 | Home > In Car Electronics > Main beam and dip beam won't work |
 
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| custom90 Member Since: 21 Jan 2010 Location: South West, England. Posts: 20322  
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Probably a relay failure, but remember IF you are using an upgrade loom then the switch is the trigger for the relays so if there isn’t power to trigger you will not have a relay activated and that includes fuses needing to be intact for the switch LR fuse box, and the supply to the relay also, that then is outgoing to the lights.
I always prefer having two relays, one for the dipped, and one for the main as a plan B if needed in emergency. The dim dip thing is a pain, I unplugged mine a long time ago. Clicking is usually the relays coil, energising and energising. Which could be caused by a poor or loose ground, or loose live connection. If it’s going click, click, click a lot by it’s self if you move a little wiring then it’s likely a loose connection or poor connection. A multimeter is likely your friend here, especially a ground continuity check.  ⭐️⭐️God Bless the USA 🇬🇧🇺🇸 ⭐️⭐️ |
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7th Jan 2024 8:04pm |
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| Martin S Member Since: 30 Jul 2018 Location: Marlow Posts: 7 
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Thanks very much for your reply. I have two relays one dip and one for beam. There's something very odd happening and i just can't get to the bottom of it. The head light feed to headlights relay comes from an additional fuse box fed direct from the battery. I think i will unplug the dim dip - where will I find it on my defender.
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7th Jan 2024 8:30pm |
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| custom90 Member Since: 21 Jan 2010 Location: South West, England. Posts: 20322
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I think the dim dip was reintroduced late TD5 onwards, for a while, so I’m unsure if your’s will have it due to year, as, I’m not entirely sure when it was introduced.
I’d pull out a relay, and check the pins for voltage and ground continuity based on a diagram readily available online, it’s the best way to track down the fault with a multimeter. Pin 30, incoming supply, *(internal relay switch contacts)* pin 87 output supply (to the lights). Incoming Live Trigger on and off; Pin 86 *relay energising coil* Pin 85 coil Ground. Typical pin layout based upon a typical ‘make / break’ Relay. Of course don’t forget the separate lighting ground(s) too. You’ll be expecting to see at least 11v plus, on pin 30 at all times. The same on pin 87 if the relay is fitted and working and with the switching working and turned on. Voltage on pin 86 with switching turned on. And a good continuity reading on the grounding points as close to 0 Ohms as possible, if a high reading then there is a ground fault likely. Any low voltage (where voltage should be present) reading is another sign of poor connection, in the ground or lives. ⭐️⭐️God Bless the USA 🇬🇧🇺🇸 ⭐️⭐️ |
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7th Jan 2024 8:55pm |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17361 
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If the vehicle in question is a station wagon it is unlikely to have had dim-dip, it tended to be fitted to the commercial variants (which don't have the level adjuster on the dash).
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7th Jan 2024 9:19pm |
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| Martin S Member Since: 30 Jul 2018 Location: Marlow Posts: 7
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It's definitely got dim dip in it. The relays and power are all good. Something is causing a break in the circuit because when I rigged my temporary supply by triggering terminal 86 it all worked and then that failed in the same way
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7th Jan 2024 9:28pm |
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| custom90 Member Since: 21 Jan 2010 Location: South West, England. Posts: 20322
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Have you checked the pins on the LRs harness that they check out correctly? As those are the source of the trigger live presumably?
In particular the live supplies, if one is producing a low voltage that can give you a clue as to which circuit to look at. If I remember rightly, the dipped and main beam circuits, not only go though the sidelight, dipped switch. But, also the main beam stalk too and though the contacts there, just behind the steering cowl. Obviously the dipped and main beam fuses in the LR fuse box need to be in-tact. I seem to remember the dipped live, and main beam live went through the main beam stalk switching system. Possibly one of these contacts has got bent, or making poor contact or got too hot. If you are getting a fault on both main and dipped, then it could be common ground. Both trigger ground and the headlights ground need to be checked that they are showing as a good ground. The point of the auxiliary loom on headlights is so a reduced current flows though LR factory switching and contacts to prolong its life and reliability. The factory wiring then, only triggers the relays coils giving an approx load of 150mA (under 0.2A) on each LR factory switching circuit. And the current for the headlights directly fed from alternator, via an inline fuse near the alternator, to the relay internal switch contacts and through to the headlights with a better voltage and the current flowing through this instead reducing the current load via the switches. It reduces the load from around 9.2A @ 12.2v for 2x standard 55w Incandescent standard headlights Or approx 5.2A for LED through the switches down to only under 0.2A / somewhere between 50mA and 200mA. In the process, the voltage often increases a little bit with in range directly at the headlights. A particular benefit if you use standard headlights that aren’t LED, but if you do have LED like I do then the reduced load on the switching is still beneficial to have the harness, and it’s compatible with both incandescent and LED, both forwards, and backwards compatible. It has been observed to see a voltage increase at the headlights after the loom upgrade Typically 1v or 2v but, variable, but is beneficial for performance and still within expected voltage range. My guess is a poor ground around the wings area, or the main beam stalk switch could do with replacing. The LR loom, is supplied from ignition switched live in the fuse box, goes through the sidelight, dipped, off switch. Though the main beam stalk switching, contacts and wiring system then out, to the headlights. So this is where the trigger feeds are coming via, bypassing the two switches, should show you if it is those, but I’d only bypass one at a time to see which one. I tend to think the main beam stalk, and those contacts, possibly even a loose connector on one of the contacts rear maybe culprit. They can come loose or slip off also. Good luck ⭐️⭐️God Bless the USA 🇬🇧🇺🇸 ⭐️⭐️ |
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7th Jan 2024 11:40pm |
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| Martin S Member Since: 30 Jul 2018 Location: Marlow Posts: 7
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I wonder if this has anything to do with it? The lights worked for a bit today!
What is this thing? |
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8th Jan 2024 4:06pm |
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| custom90 Member Since: 21 Jan 2010 Location: South West, England. Posts: 20322
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You mean this
 Click image to enlarge ? If so, that’s the dim dip resistor I think, unplug it and go from there. I remember I had a lot of issues with that before myself, and unplugging it is the answer. On mine, that cured the dipped and main issues I had, sidelight was gone hence the resistor disconnected but as mine were LED I fitted piggyback looms from the upper separate little sidelights down to the headlights as mine has sidelight function too. That damn resistor drove me crazy in the past looking for the thing and the issue, and even if it is active with regular headlights it doesn’t do them any good running on sidelights like that anyway. It’s likely the dim dip resistor, is sending lower voltage to the relay than it should see to trigger it properly hence the sporadic issues you’ve had. Strange that’s it’s just happened though, have you recently fitted the headlight loom? ⭐️⭐️God Bless the USA 🇬🇧🇺🇸 ⭐️⭐️ |
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8th Jan 2024 4:56pm |
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