I.B.ASH

Cool that what I needed to hear...so cutting the wires away from the plug wont affect the landys electrics/lights, only that of the plug - which I dont need anyway. "connecting a horn the wrong way round doesn't cause any harm" - not so sure,...the earth/negitive was attached to the horn, the positive was bolted to the body work via the horn bolt...the fuse went in and the smoke started rising....I saw the smoke and pulled the fuse out, the fizzing stopped and the smoke stopped, the horn is now hooked up correctly and everything works. I think you are right about the Brake light switch melting as a result of this, its stuck good and proper, I cant see any evidence of melting around it, but Im guessing thats what has happened. "though it's more likely in the wires feeding the plug than the plug itself" - yeah, I cant see the plug itsself, apart from a wee bit through a tiny gap, which is melted, I ment the wires in the plug. Thanks for the imput, the main thing I wanted to check is that cutting the wires from the plug wont affect anything else. This is an awesome site, great for a bit of peace of mind whilst waiting for new parts to turn up! Cheers again

Got the break light switch out and the button wont press in, so I have ordered another, and I connected the 2 wires together from the switch and the fuse blew...but not sure what that means?

So I fixed the horn/internel light fuse problem. It was a chaffed wire, sorted it while my mate wired up the new horn, trouble is that he put the wires the wrong way round...we chucked the fuse back in (also wrong bloody fuse, a 15 amp not a 10 amp!) and tryed honking the horn and flashing the lights, we then became aware of smoke coming from the back...the bloody trailer plug was melting! So now all the electrics are working apart from the break lights, which I sort of like to have working. So everything... almost everything works. The question is now how do I find whats causing the break lights not to work? Iv been through all the wiring at the rear of the landy and nothing looks melted (I can tell that the trailer plug is melted as I can smell it through the rear cross member and poke the melted bits through a hole!). So could the melted trailer plug be causing the stop lights not to work, would cutting all the wires to the trailer plug stop the shorting if thats what it is, would cutting all the trailer plug wires cause another problem or are they independent (I dont pull trailers so not Im worried about cutting them.), or do you think that it may be a total coincidence with the melting incident and that the melted plug may not affect it at all and that it could be just the break light switch not working, or may be the melting also affected the break light switch??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? By the way my trailer plug is a nato plug. So, cut all the wires to the nato plug and hoe that sorts it and doesnt cause another problem, or check the break light switch (which I dont know how to do...yet....?). Cheers

Hey, cheers for the replys, yeah I have it bolted to the body work, but Im starting to think the horn itsself is buggered, it sounds kind-a tinny and broken when it does work - just before the fuse blows, anyway Im away to order a new horn and see if that does the trick, cheers. I hate electrics, Id rather have a spanner and a hammer!

Cheers western. Yeah mine has two terminals, but they are both from the same bit of metal (cant find another way to explain it?!). The picture attached shows how it is wired up, and Im pretty sure it has always been like that, Iv had it for two years and last summer it was in a local garage for over a month (cowboys!). I cant remember if it was around then that the fuse started blowing, but Im wondering if they messed around with the wiring a bit? When I plug both wires into the two terminals the fuse blows right away, when its wired like this it lasts for a while but eventually blows. I have the horn tied to a bracket with zip ites as Im not sure and cant seen where its supposed to bolt to. Here is to hoping I dont make too much of a fool of myself posting this picture! I bought a brand new stalk and fitted it a couple of days ago, so I wouldnt have thought that would need cleaning out. Cheers (hope this works, if not it will be the only image in my gallery, cheers).

Hello, I have been having some troubles with my electrics and I thought I had sorted all of them, but my horn/interior light fuse just went again, it was working for a while after I thought I had sorted it, the interior light was left on for a while, and I kept testing the horn, but the fuse just went boom again. Can anyone post a picture of their set up please just so I can check the I have it wired up and grounded properly please? Thanks a lot...again! Mine is a 1986 ex-military 90 (converted to a 200tid), just incase it makes any difference. Thanks again!!!

Fixed! I think that everything is sorted, time will tell. Thanks to all that chipped in, and thanks for the picture western, I think my fuse box is a bit jumbled about, but thats a job for another day. Thanks again

Iv been thinking....I cut the wires to the convoy light and repaired a chaffed wire going to the rear drivers side indicator, so.... The convoy light was earthed to the chassis, but because its no longer connected there is no earth, but for all I know the earth coming from the convoy light may not have just been for the convoy light as last year I had to bodge a new earth for the convoy as my indicators were playing up, but I dont know what my side lights were doing at that point. So Im thinking that maybe one of the two wires I chopped from the convoy light today could have been the earth for the side lights. But why have the earth for them at the rear of the landy!?!?! I suppose Iv just gotta test that theory, unless any of you can tell me where the earth for the side lights is? Cheers

Cheers again western, thats a good thread, but...everything seems to be working now, I changed the indicator relay for a spare that I had, the interior light is working (cant test the horn yet but it works off the same fuse as the interior light which used to blow within seconds of a new fuse going in, I only have 5amp fuses left, and that one should be a 10 or 15 amp, so Im waiting for some new fuses till I test the horn, but I think thats sorted), and the hazords are working, all since I disconected the convoy light, sorted the chaffed wire to the rear drivers side indicator and changed the indicator relay. That is everything is working, apart from my side lights now! Im not understanding this. What fuse do the side lights work from, I have checked all of the fuses and they all seem to be fine, Im guessing its the bottom two on the right hand side as the are the lowest amp, but my diagram is in shoddy condition. I want to change the side light fuses...just to be sure its not them. Im not enjoying this anymore!

Cheers Western. Well I have the horn and interior light working, I disconnected the convoy light and found a chaffed wire going to the indicators near it, but now the indicators only work left and right when the hazord switch is in the on position, and the meaning there are no hazords! It a process!!!

Oh yeah, I forgot, my side lights arnt working either, guessing they are on that fuse as well???

Cheers rekab69. I had a thoght...last year I had some electrical gremlins, turned out to be a dodgy earth coming from the convoy light, so I bolted a new earth to the chassis, the thing is I cant remember if this is when I started to experience the horn fuse blowing, but over the past year it has got worse to the point that now as soon as I put a fuse in it blows right away. Is the convoy light rigged upto the horn fuse, as that could have something to do with it? Cheers

Hello, I have a 1986 ex-military 90, and the fuse keeps blowing which connects up to the horn and interior light, do any of you know what else this fuse connects up to, the diagram on the back of my fuse cover is a bit worn. Also sometimes the horn fuse holds but the indicator fuse blows...........wtf?! But 9 times out of 10 it is the horn fuse that blows. I have replaced the indicator/horn stalk incase it was that but no joy, and I have tryed to check out the wires as much as I can but Im not seeing any noticable kinks or bare bits. Any ideas? Cheers

Just bought one, didnt read down all they way to the "forum discount" bit, just rushed right into it, looking forward to it it though! Cheers!

Hello, a bit of advice needed please. I have a 1986 ex military 90, I need to replace the front discs and I may need new calipers as well. Can anyone tell me what discs/calipers I would need please? (a link or product code would be great please!!!!). Thanks alot for any help you can give.

<p style="text-align: left; ">Excellent cheers for that. Yeah I have got a back door (second hand), bought a brand new seal for it, the van sides liners are in real good condition as is the roofs. I bought cheap liner for the truck cab which is great (it is old military hence no liner anywhere!), the second hand roof I have has been lined with old camping-mats, and I have a load of rubber liner which Im going to line the rest of it with. I put an interior light in, and a cd player!!!! Cheers for the info you lot!</p>

Hello, Wondering if I should know anything about...... I have a 1986 '90 which used to be a soft top, the guy I bought it from turned it into a truck cab, and Im wanting to turn it into a hard top/van. Am I going to have to make any mods to it to make the van sides and hard top fit? I have all the seals/bolts/seatbelt brackets etc The wind screen is one of the ones which folds down, will the rim at the top fit the new (but old) roof? I think you get the gist of what Im asking. Cheers for any advice

Hello. I have a 90 truck cab, but Im looking to turn it into a 3/4 cab. Do any of you know where I can get a 3/4 cab from? Cheers

Hello. I recently ordered some HD front shockers for my old 90 made by Armstrong, anyway, I got sent rear shocks so I had to get them to correct the order and now they have sent out Britpart shocks. What Im wanting to know is are Armstrong and Britpart equally ****, making it pointless me changing them for the Armstrong, or should I send them back? And before anyone advises me to buy more expensive shocks please don't, money is short!!! Thanks a lot

Weird I have what looks to be exactly the same set up, but the previous owner told me it had been from an RRC. I guess he wouldn't have seen it taken from the previous vehicle, and may be the garage just told him that? So, the set up from the one above is for sure from a defender, right? May be I should try and post pics of my set up? Cheers

What Gromit said. I had exactly the same problem with my 200tdi conversion, turned out to be a couple of the pipes to the turbo, I had checked them previously and there were no obvious signs of wear, but I ordered a new set anyway, and once I changed them I could feel the turbo kick, something which didn't happen before.

Yeah, the landy is my bread and butter, its always a panic when something goes wrong, hence wanting to kit it out with the wading kit and as much else as possible, in fact I may start another thread...just about how to make your landy bomb proof - without turning it into a tank! What do you think? Be pre-emptive thats what I recon!

Yeah, the whole place is a mess! Almost 20,000hectares of lodge-pole on blanket bog, but it can be fun...sometimes

Yeah, like I said with my work I never really know what the conditions are going to be like. I have never driven through water higher then the wheel arch, but I want to know that if I do inadvertently drive into a deep muddy hole (I often don't know how deep these "holes" are, yes I know I should get out and check...yeah right, north of scotland in the winter, that aint happening!) that my landy wont end up stuffed. Cheers for all the imput

Hello. What do you guys recon on this?... http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LANDROVER-tdi-ultimate-wading-kit-FULL-BREATHER-KIT-/140528663564?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item20b8293c0c#ht_2890wt_1141 I think it ticks all the boxes? Cheers