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taazzukcb

Member Since: 30 Aug 2013
Location: Derbyshire
Posts: 663

2004 Defender 110 Td5 DCPU Stornoway Grey

Defender Headlight Problems

Evening All,

Having a few issues with me headlights!

Yesterday I had my first full day off road at Land Craft near lake Bala (might I just say, what an excellent day it was)! Everything went well and no major problems!

On the way home, I kept getting flashed ... this turned out to be my tail lights ... I had none, which were recently changed to Britpart items ... They have basically melted after they had been on all day at Bala ... Top quality items from Britpart eh! Living up to their reputation I guess! Got one working again which was fine. All day and all the way home, the headlights were absolutely fine.

This morning on the way to work, I think they were fine but dont really know as it was light!

However this evening after popping into a friends, I went to go home in the dark and noticed I no loner have any headlights!!!

From off, I get the following:

> First Notch (Sidelights) - I get both sidelights, then about 5 seconds after I get headlights on, but very very dim (probably around 50%). My high beam flasher stalk works fine whilst I hole it.

> Second Notch (Low Beam) - The 2 small sidelights stay on but the headlights go out completely. My permanent high beam switch does nothing, but temporary HighBeam flasher still works still.

Tail lights work fine, indicators work fine. Just the headlights. If I leave the switch on low beam and turn the ignition off very very slowly, I think I get a brief flick of low beam in the headlights before the ignition springs off.

The lights on the Dash work fine to.

I have stripped the steering column down and looked into the switch ... looks clean and smells clean. Feels fine to function as well. Nothing obviously melted or out of place?

Not got access to the relay which I believe is behind the speedo clocks?

Even though it looks ok, am I looking at switch, or relay? Or could it be something else?

Where to the headlights earth to?

Any help appreciated as she's my daily drive to!

Kind Regards To All!

P.s. Have had a good search and read many topics, just thought I'd ask and post up my findings so far!

10th Feb 2014 10:19pm

grafty99

Member Since: 15 Aug 2012
Location: North Devon
Posts: 4796

sounds like main headlight switch to me, I think the tail lights are a coincidence

2002 90 Td5 Station Wagon
1990 Vogue SE
Triumph Tiger Explorer 1200
Td5 90 Thread http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic50767.html
Tdi 110 Thread https://www.defender2.net/forum/topic69562.html
RRC Thread http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic54492.html
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10th Feb 2014 10:21pm

Gareth

Member Since: 12 Dec 2011
Location: Woodford
Posts: 1116

I had this very recently, it was the dip/indicator switch that had failed.

http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic25859.html 2021 Defender 110 X-Dynamic HSE D300 MHEV
1966 S2a 109 aka Betsy

10th Feb 2014 10:27pm

bm52

Member Since: 04 Apr 2010
Location: Kent
Posts: 2189

2014 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 XS CSW Havana

I am so glad I bought RDX tail and side lights. Nice and bright and no issues in last 18 months. Worth the cost in my opinion.

I still have standard indicators, can't see a financial reason why I need to change, they are working fine.

Headlights = Crystal with Philips Xtreme and a new switch changed just in case as I drive with dipped lights all the time! So far no failures just new bulbs about every 12 months. BM52

10th Feb 2014 10:30pm

grafty99

Member Since: 15 Aug 2012
Location: North Devon
Posts: 4796

The cheaper and most common problem to fix is the master light switch. It's easier to change too. Also no matter what the problem turns out to be, it's worth running the lighting circuit through a relay - multiple benefits

10th Feb 2014 10:39pm

ZeDefender

Member Since: 15 Sep 2011
Location: Munich
Posts: 4731

2011 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 SW Baltic Blue

+1
New switch and harness for less than 50 quid:
https://shop.landreiziger.nl/lichtversterk...elaar.html
see thread:
http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic26097.html

p.s. plus you've got a 300 Tdi so the harness goes straight to the alternator - no fussing about

Tell someone you love them today because life is short.
But shout it at them in German because life is also terrifying and confusing...

10th Feb 2014 11:05pm

bpman

Member Since: 21 May 2008
Location: Oslo
Posts: 8069

2008 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 SVX Station Wagon Santorini Black

being a 1989 defender. it probably has dim-dip, from what you are describing, it looks like your dim-dip resistor is broken, the resistor is located inside the o/s wing top (not easy to get to). However, if you remove the dash/speedo, you may find a bright pink relay, this is your dim-dip relay, these can be bypassed by making up a simple 3 wire loom. I found the instructions on LR4x4 forum, or MMGemini has also helped me in the past with this issue.

11th Feb 2014 9:29am

Greg L

Member Since: 30 Sep 2013
Location: Alexandria
Posts: 46

Have you checked the yellow headlight relay in the fusebox in front of gear stick, there is another yellow relay there to swap to check it is working. Mind buy another relay if it's faulty as the other yellow relay immobilises the Landy.

11th Feb 2014 1:35pm

taazzukcb

Member Since: 30 Aug 2013
Location: Derbyshire
Posts: 663

Hi All,

Thought I'd update this. After some investigation yesterday, we thought it was the Dim/Dip Relay. Pulled the pink cover off and worked the actuator manually and we thought the headlight were coming on. Got home just before it got dark and had some further investigation and soon noticed all that was doing was working the Dim bit, the headlights still weren't functioning as expected.

I have however bypassed the Dim/Dip now anyway, and it's just a single wire joining Blue/Red to Blue/Red, not sure what the third cable would be for BPMAN? The official bypass is also just linking these 2 wires as well!?

After some further investigation, I'm now under the impression it's the High/Low switch set-up. There's a small piece of hinged metal on the back which activates the high beam if pushed with my fingernail, if however I push a tiny bit I can get the headlights to activate as they'll stay on until I go to High Beam, then Low Low as it'll then kill them, but if I tweak that small tang again, they'll come back on!

I've ordered a new switch now as well as a Master Light Switch as well ... just as backup!

If I short the blue wire from the High/Low Switch, to the Master Light Switch I can bypass it and bring the headlights on permanently, but this is obviously not good!

12th Feb 2014 9:03am

taazzukcb

Member Since: 30 Aug 2013
Location: Derbyshire
Posts: 663

ZeDefender - I'll have a look into that loom. Will try and find a UK source!

12th Feb 2014 9:04am

bpman

Member Since: 21 May 2008
Location: Oslo
Posts: 8069

I don't have my 300 any more, but I'm sure it was a 3 way loom ... looks like you've fixed it with 2 wires

12th Feb 2014 5:16pm

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