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TD5 Defender = no headlights!?


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I hope someone can point me in the right direction with this as I HATE car electrics. I might be an instrument tech who deals with things far more complex on a daily basis, but the layout of car wiring and the PITA accessibility means I think all car coloured string is the spawn of the devil!

That over with, we have a TD5 90 on a 56 plate (the last of them) and last night SWMBO rolled into the drive and at that point both the dash lights and main and dip beam went out. Looking at this this morning we have the following:-

  • Sidelights work fine and the 'lights on' lamp comes on on the dash.
  • Flick the column switch over to headlights (main or dipped) and the lights on indicator goes off and we have no headlights or sidelights. Ignition on or off makes no difference.
  • Checked the 30A main supply fuse for the lighting under the seat and that is fine.
  • If I flash the headlights from the indicator arm they work fine

I have a Haynes manual here which states it covers the 56 plate but the wiring colours don't match. So that makes a hard job even harder?

Anyone have any suggestions before the dash ends up in bits? :closedeyes:

Paul

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The switches on the steering column often melt inside - have a look there to start.

Cheers Anders,

The headlights or indicator hi/lo stalk?

The Indicator arm is genuine and only 6 months old. The headlight one is original AFAIK. Looks OK externally. Wire colours are Blue/red/brown. What would be what so I can test it?

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You can test it if you want but TBH its more than likely going to be that shorter switch that Western and Anders are talking about, with the symptoms you have described.

PRC3430 is the P/N

http://www.lrseries.com/shop/product/listing/9796/PRC3430-MASTER-LIGHTING-SWITCH.html?search=PRC3430&page=1

£11+vat :)

Hope that helps

Mat

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Cheers all for the help and you were all on the money....FUBAR'd light switch! Linked it out and everything works fine.

For later switch info if anyone wonders..

  • Brown - +12vdc supply in
  • Red - Sidelights out (switch pos 1)
  • Blue - headlights out (switch pos 2 also includes sidelights pos1)

I found that the back of the switch was missing and the top section could wobble. Also the headlight contact had signs of very slight overheating and had receded a tad into the plastic. I have fixed this one temporarily but a new one is on order. As this is a later model it also seems that there is a headlight relay to take some of the load but after 7 years the switch still fails ;)

Part No. for the switch for around '99 to now is AMR6104R. It has a different plug to that on the PRC3430. £9 delivered for the Brit/All'm offering via 'the bay'.

Matfield - those colours are more like what I have than the damn Haaynes excuse ;)

Paul

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What you might find is that the cheap switch .... Is a cheap switch. My original one lasted years before it melted. My cheap one(s) lasted months.

The Land Rover part is a fortune - but I did find an OEM one that was definitely the original quality and is still working now - the cost was somewhere between genuine and cheap pattern.

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If it was me I'd go with the genuine or at least OEM as well... unless I was going to fit relays for the headlamps like Mike (mmgemini) did... in which case there should be no issues with melting switches and terminals :)

Glad it all worked out for you... the Haynes wiring diagrams can be "interesting" to try and decipher with their colour codes but black and white schematics!

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  • 3 weeks later...

Mine burnt out when I was taking my son to the airport last year, frantic 10 mins at the side of the road pulling the cowl apart and linking it out!!

I kept the plug off the old switch and linked it so I can do a quick replacement when the new switch dies at the most inappropriate time :rolleyes:

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