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CaptainDan



Member Since: 14 Apr 2017
Location: Victoria
Posts: 53

Australia 2013 Defender 130 Puma 2.2 HCPU Alaska White
It sounds like I need a second opinion just when I thought I had this fixed. Thanks for the heads up I will let you know what I find out
Post #755859 3rd Feb 2019 9:34am
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Caterham



Member Since: 06 Nov 2008
Location: Birmingham
Posts: 6298

England 2011 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Stornoway Grey
just a thought. was the auto electrician linked to the guys that did the original work.
has he reinstated the earth and covered up for the guys that left it off?

just to let you know when my earth strap wasn't tightened up properly I had various issues - can't exactly remember seem to think stuff like hand brake light on dash would flash when indicating left or right...daft stuff like that - only drove it a mile. did you have any other issues / symptoms of bad earth?
Post #755872 3rd Feb 2019 10:08am
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wyvern



Member Since: 13 Dec 2009
Location: Cornwall
Posts: 2101

United Kingdom 2012 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 XS CSW Firenze Red
I had a similar event happen with my 110 - it happened when the battery shorted against the body work in the battery box - the vehicle went to a dead short and the hand break cable becomes a sudo fuse, got hot and melted the cable sheath and caused a lot of smoke.

I know this was the cause as I was adding a 2nd battery at the time and know the cause strait away.

maybe something similar ?

Thumbs Up Poppy - TDCI (Puma) 110XS 2.2 - Camper conversion - see the build here - https://www.defender2.net/forum/topic56530.html
Elgar -TDCI(Puma) 110XS Dormobile - now sold
Devon & Cornwall 4x4 Response - DC126
Post #755924 3rd Feb 2019 2:00pm
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CaptainDan



Member Since: 14 Apr 2017
Location: Victoria
Posts: 53

Australia 2013 Defender 130 Puma 2.2 HCPU Alaska White
Hi All, no this was a different electrician and not connected in anyway to the mob that fitted the engine, and no I had no symptoms prior to the short and small fire. I now have a small extinguisher jammed between the driver seat and the cubby box just in case.

I spoke to a specialist auto electrician today who had heard of this problem before but without seeing was stumped to explain why it happened. He agreed that the small wire has nothing to do with the problem but did say he would expect it to short out on start up not after having run for 100 kms then short and catch fire the only thing he could say over the phone was it was possible for the handbrake cable to short out on the cables running from the fuse cluster under the driver seat but there is no evidence of that and having fitted a new cable last week it ran just fine over the weekend covering over 400 kms with no problems. Anyway I am taking it to him on Friday just to be sure so once I get it back I will let you know what he found.

Daniel
Post #756155 4th Feb 2019 11:20am
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Alister



Member Since: 07 Jan 2021
Location: Queensland
Posts: 3

Australia 2005 Defender 110 2.5 TD USW Alaska White
Same problem. How do ,I know if the main earth ( from battery to transfer box via chassis) has failed? Are there any other earth straps that could be the problem? Cheers Alister
Post #876794 7th Jan 2021 3:40am
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LR90XS2011



Member Since: 05 Apr 2011
Location: bickenhill
Posts: 3639

United Kingdom 2011 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Galway Green
remember an earth can look fine but have a high resistance joint, it is best to add additional earths, and then clean up the connection points on the originals and protect them from water ingress and corrosion with some form of protection (spray wax or similar) DEFENDER 90 TDCI XS,

I hope everyone is well and your land rovers make you happy
Post #876797 7th Jan 2021 6:30am
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Alister



Member Since: 07 Jan 2021
Location: Queensland
Posts: 3

Australia 2005 Defender 110 2.5 TD USW Alaska White
Thanks for that. Where would you suggest originating and terminating another earth?
Post #876803 7th Jan 2021 7:39am
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Julie



Member Since: 07 Oct 2017
Location: Nantes
Posts: 479

France 2012 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 SW Keswick Green
The battery box ? From - to chassis
Post #876917 7th Jan 2021 6:42pm
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MartinJC



Member Since: 12 Jul 2014
Location: Gauteng
Posts: 13

South Africa 2014 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 SW Fuji White
I had simular problem, an aftermarket battery was fitted to our 2.2 Gameviewer, the battery’s post where higher than the Oem, thus when the battery cover was replaced, caused the negative to directly earth to the battery cover andvthen on to the body, not a big problem unless the negative cable running from the battery becomes loose where it bonds to the chasis! It is therefore not the earth strap alone you need to check but also the cable from the battery to chasis! The Electrical equipment ultimately finds its negative path through the handbrake cable. If your indi have not heard about such a landy problem, then he is not qualified to work on landy’s!.

Loosen all main earthing points, clean and retighten them!! If you drive it without finding the fault then you are going to loose your Landy! 2002 130 td5 Gameviewer
2004 110 td5 SUV
2012 110 2.2 HCPU
2013 110 2.2 PU Gameviewer
2014 110 2.2 SUV
2018 110 Traxxas RC
Post #877490 10th Jan 2021 2:42pm
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Julie



Member Since: 07 Oct 2017
Location: Nantes
Posts: 479

France 2012 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 SW Keswick Green
I have a harvester’s battery in mine. The poles are not to far away from the metal sheet coverîng the battery box.

I resolved this issue with plastic caps.
Post #877539 10th Jan 2021 5:02pm
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Alister



Member Since: 07 Jan 2021
Location: Queensland
Posts: 3

Australia 2005 Defender 110 2.5 TD USW Alaska White
Thanks for all the help. Giving it to.auto electrician
Post #877630 10th Jan 2021 10:10pm
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MartinJC



Member Since: 12 Jul 2014
Location: Gauteng
Posts: 13

South Africa 2014 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 SW Fuji White
Please note!. Even if all the straps are fine, you could stil have current going through the handbrake cable if the negative battery pole touches the metal battery lid, as it would be providing a parralel path!
Regards 2002 130 td5 Gameviewer
2004 110 td5 SUV
2012 110 2.2 HCPU
2013 110 2.2 PU Gameviewer
2014 110 2.2 SUV
2018 110 Traxxas RC
Post #877816 11th Jan 2021 8:41pm
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ekcolr



Member Since: 20 Nov 2023
Location: Wellsford
Posts: 1

New Zealand 2015 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 SW Keswick Green
Just had exact same problem! The handbrake has melted and there was a small fire in the handbrake boot and the little wire melted.

Found the cause in this case, the battery had come loose and slid forward, the plastic cap on the positive wire had also come off so the positive terminal has shorted onto the metal work!!! No fuse in that path so coulda been worse! Will check the main earth and going to add a block of wood in front and behind the battery. There is very little holding the battery fore and aft and those little screws holding it down don't seem to be very secure. The landy has done a lot of K's over rough roads so must've been shaking things loose and the issue happened while going down a steep hill braking.
Post #1015706 20th Nov 2023 7:24am
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Linds Hanson



Member Since: 16 Jan 2021
Location: Cornwall
Posts: 485

United Kingdom 
We had this intermittent melting of hand brake cable thought it was a bad earth problem, cleaned all earths and ran new earth cables only for the car to return a week later with another melted handbrake cable! Turned out that on a Puma if the battery isnt secured properly it slides forward and the positive battery cable shorts on the inside face of the seat box which then usually earths through the handbrake cable back to the transmission. Once you accelerate the battery slides back removing the short curcuit!
Post #1015723 20th Nov 2023 9:52am
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blackwolf



Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
Posts: 17353

United Kingdom 2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Stornoway Grey
This indicates that the seat box is not effectively earthed to the chassis (not surprising, all things considered). If it was, you'd simply get a massive short-circuit through the seat box and chassis earth. As it is, the return path must be (at least predominantly) via the seat box and handbrake cable.

You could, I suppose, insulate the handbrake lever assembly from the seat box and connect a 12v bulb between the seat box and the chassis, so if the light comes on you will know that you have a short. It would however be much safer to secure the battery properly to prevent this from happening in the first place.
Post #1015725 20th Nov 2023 10:05am
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