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Inigo

Member Since: 13 Nov 2011
Location: Kent
Posts: 617

2012 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 USW Orkney Grey

Adding additional interior lights

It is quite dark in the back of my USW and when fully loaded, the light in the centre doesn't help much. I have fitted a couple of Mud stuff small LED lights in the headlining closer to the back of the vehicle. However I have got myself really confused when trying to wire them up.

I've had a look at the wiring diagram:

and wanted them to come on whenever the main light did, either through the door opening or the switch being operated. I cannot get this to work. I seem to have tried all possible combinations.

The best I have got to is to get them to come on when the door is opened, but the main light no longer comes on (at all). It also seems to work differently depending on whether I use the original filament bulb in the main light or a replacement LED.

Can anyone help?

13th Feb 2013 12:39pm

DAZ110

Member Since: 06 Dec 2007
Location: East Sussex
Posts: 2039

2013 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 XS CSW Barolo Black

All I know is that the LED bulbs have to fitted the correct way around in the lamp holder, but I doubt this helps much, sorry.

13th Feb 2013 1:09pm

Killer90
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Member Since: 09 Oct 2011
Location: Hertfordshire
Posts: 6478

2016 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 XS DCPU Fuji White

hmm not sure whats wrong there you could try contacting MUD, alternatively i have loads still left for sale see this thread here http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic17982.html mine are direct replacements no wiring and they dim when the door shuts/opens etc just like the originals

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13th Feb 2013 1:12pm

Porny
Site Sponsor

Member Since: 31 Aug 2009
Location: Sutton Coldfield - West Midlands
Posts: 809

To make them come on when the rear door is opened is easy...

Just give the lamp permanent 12 volts (which you will at the current light) and switch via earth... so basically piggy back off the rear door switch (to the right of the rear door). When the door is opened, the switch goes to earth and will put the lamp on. This means the normal lights will still work as intended

You can switch them via the light, but this is a little bit more involved... The light is controlled by 3 ways... the manual switch, the door switches going to earth or by the alarm 10AS unit (which turns the lights on when the alarm is disarmed) and also does the dimming function.

Off the top of my head, I can't remember where I connected into last time I did this.

Ian IRB
The home of the first modified Keswick Green 90 - and the first 2.4 Puma through both the 200bhp and 550Nm barriers.

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13th Feb 2013 1:58pm

SiWhite

Member Since: 19 Jan 2010
Location: North Hampshire
Posts: 455

2013 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 USW Stornoway Grey

Inigo, interior lights are fairly unique in that the earth is switched by the door opening and closing, and a permanent live is fitted. Most other circuits have a switched live, and are permanently earthed.

You'll need to take a live feed from somewhere (might as well take it from the existing interior lights, to keep a common fuse) and then connect the earth either to the switch at the rear door or inside the existing light. As someone has mentioned, you may need to switch pos and neg inside the new LED lights - the D in LED stands for Diode - they only work when 12v 'flows' through them one way and not the other.

Hpe this helps. My blog - www.anacreinhampshire.blogspot.co.uk

110 TD5 BuildHERE - sold!
110 Tdci Build HERE - sold!
Passat Alltrack - 4x4, auto, 45mpg, gloriously comfortable - but not a Defender!

13th Feb 2013 2:03pm

Inigo

Member Since: 13 Nov 2011
Location: Kent
Posts: 617

Thanks for the replies.

I appreciate that the LEDs have to be wired the right way round. I also fell foul of the negative base plate and blew a fuse in fitting the replacement LED.

I have some similar to Killer90's, but fitted a while back, cheapo Ebay jobs, but 50% of the LED elements have burnt out so I will probably replace with a set of Killer's.

The replacement LED was working fine and if I disconnect the new MUD lamps, still works. With the MUD lamps connected, it does not work. I can get either the MUD lamps to work, or the existing light (whether it has the original filament bulb or the replacement LED) but not both. I understand that power is supplied via the 10AS alarm box (that also powers the lamps down after they have been left on for a while). Does this somehow not like there being extra load on the circuit?

I have run cables over the headlining to the central lamp fitting and am trying to avoid running the elsewhere, unless necessary. But current state of play is that the MUD lamps are wired between permanent live and switched earth (from light fitting) and come on when the door opens, but original lamp does not work.

Struggling to understand what is going on.

13th Feb 2013 2:37pm

achuakh

Member Since: 12 Apr 2012
Location: Singapore
Posts: 158

Hope you have sorted your problem by now, but i'll share how i did mine.

I got 2x 5w halogen bulbs and 2x ikea round lamps. the ones the mount below the shelving.

so i just take my solder and solder 2 wires in parallel to the main courtesy lamp where the bulb is. so it's one wire to each side of the bulb holder. this makes a parallel connection. so you don't have to muck around with the wiring on the vehicle directly.

so the 10AS will switch 20W to ground (as 2x 10W) front and back lamps if you have a SW, i've a HT.

Now, using those wires, connect them to the ikea wiring kit, you just cut off the plug which goes to the step down transformer and you have the bare wires, connect them, 1 to each of the 2 wires you soldered earlier.

place the lights and screw them onto the center rib of the roof (or where you want them) and there you have it.

These additional 2 lamps are tied to the front courtesy lamp, be it on, off or door. i've added a red led strip on the side edge of rear door as a safety when the door is opened, all using this 'new' wiring loom.

I've used this setup for over 8yrs. I never had a cooked 10AS or blew a fuse.

In a nutshell it's additional 3 parallel connections from the front courtesy lamp at the point where it contacts the bulb.

However, if you want to go easy on the load, then use LEDs instead. From the land of the most expensive land rover defenders on planet earth. At �125k for a XS 110 csw and you get to own it only for 10yrs! Please find me a good reason to stay on this island.

20th May 2013 8:05am

custom90

Member Since: 21 Jan 2010
Location: South West, England.
Posts: 20371

If it helps have a look at 'custom lighting mods' in my gallery you can see how I did mine. If your using LED extra lights providing the current draw doesn't exceed the standard 10w incandescent bulb it will be fine and react just the same as the interior light. Wiring wise it will work perfectly this way just solder your connections to the existing interior light terminals where the light sits. Don't tap into the actual wires to the fitting or you'll lose the switching ability of the standard interior light. $W33T $0U7H3RN $UG4R
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20th May 2013 9:43am

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