check I did do, but do not know how to follow up was put my volt meter accross the negative wire to wiper motor and the negative terminal on the battery.......showed 4 volts (ignition on and wipers set to off - but still wiping!). Then checked volts across the motor +/- and showed 7.8 ish.

Any ideas?

Where do the wipers/lights/fan/stereo earth to as I thinlk this is the possible cause but am unsure as to were it is

Thanks again.

Nick

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Where do the wipers/lights/fan/stereo earth to as I thinlk this is the possible cause but am unsure as to were it is

Thanks again.

Nick

They all go to a bolt on the bulkhead*, engine side, near where the wiring comes through. If you've got 4v neg - neg then it has to be an earth fault!

* If it's a sterro fitted by Mong of Mong inc., this might not be true, as the earth (if it exists) may be anywhere :ph34r:

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They all go to a bolt on the bulkhead*, engine side, near where the wiring comes through. If you've got 4v neg - neg then it has to be an earth fault!

* If it's a sterro fitted by Mong of Mong inc., this might not be true, as the earth (if it exists) may be anywhere ph34r.gif

Still no further on with this.

Is there an earth point under the front wings of a defender for the head lights? I have had a small bit of damage (wife was driving!) to the front left, the side repeater no longer works and the wing is dented.....the problem (lights / wipers / stereo) got a lot worse after the bump.

My thoughts were that if the lights are earthed here and that earth is damaged could this be affecting everything else, as according to the wiring diagrams above they all share a common earth which is a bolt on the bulkhead?

If not then looking at the diagrams it refers to a junction / header box that all the suspect items are eathed through before being attached to the bulk head.......where is this box located??? I think this could be susupect.

The items at fault are Lights / Wipers / Fan / Stereo.

All advise appreciated, its cold work out there tracing a dodgy earth!

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Earth points on 90/110 prior to Td5 are

behind each of the front lights attached to the vertical panel of the inner wing -- may need to remove front lights to gain access or employ a electrically trained Octopus with very bendy arms.

on bulkhead adjacent to brake servo just inboard should have multiple Black earth wires on it.

in each rear corner behind the rear light cover panels inside the vehicle

main battery earth to main gearbox/transfer box joint bolts

engine earth from PAS bracket area to rear face of left chassis part of engine mounting.

hth :D

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Evening all,

Just thought i would let you know that it is now fixed.

After much messing about turned out to be the earth on the heater blower control switch. Other items (such as lights wipers and stereo) appered to use this as part of there earth because when disconected they did not work fully. The earth is now conected to the stearing column support bracket....... problem solved! :rolleyes:

No more random wipers or dipping lights :)

bloody wiring

Now onto rear wiper motors.............. ;)

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