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nolift911



Member Since: 24 Nov 2021
Location: Virginia
Posts: 11

United States 1995 Defender 110 V8 Petrol CSW Alveston Red
Correct headlamp and parking lamp operation 1995 110
Hello -

Trying to understand if there is an issue with the wiring in my truck. It seems I cannot just run the parking parking lights with the ignition as the headlamps come on with the ignition.

If the ignition is off, just the parking lights work, when I turn the ignition on the headlamps come on - is that normal - seems odd to me.

Someone upgraded the truck to LED's all around, so not sure if that has something to do with it.

Thanks -
Post #966797 5th Oct 2022 5:02pm
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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
It's possible that you are suffering the consequences of an eccentric British phenomenon known as "dim dip". Someone (who should never have been let out without adult supervision) decided it would be a good idea if turning on the sidelights (they're not parking lights on this side of the pond) with the engine running made the headlights come on at reduced power. The idea was that gormless road users would be more likely to see you coming, but all that happened was they became more gormless so now we have to have daytime running lights and cars which switch their own headlights on because drivers are no longer able to work switches.

The UK made this a legal requirement, then the ECE, in a rare moment of sense, rule that it was illegal for the UK to make it a legal requirement, so most manufacturers then dropped the idea. Land-rover did not, and commercial variants of the Defender continued to have this undesirable feature for years. The main problem is that it destroys H4 bulbs to run them under-voltage.

For LED lights to a vehicle with dim dip you need to disable the dim dip because LED lights don't work on half power. Normally this is done by unplugging the dimming resistor (usually located the RH front wing) but if someone has shorted it instead the lights will behave like yours.
Post #966798 5th Oct 2022 5:25pm
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nolift911



Member Since: 24 Nov 2021
Location: Virginia
Posts: 11

United States 1995 Defender 110 V8 Petrol CSW Alveston Red
OK so on a 94 build would this be applicable. Thanks for the clarification on the side lights and parking lights. The headlights do not seem to be at reduced capacity but rather full strength - RH front wing so drivers side, engine bay or where the headlight is? What does the resistor look like?

Thanks for the response and explanation...

Jeff
Post #966869 6th Oct 2022 12:29pm
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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
If it is the same as the TD5 and TDCi, the it looks like this:


Click image to enlarge


(Image courtesy of forum member "rustandoil" in another thread).

On the TD5 and TDCi it is located a little bit forward from the aerial mounting hole, between the aerial and the blanking plate on the wing top on the right hand (i.e., driver's side in the UK) side.

This is about 1 foot forward of the bulkhead, and it is tucked under the upper surface of the wing in a manner which makes it hard to see. It is possible that on a LHD vehicle it might be under the left hand wing, I'm afraid I don't know.

It is also, of course, possible that you no longer have one and someone has joined the wires together. This would cause the effect you are experiencing, but might make finding the location of the crime a bit harder.
Post #966870 6th Oct 2022 12:39pm
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geobloke



Member Since: 06 Nov 2012
Location: Nottinghamshire
Posts: 4410

United Kingdom 
If you have a Dim Dip relay it will be the BIG pink thing hidden behind the dash (YWC10050). If you do not want Dim Dip then you can fit an equivalent relay (YWZ10003). This should remove the Dim Dip function and only turn on your side lights.

Now if you want a very easy and importantly because you are in the US cheap way of doing this all you need to do is bridge the connectors 2 and 8. The YWZ10003 relay literally contains just a solid bridge connector.

Job done. You can leave the under-wing resistor in place. Thumbs Up
Post #966874 6th Oct 2022 1:08pm
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nolift911



Member Since: 24 Nov 2021
Location: Virginia
Posts: 11

United States 1995 Defender 110 V8 Petrol CSW Alveston Red
OK great what part of the dash cluster or fuse panel or?
Post #966913 6th Oct 2022 5:24pm
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geobloke



Member Since: 06 Nov 2012
Location: Nottinghamshire
Posts: 4410

United Kingdom 
Behind the speedo cluster. It should be mounted to the bulkhead behind but may be underneath/hidden by the wiring loom.
Post #966918 6th Oct 2022 5:44pm
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nolift911



Member Since: 24 Nov 2021
Location: Virginia
Posts: 11

United States 1995 Defender 110 V8 Petrol CSW Alveston Red
Thanks!
Post #966923 6th Oct 2022 6:19pm
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Dinnu



Member Since: 24 Dec 2019
Location: Lija
Posts: 3410

Malta 2012 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 CSW Santorini Black
There is a good write up on the following site:
https://www.landroverexpedition.com/techni...dip-relay/ 1988 90 Hard Top, 19J Diesel Turbo, Shire Blue - Restoration ongoing
2012 90 CSW, 2.2TDCI, Santorini Black
Post #966931 6th Oct 2022 7:03pm
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diesel_jim



Member Since: 13 Oct 2008
Location: hiding
Posts: 6092

United Kingdom 2006 Defender 110 Td5 SW Epsom Green
My 110 does the same.. (Td5), as I've fitted LED headlight bulbs, even the reduced voltage supplied by the dip-dip unit (IIRC it was 1/6th the brightness, so 2.3v if the alternator is kicking out 13.8v) makes my LED lights illuminate at full brightness.

I must pull it out sometime. (the relay that is....)
Post #967094 8th Oct 2022 4:13pm
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