MOD Defender lights after convoy switch removed

[Cchase]

When Defenders are sent to the MOD are the convoy light selector switches put in after-market or directly from the factory?

I have a 1995 ex MOD 110 that has had this switch removed and somewhat returned to normal. The headlights work from two console mounted switches added when the convoy light switch was removed.

There are some issues. There are no parking lights by themselves, rather all lights come on with either of the two switches and the dash lights are wired in with one of these switches and not with their own switch or rheostat. The headlightlight switches are the leftmost upper and lower in the photo.

So back to my original question... Were these trucks built with the convoy light switch at the factory or was it a normal Defender and the convoy light switch was added afterward?

There are parts of the main harness that are still functional as I was able to get a stalk mounted headlight switch to plug in and turn on the headlights (still with headlights in both the first and second positions).

The answer to this will hopefully shed some light on which wiring diagram I should be looking at. (Whomever did the conversion used red and white wiring...)

Thanks,

Colin

 

[western]

Would have been factory fit to MOD order requirements, not done by military workshops, they just wouldn't have the time or manpower & it would take brand new vehicles out of use.

 

[Cchase]

So would this mean that the wiring harness would be specific to the order or modified from the regular Defender loom?

Thanks,

Colin

[western]

IIRC the military 6 way light switch is a factory plug in loom, photo below from https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/502705/FOI2016-00702_2320-D-128-711_Final.pdf

 

this post in our military forum might help 

 

 

 

[Cchase]

Thanks. This is helpful.

Colin

[neil110]

What people may not know is that when the original military light switch was fitted there were various other wrinkles. When in the convoy position it also isolates the supply to things like brake lights and indicators. This prevents inadvertent lighting of said items 

[Dave W]

The MOD loom, on mine at least, is completely different to the civilian loom of the same period, not just a different layout but different colours too.

Converting it fully to civilian lighting switches isn't a 2 minute job. On mine I added the stalks and extended all the cables from the stalks to the centre of the dash being the convoy switch and hooked it in one circuit at a time. Everything you need is there, just takes a bit of finding.

I have the military wiring diagram for mine (a 1990 110) somewhere if you need one.

[Cchase]

Dave W. The rewiring of my lights came before I got it as I am the third owner after the MOD sold the truck. If you can easily find the diagram, I would appreciate it. My plan is to undo some of what was done and start fresh with relays for the headlights and to just use the steering column switch.

Thanks, All!

[Dave W]

Have messaged you with a link

[Cchase]

Thanks Dave!

[Eightpot]

Before you go any further just check for a headlamp switch loom multiplug in the normal place  behind the column - most mod looms I've looked at have had the civilian plug built in the loom anyway. 

[neil110]

On 8/6/2017 at 9:39 PM, Dave W said:

The MOD loom, on mine at least, is completely different to the civilian loom of the same period, not just a different layout but different colours too.

Yes, I remember spending hours with a new loom on the living room floor, tracing every wire and trying to work out what it did. brown/slate for indicators anybody? As opposed to the civilian green/white or green/red. Relays to prevent things from working, I think I removed something like 3 relays from the loom.

Then again, even military looms on series vehicles had a relay for the brake lights and a relay for the horn