 | Home > Puma (Tdci) > Mysterious Red Wire - Advice Please |
 
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| Martin Site Admin Member Since: 02 Apr 2007 Location: Hook Norton Posts: 6604   
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It looks to me like a bypass has been fitted to enable the headlight relay.
In the factory setup, the white/green wire provided a (fused) 12V feed when the key is in position 2 (ignition). The relay coil is earthed on the thin black wire. This closes the relay, which connects the two (both usually blue) 30/87 in/out wires together. One wire comes from the main headlight toggle switch, the other supplies the dip/main column switch. However these wires appear black in the photos, are they blue or black? One thing to checks, with the red wire removed/not repaired, is there continuity from the white/green wire at the relay to the large white wire at the ignition switch? There should be a path back through the header C0285 to the fuse (15) and then back to the ignition switch feed to the fuse box (the large white wire). It may be this is broken, but this is not a good fix, as it is an unfused supply! I can supply a replacement C0282L/C0282R relay base (AFU3271) and terminals. It also appears a Type A relay has been substituted for the original which would be Type B. Type A has the coil terminals 85 and 86 close to each other. Type B has them opposite each other, and the in/out load terminals opposite as well.  1988 90 Td5 NAS soft top
2015 D90 XS SW |
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1st Aug 2023 12:44pm |
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| WanderingIceland Member Since: 09 Jul 2021 Location: Seltjarnarnes Posts: 5  
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Hi Martin and thanks so much for this.
1. 30/87 wires both BLUE 2. Continuity from W/G to W on ignition switch - I am not actually with the car at the moment. I can't check this until tomorrow. But, I did try starting the car yesterday with the Red Wire disconnected. On the dash, the red alarm light came on. But none of the other dash lights (glow plugs etc). The engine started fine. But... - main beam lights did not work - side lights worked - flashers/hazards worked I ran the engine for a few minutes. Then I tried to start it again but the battery had died. I initially thought this was just because I have not started it for a couple of months (been installing a new bulkhead - hell of a project but that's another story...). After some thought, I believe that the battery issue is likely due to a catastrophic leak of electricity. Hence, I'm reaching out to those who actually have knowledge of this stuff. So before I either damage major components or set fire to my mates workshop, I want to sort this out properly. 3. Yes please to C0282L relay base and terminals Let me know how I go about this ordering process 4. The type B - A relay change is worrying. But this is not surprising - this car was originally a rental vehicle. It is common for mechanics up here to bodge stuff as a fast fix to just get back on the road. I just want to get this back to the original state. Yours gratefully, Kelso - |
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1st Aug 2023 1:59pm |
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| Martin Site Admin Member Since: 02 Apr 2007 Location: Hook Norton Posts: 6604
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Hi Kelso,
The instrument cluster is supplied from the same header, and ultimately the same fuse, as is the heated rear window switch, the front heated window timer and the relay for the electric windows and heated seats (if any of those are fitted).
So check fuse 15 first: Click image to enlarge However it could be that there is damage to the wiring from fuse 15 to the header (the wire with the pink arrow added). The red wire I have added above is the bodged wire. This would require some testing with a multimeter to check continuity from the fuse, and a visual check of fuse 15's output terminal and the header input terminal (C0285-3) With the red wire in place, from what you say it was supplying the cluster (and all other items on the header) via the red wire too, and distributed via the header - but unfused! With the red wire broken off this supply isn't there, which points to the fuse 15 having blown or the feed out from the fuse to the header having failed. If you want to track down the header look for a yellow plug which is "single sided" (i.e. it doesn't seem to connect to anything), with white/green, white/black and light green/black wires coming out. As you have the bulkhead wiring all out and accessible you are in the perfect position to sort this properly  1988 90 Td5 NAS soft top
2015 D90 XS SW |
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1st Aug 2023 3:05pm |
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| WanderingIceland Member Since: 09 Jul 2021 Location: Seltjarnarnes Posts: 5
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Awesome info and clearly explained for an electrical layman - thanks so much Martin for your time.
I'll crack on with this tomorrow and get back with my findings. Regarding buying the necessary parts for this (and other doubtless similar necessary electrical corrections I'll uncover) - how do I order stuff from you? Is it all on the Defender2 shop? Kelso |
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1st Aug 2023 5:10pm |
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| Martin Site Admin Member Since: 02 Apr 2007 Location: Hook Norton Posts: 6604
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Drop me a PM with what you need
I haven't listed everything on the site shop but I have small stock of connectors and terminals for building and repairing harnesses  1988 90 Td5 NAS soft top
2015 D90 XS SW |
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2nd Aug 2023 8:43am |
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| WanderingIceland Member Since: 09 Jul 2021 Location: Seltjarnarnes Posts: 5
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Hi again Martin.
So, I finally got back to the workshop yesterday evening. My mechanic mate had very helpfully reassembled the whole dash etc. Therefore, I haven't been able to check out the header etc. Yet I am sure that it will prove to be as messed up as you predict. I did find that the 5amp fuse was indeed blown. I replaced this and hey presto, the gauges, headlights etc came on. Thanks for this. I started the engine and left it running for half an hour - ran like a dream. My plan now is to drive it to the only true Defender specialist garage and have them check through everything. I've already spent weeks on this project - and replacing the bulkhead was more of a challenge than I needed at this time. Particularly as the new bulkhead was by no means a "like-for-like", despite Shielder promising it would be. As I said, I believe there are actually a few such crazy "modifications" to the standard wiring. I hope to get this done today. It is highly likely that I'll be ordering those parts from yourself anyway. I'll report back on this thread once I've found all of the issues - it may also be of use to others. Thanks again, Kelso |
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4th Aug 2023 9:44am |
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| Martin Site Admin Member Since: 02 Apr 2007 Location: Hook Norton Posts: 6604
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Hopefully that sorts it for you!
1988 90 Td5 NAS soft top
2015 D90 XS SW |
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4th Aug 2023 9:49am |
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