 | Home > Maintenance & Modifications > Puma reversing light out - and it's not the switch! |
 
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| dorsetsmith Member Since: 30 Oct 2011 Location: South West Posts: 4554  |
ignition switch on engine running ?
12 volts dc at the switch  |
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9th Nov 2021 10:24am |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17361  
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Are you sure that the switch is screwed fully home? I have encountered intermittent/non-functional reversing lights when the switch hasn't been fully screwed in.
It shouldn't be necessary to do anything to the gearbox internals (and there is nothing in there to adjust on the MT82). |
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9th Nov 2021 11:25am |
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| custom90 Member Since: 21 Jan 2010 Location: South West, England. Posts: 20324
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Check the grounding continuity on it, if you haven’t already and rear lighting loom stud and ground eye. ⭐️⭐️God Bless the USA 🇬🇧🇺🇸 ⭐️⭐️
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9th Nov 2021 12:46pm |
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| srlawr Member Since: 09 Nov 2021 Location: Bristol Posts: 6
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Thanks for input!
During testing, engine is on, but not running. With the switch "out" and in hand, reverse light operates at a small amount of finger pressure on the ball bearing. When screwed back in (as tight as we could muster) - no action. We tried with both new and old switch - which are visually pretty identical, and the light comes on with both, but only by hand - not when screwed in. Also no light during engine running/driving. Reverse gear selection and use feels otherwise fine too. Grounds checked, and all other rear mounted lights working fine. Definitely feels like the gearbox isn't "pushing the switch" - but happy to keep checking other options anyone can recommend! |
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9th Nov 2021 2:03pm |
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| Dinnu Member Since: 24 Dec 2019 Location: Lija Posts: 3414  
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As I understand, the switch is mounted perpendicular to the reverse selector shaft. Once the selector shaft is pushed to select reverse it slides past the switch that would close the circuit.
It is clear that the OPs issue is of a mechanical nature. Are you able to take a picture inside the hole while reverse is engaged? perhaps the ball on the old switch has worn the shaft to the extent that there is no switch activation anymore? According to manual, tighten switch to 20Nm (15lb-ft). 1988 90 Hard Top, 19J Diesel Turbo, Shire Blue - Restoration ongoing 2012 90 CSW, 2.2TDCI, Santorini Black |
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9th Nov 2021 2:20pm |
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| srlawr Member Since: 09 Nov 2021 Location: Bristol Posts: 6
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It is all back together again now, but from memory, I'd struggle to get anything I have with a camera on into that space for a picture. Maybe if I could borrow an endoscope from someone.. (my sister is a vet
 )
If it is the shaft that has worn down (as I have read somewhere loosely on the internet) .. other than a photo through the hole, is there any other way to get to it? At the moment all I can consider is getting the carpet up and removing the gear lever tunnel/lever assembly - but I don't think that will get me very far into the gear box, for all the effort/risk it involves..! |
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10th Nov 2021 9:54am |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17361
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If it is the shaft, then a full gearbox strip would be required and that is a very non-trivial undertaking. For further info on this see forum member Gloucesternige's youtube channel, at
https://www.youtube.com/c/Defender90Keswic...nel/videos He has some informative videos showing what happens inside the MT82. If it is the shaft you might be better off fitting an illuminated manual switch for the reversing lights, since *I think* this is still legal (noting that it must have an indicator to show that the lights are on in this case). |
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10th Nov 2021 10:08am |
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| Dinnu Member Since: 24 Dec 2019 Location: Lija Posts: 3414
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Was wondering what if you can shave a millimeter or so from underneath the hex, so the switch can be screwed in deeper...Probably will not work and risk that you block the reverse selector shaft by the switch body if it goes in too deep. Worth a try though if you have access to a lathe. Engage reverse before screwing it in and finger tight only first, and checking that can go out of reverse. 1988 90 Hard Top, 19J Diesel Turbo, Shire Blue - Restoration ongoing
2012 90 CSW, 2.2TDCI, Santorini Black |
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10th Nov 2021 12:47pm |
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| srlawr Member Since: 09 Nov 2021 Location: Bristol Posts: 6
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Dinnu: Well, I'm glad someone else recommended that
 but you should have seen the look on my dads face (a significantly more advanced vehicle maintainer than myself) when I suggested we could do that
Out of interest then, I see a lot of "South Wests" in the reply locations here... can anyone recommend me a decent, fair priced Defender garage/maintenance shop who could do this kind of gearbox work? I've had a couple of sub-par experiences over the years, could really do with finding a regular go-to place in/near Bristol. |
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11th Nov 2021 10:28am |
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| Dinnu Member Since: 24 Dec 2019 Location: Lija Posts: 3414
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Agree, it is not the perfect solution, but sometimes desperate times call for desperate measures. The other option is a full gearbox strip down, which costs £££.
You have 2 good switches anyway 
Note that this has to be done with extreme caution.. so that the threaded part of the switch does not bind the selector shaft. If the hex part is turned too low, can always add a copper washer to regain the height needed. This is of course assuming that the selector shaft has a groove worn in it as is not pushing the ball in the switch far enough. 1988 90 Hard Top, 19J Diesel Turbo, Shire Blue - Restoration ongoing 2012 90 CSW, 2.2TDCI, Santorini Black |
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11th Nov 2021 10:39am |
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| custom90 Member Since: 21 Jan 2010 Location: South West, England. Posts: 20324
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I go to Devon 4x4, granted it isn’t local but well worth the drive. I have had excellent service with them. 
Had terrible experiences with main LR dealers, I won’t use them any more. ⭐️⭐️God Bless the USA 🇬🇧🇺🇸 ⭐️⭐️ |
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11th Nov 2021 6:49pm |
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| The Anti Christ Member Since: 24 Feb 2022 Location: Kingston Posts: 26  
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Any luck with this Lawr?
Having the exact same issue myself. Thought it was a faulty switch that had come back to life with a bit of WD40, but now has become unresponsive. Got a new switch and nothing. Test lamp lights up when connected to the switch socket, which also illuminates the reverse lamp. Interestingly does this regardless of what position the gear stick is in. I.e. test lamp comes on once connected and key is turned on. Doesn't go off again regardless of shifter being in reverse, neutral or 1-6. At my wits end now....  Just fix it before your friends find out it broke again - Landy Life Forever! |
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8th Feb 2023 2:35am |
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| srlawr Member Since: 09 Nov 2021 Location: Bristol Posts: 6
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yes, indeed.
So in the end I sent the truck in the MJ Fews down here near Bristol and they gave it a "one hour max" investigation. When I picked it up again it was fixed! and here is the story... The original switch was indeed just worn out, as they are inclined to do, and just didn't depress hard enough to close the contacts any more. The new switch I had bought and fitted - at great labour effort by my dad and I - was (they said) "a cheap piece of crap" and though it looked right and fitted the hole, was not engineered well enough to receive the millimeter action of the gear selector to depress it. The solution was to fit a proper, new, Land Rover switch - and it worked first time, and every time since. For the record, the switch I bought (brand unknown) was about £9 .... the proper one the garage fitted I think was about £15. They even let me keep my one, which isn't even any good as a paperweight. I dunno if that will help you, but what i learnt is that the margins for this switch are very, very small to push that ballbearing in, and some non-OEM switches, though it might look great and be brand new, might still just be sh!t. |
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8th Feb 2023 10:05am |
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| The Anti Christ Member Since: 24 Feb 2022 Location: Kingston Posts: 26
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Okay, thanks for shareing your experience...
Got me thinking about the wear on the switch AND on the gear shifter contact on the inside of the gearbox... Looked at a few other threads (this seems to be an all too common issue with PUMA's) A few other gents had luck with simply removing the rubber washer at the base of the switch. Turns out my old switch was working fine, but the actual internal end of the gearstick had worn ever so slightly, but enough to not give enough travel to the ball/spring mechanism in the switch. So all the switch needed was to thread in a couple of turns to compensate. I've run a very thin bead of grey silicon gasket maker in place of the rubber washer to reseal any possible leakage that may occur ( which I doubt but just to make sure). A simple test for the switch is to simply unscrew from the gearbox, reattach plug and press with your finger. That slight amount of travel is all that's required to close the contact to activate the light. Anyway...now I have two working switches. Replaced the new one in its box until I really need to replace the old one. My only lingering question is....what happens when the internal contact of the gear stick wears further with the washer already removed. 
Might have to skim a hairs breath of material from the base of the switch so it can go in still further.... Just fix it before your friends find out it broke again - Landy Life Forever! |
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11th Feb 2023 5:55am |
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