aerocorey

Can you help me locate the voltage sensitive switch behind the instruments on this diagram? That'll be what helps me figure out what to do with the brown wire I was asking about.

I have the first style. If my switch is bad I'm planning to do exactly as described in the link you provided. I did learn something from you though. I haven't been holding the key slightly into the springy part of the turn when I want the glow plugs on. That was the meat and taters of my question..."Is there some trick with the key to get it to pre-heat?". I'll go try that and see if I get glow plugs. To be clear...there are no relays in my glow plug system. It's just the heat/start switch, 1 wire going out the firewall to the glow plugs, and 1 wire going to the light on the cluster attached to the same spade on the heat/start switch as the glow plug wire. It's suposed to be controlled by an 8 second timer which is integral to the heat/start switch and requires no action from me to power the glow plugs other than to hold the key slightly into the springy part of the turn. Is this all correct?

Why would I test the glow plugs to see why the switch isn't sending 12V to the glow plugs?

This brings me back to my original question. Everything is plugged in, glow plugs don't come on. I've also confirmed with a multimeter that there is no power at terminal #1 on the start switch. Do I need to replace the switch or can I take it apart and fix it?

Thanks. I had a printout of this but discarded it in favor of page 68 from the same manual. I should have given it a better look before I chucked it. Thanks for the engine harness as well. I don't suppose you have ST 358 since the page with my engine harness says "SEE ST 358". Was there a change published? It still doesn't show that little blue connector or my purple mystery wire. Perhaps the purple wire shouldn't be there. It doesn't appear to be part of the factory harness.

On my truck the brown/red wire runs from terminal #1 straight out the firewall to the glow plugs. No detours whatsoever, straight shot. How are the glow plugs going to heat if I unplug it? I suspect the engine hasn't been swapped to a 200Tdi. How can I tell for sure?

I have a diagram, but I've lost count of the things I've found on my truck that I can't find on the diagram. There's a purple wire running from the top of the alternator into the cab. It's not hooked to anything. What is it for? There's a brown/black wire running from the (+) terminal on my battery, under the truck, up the frame, into the cab, and into the voltage sensing switch. I found something that says that's supposed to go to ground. Is it where it's supposed to be? There's a green wire sticking out of the wire harness coming from the alternator. It's on the right side of the engine near the #1 glow plug. What goes there? Most importantly...is there a source online for good diagrams? I don't mind paying for a subscription if it's a good diagram. I hate asking questions like this. Part of what I do or a living involvs reading schematic diagrams, but I need a good one to work with.

So what do I replace if everything is plugged in and I don't get glow plugs when I turn the key on? Can I disassemble the heat/start switch and fix it?

How do I pre-heat my Defender? It would seem that my glow plugs aren't coming on. Is there some trick with the key to get it to pre-heat? I'm beginning to suspect I have a bad heat/start switch. This is very concerning because It's cold here. I'm going to have to wire a seperate switch if the stock switch is inop. Also, I am digging into the wiring. I found that when I applied 12V to the spade connector for the glow plugs none of the lights on the cluster illuminated. The glow plug light wire goes to a black rectangluar 5 pin connector behind the cluster that was plugged into a matching black connector. I swapped it so it's now plugged into a white connector of the same style. Now when I apply 12V to the glow plugs an amber light with a picture of a choke on the cluster lights up. This leads me to believe that I've moved a plug from the wrong location to the right location, but now I wonder what goes to the unused black connector. Any insight?

I get a solid "thunk" from the rear end anytime I shift gears unless I reeeeeeally baby the clutch. I looked under the rear, everything looks solid enough. I figure I just need new bushings in the rear links. Is this common? I hope it's not coming from the diff.

Not really, it wasn't murky to stat with. It's not that I can't wire or don't understand the wiring, it's that the wiring is all messed up and I need to fix it. None of the wires are 12V with the ignition on, and the wrong wire is currently attached to the hot side of the blower fuse. All 3 of the wires going to the blower have been cut for no apparent reason inside the cab. The blower was sitting in water, I have my doubts about the resistor, and that's just the tip of the electrical issues I've found in the two days I've had the truck. Anyhow...I can fix it, I was just curious if the general concensus is that I can work from my workshop manual's wiring diagram and safely assume the colors are correct. Once the wiring is fixed I'll need to replace the cable to the defrost/heat flapper and replace a cut defroster duct. Maybe then I can have some heat! One thing I don't understand about the heater is why the lever for the fan speed has a cable attached to it? What does it control? Thanks for the link to autosparks. I'll check them out if I get in over my head. I'd also like to ask for good links to parts stores. Right off the bat I know I need motor and transmission mounts and a steering stabilizer. Do you folks use PayPal on this side of the Atlantic Puddle? Thanks for the kind reception. Corey

Hi all, new guy here with an '88 Ninety. I'm new to Land Rovers, but not to old 4x4s. I've got an '88 Jeep Grand Wagoneer back in the states. She's a wiring nightmare too. The heater blower doesn't turn on in my Ninety. I started out by pulling the blower and testing it with the truck's battery. It turns, but when I removed it it was sitting in about an inch of water in its housing. It doesn't make any off noises, so it could still be good. I dug into the dashboard and found lots of cut wires and dumb splices. I think PO had wiring turrets. The fuse for the blower isn't getting power, so I jumped power from another fuse and blew both fuses. I pulled the fuse panel and started checking wire colors and it looks at though EVERYTHING is set up wrong. Very few of the features on the truck work right and only 2 or 3 of the indicator lights on the ever come on. So that's what I'm up against. I want heat, I don't want an electrical fire, and I have alot of work ahead of me. The first question in all of this is how good was Land Rover at sticking to wiring schematics and colors? With most old Jeeps the color codes on wiring diagrams are for entertainment purposes only. Second question is how prone to failure are the blowers in these? It was sitting in some water, but PO says it worked last winter. At the moment I suspect a short in the wiring, but if I get the wiring 100% sorted out and still don't have heat I'm going to need to replace something. Corey