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Home > Faults & Fixes (L663) > Trailer Light Control Module - Bricked L663 on the trail
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H1Tad



Member Since: 20 Jul 2024
Location: Maine
Posts: 132

United States 
Trailer Light Control Module - Bricked L663 on the trail
Thankfully not my L663, but another one at a local offroad event called "The Pilgrimage" where an L663 (of unknown specification) basically broke down on the trail. Brakes were apparently locked up solid, vehicle wouldn't start and screens were unresponsive.

All due to a defective/damaged trailer controller module according to the dealer. Amazing to me that 1) There's a computer that has to "control" the trailer lights and 2) that it being damaged/defective could essentially disable the vehicle completely?

My Question is: Is there a "limp home" mode or a "ignore what the computers are saying" mode to get the vehicle out of the way and back to pavement where the flatbed can be called in? Would a battery disconnect/reconnect work? 2022 Defender 110 SE P400 Tasman Blue Expedition and Cold weather package
2003 Hummer H1 P400 Firehouse Red
2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser
Post #1048646 14th Oct 2024 3:13pm
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o-ren-ishii



Member Since: 25 Jul 2023
Location: The Hague
Posts: 35

Netherlands 
Interesting question!

I had similar issues far far far away from civilization. It started with getting stuck in deep mud/on a ledge, leading to "electrical error please stop safely". I'm not really sure if the problems are identical because I think my cause was a charger/second battery / dc-dc errors (and many more) resulting in an empty battery resulting in even more errors. One of them was a continues beeping from the electrical trailer hitch deployment panel in the back.

At first I didn't manage to salve the car and it was stuck in nomansland for a few days. No way for a flatbed to reach the place. But later when I wanted to pull the car out with help of another car I ran into this: https://www.defender2.net/forum/topic93574.html
Basically the car without power is a fricking 3,5ton anchor. You cannot pull it due to the gear being in park. And releasing the back mounted parking brakes is a major PITA but managable (if you have the right tools which are NOT in a normal toolkit, haven't found the "star"-bit yet).

Nobody at JLR could provide me with an answer about the 'park to neutral' lever being gone and what you can do in these situations. I've asked many many people.
Post #1048771 15th Oct 2024 5:18pm
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TexasRover



Member Since: 24 Nov 2022
Location: Paris
Posts: 1086

France 2002 Defender 110 Td5 DCPU Chawton White
Well, here comes the old man brigade.. all this new fangled stuff is nothing but trouble. I know times move on, but you know a few months ago I was in some dark corner of Angola in a hotel when the power and internet failed. Really leaves you with very little else than reading a book.. for a few days. I know not relevant because we are so used to things just working, but when they don't you find simple things are actually better.

If I was to cross say Australia, I probably rather drive something simple and bomb proof.. e.i. not a modern Landrover product. They are designed for domestic settings with internet connections and digital support a phone call away.
Post #1048775 15th Oct 2024 6:23pm
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lightning



Member Since: 23 Apr 2009
Location: High Peak, Derbyshire
Posts: 2849

United Kingdom 
lf only the new Defender or Grenadier could be specified with a manual gearbox. And a proper mechanical handbrake that you pull up to engage.

Both are fitted to our 2020 Jimny, so it's still possible.
Post #1048777 15th Oct 2024 6:42pm
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blackwolf



Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
Posts: 17450

United Kingdom 2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Stornoway Grey
The Grenadier does have a proper old-fashioned handbrake, not one of these stupid and unnecessary electric ones. I believe it has a reasonably simple mechanical park release on the gearbox as well.

It's no wonder that the traffic wombles hate electric parking brakes. Image 3.5 tonnes of immobile car in lane 2 of the M1 in rush hour.
Post #1048780 15th Oct 2024 6:56pm
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lightning



Member Since: 23 Apr 2009
Location: High Peak, Derbyshire
Posts: 2849

United Kingdom 
Well that's one big advantage that the Grenadier has then. You don't want an Overlander that can brick itself and be immovable in the middle of nowhere.

Surely
The door is open for an aftermarket supplier to produce a kit for disabling the brakes on a Defender in these circumstances.
Or some sort of remote add-on to enable the release lever to be operated from the cab.
Post #1048804 15th Oct 2024 9:33pm
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blackwolf



Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
Posts: 17450

United Kingdom 2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Stornoway Grey
It appears that the Grenadier can also be put into neutral from park reasonably easily with a dead battery. although this does unfortunately mean working from underneath. There is a lever with a screw beneath it, screwing the screw in pushes the lever which puts the transmission in neutral. I cannot see why moving the lever directly with a screwdriver or pry bar wouldn't achieve the same result. I still wouldn't like to have to do this in a live lane on a busy motorway.

The Grenadier apparently uses a screw with a 13mm hex head and a specially shaped spanner is included in the tool kit for the purpose (the standard ZF uses a socket head cap screw).

Sadly I don't have a Grenadier to try this procedure on, but I am both impressed and unsurprised that team Ineos thought about this and made it easy.

Detailed instructions (for a standard ZF 8-speed) at this link: https://www.fcpeuro.com/blog/how-to-put-th...tch-bypass
Post #1048874 16th Oct 2024 2:12pm
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Retroanaconda



Member Since: 04 Jan 2012
Location: Scotland
Posts: 2656

Scotland 
Defenders use the same gearbox so I’d imagine the procedure is similar.
Post #1048891 16th Oct 2024 4:58pm
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o-ren-ishii



Member Since: 25 Jul 2023
Location: The Hague
Posts: 35

Netherlands 
that's interesting. When I'm back home (16000 km to go) I'll put mine on the bridge to find out. I'm not quite sure if 'the defenders' are all exactly equal because there is a difference between 2022 2023 models.
Like stated; mine 2023 P400e has NO park/neutral lever anymore where a 2022 P300 does have one.

Regarding the ZF document above the bolt on the Defender both in practice and in the workplace manual does look different in form and location. That's not really promising.
See here:


Click image to enlarge



@lightning; The parking brake isn't the main issue here. With a torx 40 + big "star" socket you could undo the parking brake in 5 minutes.
Like this:


Click image to enlarge
Post #1048929 16th Oct 2024 8:30pm
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zilch



Member Since: 11 Sep 2019
Location: Whitsundays & Sydney
Posts: 820

Australia 
TexasRover wrote:
If I was to cross say Australia, I probably rather drive something simple and bomb proof.. e.i. not a modern Landrover product. They are designed for domestic settings with internet connections and digital support a phone call away.


Laughing Plenty of modern Land Rover owners in Oz take them into the nether regions, it’s seen as a
challenge.. Whistle and if under warranty, LR assist have to come and get you.. if not then one
of the other motoring organisations.. That said LR products are still a minority in Oz generally
compared to the Land Cruiser and Patrol Brigades .. yet another pommie bar steward down under

MY20 110 P400 SE Defender
MY10 3.0 RR Sport
Post #1049034 18th Oct 2024 12:06am
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blackwolf



Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
Posts: 17450

United Kingdom 2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Stornoway Grey
o-ren-ishii wrote:
... Regarding the ZF document above the bolt on the Defender both in practice and in the workplace manual does look different in form and location. That's not really promising.
...


It looks to me as though the bolt and lever have been deleted from the LR version of the box, and the spigot to which the lever is attached on the standard ZF has the flat for the spanner.

As long as the spigot is still present the method is probably the same. What's the betting that the spigot has been deleted for "value engineering" reasons?
Post #1049040 18th Oct 2024 7:48am
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