Anybody Fitted Courtesy Lights?

[Ben Reedy]

I like this forum, it's nice and quick!

Summer marches on and it's time to get the 90 ready for another winter of school runs and mountain bike club night rides. This year I want the interior light to come on when any door is opened. I have bought the switches but as a complete non-electrician am a bit stumped as to the wiring, which I want to keep as simple as possible. Also, where are the best places to mount the switches in the door frames? It looks as if I'm going to have to bodge up some brackets for this so they need to be "out of the way".

I would also like to fit a delay in the circuit if it doesn't complicate matters too much though presumably this would need a new separate supply?

Any suggestions, anybody?

[Paul]

I'm no electrician Ben, but as I understand it, the interior light switches operate on the earth feed to the light. The wiring for a Defendender light goes up the right side of your windscreen behind that little plastic cover thingy. You can install the extra switches with one wire that starts at the left rear door, runs to the switch on the rear cargo door, then to the right rear door, and connects to the existing wiring at the top of your windscreen -phew! Easy enough though, because you only need a single wire to carry the sitched earth from each of the door switches (which simply earth to the bodywork through the mounting screw).

You'll need to identify which of the 2 wires running up the side of your windscreen is the earth feed, so a test light or meter will be of use (unless someone like Western can tell you the wiring colour code). Simply connect your new switched earth feed from the new door switches to that line and Bob's yer uncle.

You're right that the door switches will need some sort of bracket to activate them, because the Defender doors don't get within a cooee of the door frame. The ones I've seen from the factory have a sort of dog leg shaped plate attached to the door, which when closed, will press against the door switch.

The delay thingies you mentioned can be had fairly cheaply off ebay and are simple to wire up. However they mess up the operation of the simpler alarms (like the one I fitted). I have one of those delay systems sitting in the shed somewhere, if you were in Oz I'd send it to you.

[NegevLandRover]

Doesn't say what age vehicle you are running.

The standard Defenders we have here all have a courtesy light overide switch next to the hazard light switch. This switch has three positions: on, off, and on when front doors are open. To add rear door activation just stick in normal car alarm on/off switch and wire it to front doors.

Adam

[Paul]

You'll need to identify which of the 2 wires running up the side of your windscreen is the earth feed, so a test light or meter will be of use (unless someone like Western can tell you the wiring colour code).

Purple with a blue trace if my eyesight is up to it, trying to read the circuit diagram at night. The live (positive) feed is purple with no trace.

[Ben Reedy]

Ah, Negev, I think you're right; ours is 1986 but the interior light switch does have an unused position if I recall. Will check tonight.

And thanks Paul, you make it sound easy.

Wiring is purple with white I think; I've already got some from a friendly auto-electrician I know.

It's looking good! (Rubs hands with anticipation).

[Ivan]

On my 1987 90 the switch has 3 positions. Top is interior and dash lights off. Centre is Dash lights on and bottom is interior light.

HTH

Ivan

[western]

Have a careful look around in the back corners of the engine bay, I found the wires for the door switches just hanging in space on my '89 110, if they're fitted, you'll need to fish for them through the door pillar, should keep you busy for a hour or two

[siggy]

look at the switch find the wire to the earth return remove it from the body work extend this wire to the seat box, put the door plungers in the seat box connect wire to them

you will also need (if necessary) change the feed from an ignition source to a permanent feed

so as the door open the lights should come on

[Ben Reedy]

Thanks all.

Got a chance to have a good look at it last night with a test lamp in my hand. Against all predictions the interior light is "downstream" of the switch. There's a live blue wire going to the switch then a switched purple going up to the light, and thence straight to earth.

I did ask on the military forum if this arrangement could be connected with the MOD lighting arrangement and the need for the MOD light switch to be able to disable the interior light, along with all other auxiliaries.

So back to more head scratching. How do I wire in the door switches? I just can't get my head round this one.

[siggy]

does the light have a flying leadconnected to the bodywork i.e. a black wire that's the earth or does the light earth itself thorough its casing?

[Ben Reedy]

Straight through the casing to the roof, unfortunately.

[Ben Reedy]

Okay - so here's how I'll do it: put a relay across the switch or on position two of an appropriate switch. Then activate the relay with a second circuit going straight to the door switches.

Since I have to buy a relay, I might as well buy one with a time delay.

Right?

Hello.....?

Anybody there........?

[siggy]

sound plausible

just make sure you don't short the circuitry because it'll be one 'ell of a bangh if you do

put a couple of low rate fuses in to protect the circuit (you can always remove them once it's been proved)