Home > Maintenance & Modifications > Fitting Roof Rack Spot Lights - Puma 110 |
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The Boy Member Since: 28 Aug 2008 Location: East Northants Posts: 1459 |
Bruce this may or may not help.
Copied and pasted from another forum (Thanks landroverscene.com) Done nearly three years now adn thankfully no problems yet. Boy I am reposting this as it seems to have been lost in the website change. I decided to do the best job I could with my auxiliary wiring as hopefully I will be keeping this defender for many years. I did get quotes to get the job done by auto electrician but they were very expensive and one even came in at £1200 pus VAT (2009). On the Defender I had before I paid someone to do it but even though he did a great job I was convinced I could do better on this one and a lot cheaper. If you feel like giving this ago yourself it is not hard but does take some time and it took far longer than I had originally thought. VWP link http://www.vehicle-wiring-products.eu/VWP-...mepage.php I bought all the cables in bulk and on reels of which I still have quite a bit still left hanging in my small workshop. There is no getting away from the fact that wiring cable no matter what you buy is not cheap but if you do buy by the reel you will get a better price and what is left over will come in very handy for all those small jobs in the coming months and years. Fuse box. For the fuse box I went to Vehicle Wiring Products. It wasn’t cheap and from memory about forty quid but the quality is really good and their delivery was quick. I recommend asking them to send you a catalogue, but I warn you it is full of great goodies and you may well spend more than you thought you might. Position. OK I decided to position my fuse box in the battery box under the passenger seat, this won’t suit everyone especially those with a twin battery set up but for me it was acceptable. I, as I am sure other members would be interested to read how and where you have mounted yours if you already have done so. The VWP fuse box has four holes in the base to screw it in to its fixed position, now for this I used rivinuts so all I did was mark where I wanted them, drilled the holes and pressed in the rivinuts. However 4mm nut and bolt would do or even self-tappers. Though I am not a fan of the latter as the ends are sharp and they have to protrude somewhere and if you are as accident prone as me you know at some point in the future I would cut your hand open on one. This done I simply placed the base over the holes and screw it down. Admin note: this post has had its images recovered from a money grabbing photo hosting site and reinstated Last edited by The Boy on 23rd Feb 2012 3:25pm. Edited 1 time in total |
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23rd Feb 2012 3:17pm |
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The Boy Member Since: 28 Aug 2008 Location: East Northants Posts: 1459 |
Supply wires.
As you can see from the above photo the fuse box has two live and one earth fixing to supply the board from the battery. I purchased some high amp wires for this and fused the live one as you can see from the photo. I should point out that I crimped and soldered all the connection and then use shrink insolating over them. This did increase the time I spent on the task dramatically but I think it was worth it to ensure they remained serviceable for as long as possible. I would recommend if you intend to want it to last to do this also. Connection failure is very common on crimp only connectors, electric cooling fans are a very good example of this though due to the position and their proximity. I have had on both cars and land rovers failures here and the problem nearly always a crimped connector. Routing the supply cables from the batteries. Cubby box wiring. I now needed to supply nice Storage Solutions cubby box with power for the CB and the 12v sockets in the rear. Again I crimped and soldered the connections on these supply wires ready to attach to the fuse box. The shrink tubes can be bought in boxes with a selection of sizes, shop around and you should get a good cheap deal. You should also note that some shrink more than others. The route I took was up out of the battery box at the rear exiting near the rear of the seat frame then following the line to the cubby box. Then simply wire up the sockets and CB. Click image to enlarge Admin note: this post has had its images recovered from a money grabbing photo hosting site and reinstated |
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23rd Feb 2012 3:20pm |
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The Boy Member Since: 28 Aug 2008 Location: East Northants Posts: 1459 |
Wiring the roof lights and roof mounted auxiliary plugs.
I would like to thank Fixit (Lloyd) for his invaluable help with wiring the in-dash switch and without whom I would have been totally stuck. First I needed to tap in to the supply for the trigger that would switch the relay so the lights would work when I operated the flash or full beam form the driving position. Before I had always done this from under the cowling on the steering column but when I looked on this post 2007 model I decided to tap in to the loom under the bonnet on the near side next to the bulkhead. I used a tiny pin to identify the correct wire by sticking a small pin into the wire and then putting a tester on it. So this wire then goes to the battery box and I use plastic tubular ducting to protect it for the bits where it was exposed. I positioned the two relays to the inner wall of the battery box, you will note I used spacers so to keep if away from the side of the battery box. Too close and it would be difficult to get a tester on specially a dark night should the need arise. The spacer was simply a few cut sections of plastic pipes Feed to the lights and auxiliary plugs. OK so for the route for the roof lights I exited through the rear of the battery box under the middle row floor and back in just behind the middle seats. Admin note: this post has had its images recovered from a money grabbing photo hosting site and reinstated |
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23rd Feb 2012 3:20pm |
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The Boy Member Since: 28 Aug 2008 Location: East Northants Posts: 1459 |
Once back in the cabin I routed it behind the plastic window trim and out through the near side corner. I repeated this on the off side, this side was for the rear work light and the roof rack mounted power sockets. Each of the holes were sealed to make sure they were water tight.
At this point I decided to plug the wires so if required I could simply unplug and remove the roof rack if I so wished. Click image to enlarge I used exterior dust resistant plugs, these come in 2, 4 & 6 format. Click image to enlarge Switch wiring Click image to enlarge Relay wiring Click image to enlarge The wiring has been in place for about 18 months now and touch wood I have yet to have any problems with it. Admin note: this post has had its images recovered from a money grabbing photo hosting site and reinstated Last edited by The Boy on 24th Feb 2012 9:46am. Edited 1 time in total |
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23rd Feb 2012 3:21pm |
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Angus Member Since: 30 Oct 2011 Location: Edinburgh Posts: 8 |
What an excellent and comprehensive description! I did a similar job (light bar wiring not roof rack) on my old 2.5D 90, not to this standard, but have not yet got brave enough to to take my Puma 90 Hardtop apart in the same way. I've seen the Vehicle Wiring Products catalogue and can certainly see what to use to get the job done.
A question though if I may: What were the issues with the in-dash switch as that is the preferred route as like you, I see me holding on to the Puma for a while.? |
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23rd Feb 2012 3:49pm |
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The Boy Member Since: 28 Aug 2008 Location: East Northants Posts: 1459 |
If you mean the switch wiring, it was that I hade a little trouble understanding the diagram (which I might add is posted somewhere on this site also) but was put back on track.
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23rd Feb 2012 5:04pm |
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Angus Member Since: 30 Oct 2011 Location: Edinburgh Posts: 8 |
Thanks - I'll go hunting for the thread
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23rd Feb 2012 6:21pm |
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BruceT Member Since: 01 Nov 2010 Location: South Africa Posts: 517 |
That is brilliant. Thank you very much "The Boy" .
If you are ever in South Africa I owe you a beer or two. Now I would like to run the roof spots on their own circut direct from the battery. Is this possible and what would I use to "switch on" the relay? (or can it also just be connected directly to the battery and be switched on via the dash switch) Hope I am making sense. |
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24th Feb 2012 5:39am |
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bpman Member Since: 21 May 2008 Location: Oslo Posts: 8069 |
Great write up the boy - I'm about to do a dual battery mod on mine
I'll be sure to photograph it and post up on the forum I'll be very happy if it's as neat and well done as yours |
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24th Feb 2012 6:39am |
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MartinK Member Since: 02 Mar 2011 Location: Silverdale (Lancashire/Cumbria Border) Posts: 2665 |
Boy - that's brilliant...I think you should tidy this up and we can ask for it to be stickied...
I have been looking at the LR wiring loom (STC53208) but it's really expensive...I think your post has given me the confidence to save lots of £££. If you are feeling really generous, you could add the part numbers for the switch and relay... I have seen the switch part # somewhere, but it would be great to have all this cracking info in one (sticky) place...??? Defender "Puma" 2.4 110 County Utility (possibly the last of the 2.4's) |
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24th Feb 2012 7:55am |
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The Boy Member Since: 28 Aug 2008 Location: East Northants Posts: 1459 |
The actual switch is not too expensive at about £7, it’s the plug at the back and loom that is well over a hundred quid. What I did was buy a switch from the stealer and then bought a hrw from a discovery 2 second hand switch off eBay that came with the plug for about four quid, threw the plug into the spares box (never to be used again) and use the plug as it is the same. Then following the diagram that someone did here(I think I may have still have it somewhere) and with help from a mate just wired it in. All ancillaries are wire independently from the battery so do not intrude into any of the vehicle wiring apart from the spot light trigger and the feed for the switch that makes it light up at night with the rest of the panel illumination.
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24th Feb 2012 8:17am |
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FG Member Since: 01 Apr 2011 Location: Somewhere on the Swedish East Coast Posts: 63 |
Really nice, thorough presentation!
/FG |
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24th Feb 2012 9:04am |
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The Boy Member Since: 28 Aug 2008 Location: East Northants Posts: 1459 |
I have added the wiring diagram for the switch, this was done by someone on here but for the life of me I cannot think who? Whoever it was I hope you do not mind me reposting it? The second is simply a brief disruption on relay wiring. Hope this helps.
Boy |
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24th Feb 2012 9:45am |
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BruceT Member Since: 01 Nov 2010 Location: South Africa Posts: 517 |
Brilliant. Thanks again. Cant wait to fit them this weekend.
All the best. |
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24th Feb 2012 9:50am |
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