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Home > Technical > TD5 defender headlight failure - HELP PLEASE

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blackwolf

Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
Posts: 17520

2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Stornoway Grey

tasr12, when you say that you have main beam do you mean that you have main beam when you pull the stalk to flash the headlights, or do you have main beam when you turn on the headlights ina normal way and push the stalk to the main beam position?

If the main beam only works on flash, it could be a relay problem since there is an ignition-controlled relay in the supply circuit to the dip/main switch, fitted to ensure that the headlights can only be illuminated persistently with the ignition on (you can't leave the headlights on with the engine stopped). The headlamp flasher circuit has a separate supply so that the flasher works without the key being present.

If this relay had failed you would have sidelights, headlamp flash, but neither dip nor main continuous headlamps.

If what you are saying is that the main beam works normally and the dip beam not at all, then there must be an open circuit somewhere between the dip/main stalk switch and the headlamps themselves, and it must be somewhere between the switch and the point where the harnesses to the two wings go their separate ways. Either that or you have had two dip beam filament failures at the same time (which isn't unheard of but is unlikely).

If the vehicle has or had dim dip, then that could very possibly be where the problem lies. The TD5 is very different to the TDCi as far as the dim dip implementation is concerned, and I am not myself familiar with it (the TDCi is much simpler).

10th Nov 2015 1:41pm

tasr12

Member Since: 09 Jun 2013
Location: Dorset
Posts: 228

2002 Defender 110 Td5 CSW Zambezi Silver

Blackwolf,

Thanks - terminology issues, probably my fault.

I have both sidelights and 'full' beam on either flash (pull) or permanent (ith the stalk pushed forwards fully.
I don't have dipped main headlights.

My thinking over the relay was the pink 'dip' relay behind the instrument cluster - I haven't been able to change yet.

I haven't changed the bulbs as a) the elements look intact and b) originally I lost dipped beam last Wednesday morning only for it to come back for the rest of the day, Thursday and Friday morning. Friday night it had gone again.

Phone diagnosis with an Indy suggests its in the wiring junction behind the fuses where there may be a break?

Either way I need to try and resolve but currently don't have the time with work - awkward! 2002 110 CSW TD5, Zambezi Silver
1995 110 CSW 300TDi - SOLD

10th Nov 2015 3:43pm

tasr12

Member Since: 09 Jun 2013
Location: Dorset
Posts: 228

Courtesy of AL Services - issue now resolved.

Didn't manage to speak to them in detail on pick up but it required the dash off and the issue stemmed from the wiring behind the fuse box. Unfortunately not something I could have done in the time I had (if at all) and that's the other mods budget I wanted to do on hold for a few months!

Thanks to all replies,

Tom 2002 110 CSW TD5, Zambezi Silver
1995 110 CSW 300TDi - SOLD

13th Nov 2015 8:05am

blackwolf

Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
Posts: 17520

Glad you're sorted!

The joys of Defender ownership, eh!

13th Nov 2015 8:16am

tasr12

Member Since: 09 Jun 2013
Location: Dorset
Posts: 228

I said never again after the 300Tdi went but here I am again! 2002 110 CSW TD5, Zambezi Silver
1995 110 CSW 300TDi - SOLD

13th Nov 2015 8:29am

MUY

Member Since: 28 Jun 2016
Location: Cornwall
Posts: 1

davew wrote:
It'll be the switch, the main dip/full one. the contact that supplies power to the two positions goes high resistance causing it to fail. High beam "flash" gets it's power via a different route. If you are handy with a soldering iron you can normally get it working again by soldering the brass post to the copper track it's supposed to make contact with... but watch for the plastic support melting !

Click image to enlarge

The blue wire is the supply into the switch, you can see the repair I did to fix it although I later replaced the assembly just in case and have kept the repaired one as a spare.

To test it check to see if there is power (with the lights on) at the blue wire and on the copper strip itself. If you partially slide the blue wire off the post you'll find you have power on the brass post but not on the copper track it is riveted to. This seems to be the common point of failure for this switch.

The main switch can also fail but normally you can feel that that isn't right and it sounds as if the dim dip relay is firing which suggests the main switch is working OK.

A new member to the forum.. i registered specially to say Massive thanks to Davew !!!! this has just solved the headlight issue which has been driving me mad

legend !

28th Jun 2016 11:56am

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