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discoed



Member Since: 18 Nov 2011
Location: Yorkshire
Posts: 20

United Kingdom 
Earth fault wshen handbrake applied?!
Since a new chassis was fitted i've had this strange problem. Sometimes (and it is only sporadic) when I apply the handbrake there seems to be an electrical power loss and the engine stutters and the engine management light comes on.

An additional earth strap has been added from the seat box to the chassis in case there was an earth fault but that seems to have made no difference.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/pq2gofpvno7...9&dl=0

Any thoughts most welcome......as its bloody annoying!
Post #1045880 15th Sep 2024 7:06pm
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MarkBrown



Member Since: 03 Oct 2022
Location: Mid Wales
Posts: 432

Wales 1983 Defender 110 Other HT Auto Keswick Green
Has it got a warning light? If so disconnect it to see what happens, perhaps it’s shorting when applied?
Post #1045882 15th Sep 2024 7:17pm
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landy andy



Member Since: 15 Feb 2009
Location: Ware, Herts
Posts: 5614

2006 Defender 110 Td5 USW Zermatt Silver
When you say seat box do you mean negative terminal on battery in seat box ?

If it has an issue with the hand brake cable being used as an earth, this indicates that the engine and gearbox earth/negative isn’t in place or good enough. Try fitting new engine / gearbox earth.
Post #1045906 16th Sep 2024 7:22am
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custom90



Member Since: 21 Jan 2010
Location: South West, England.
Posts: 20220

United Kingdom 
Main transmission ground loose, or poor connection. NEVER SURRENDER! ⛽️🛢️👨‍🔧🧰⚙️ RED, WHITE & BOOST! 🇬🇧
Post #1045917 16th Sep 2024 9:50am
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Martin
Site Admin


Member Since: 02 Apr 2007
Location: Hook Norton
Posts: 6596

United Kingdom 2015 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 XS CSW Montalcino Red
Post #1045918 16th Sep 2024 9:55am
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Penfold_6290



Member Since: 22 Sep 2021
Location: Dorset
Posts: 312

United Kingdom 2002 Defender 110 Td5 CSW Epsom Green
As well as the main earth harness that bolts on to the gearbox high on the left hand side there are also two smaller gauge earth wires that need to connect to the gearbox on the right hand side about half way along the main gearbox. It is easy to forget these when reassembling the machine, and they can also be pulled off if you forget to undo them when taking the gearbox out...ask me how I know.

Check they are fitted and the bolt is tight. As has been said already disconnect the single cable that attaches to the hand brake switch and see if the issue persists. It looks like an earth fault, why it is intermittent is strange though
Post #1046000 17th Sep 2024 11:14am
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custom90



Member Since: 21 Jan 2010
Location: South West, England.
Posts: 20220

United Kingdom 
Intermittency varies with temperature and conditions etc.

I think what the main issue is and this is so common is the ground nuts or studs need a drop of locking agent, but that must not be anything too strong which is why I suggest Loctite 222 specifically because it is weak enough to easily remove but strong enough to keep the clamping force tight and not loosen under arduous conditions.
And Defenders by nature are subject to arduous conditions, and they are also high vibration too.

Presuming this is the fault, but all the same it’s a real pain to deal with.
It’s also common, because clutch changes as an example are common by nature abd in that process transmission removal.
On re-installation the ground fixings are often just nipped up or forgotten and that’s where the fault lies.

On the smaller grounds stud, I even found that they were at fault once, nipped that stud up to be just tight enough, and lo and behold 6 months later it got loose again! Rolling Eyes
So I did the same again, but with a bit of the 222 from Loctite and hasn’t been an issue since.

The transmission doesn’t just have high vibration, but there is temperature changes, and a lot of water in the vicinity too. Sometimes it pays just to put a bit of grease over the connections externally simply to drive moisture out, as it often stays wet around the grease driving water away. NEVER SURRENDER! ⛽️🛢️👨‍🔧🧰⚙️ RED, WHITE & BOOST! 🇬🇧
Post #1046004 17th Sep 2024 12:22pm
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blackwolf



Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
Posts: 17285

United Kingdom 2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Stornoway Grey
I've been tinkering with vehicles and Land-Rovers for 50 years now and I have never found that an earth connection has needed any form of thread locker. In fact I would go so far as to suggest that it is actually quite a bad idea since thread lock compound of any kind is of necessity a polymeric insulating material.

A much better idea in my opinion, if you do for some reason find your earth connections coming loose (and it has never happened to me), would be an old-fashioned spring washer.
Post #1046008 17th Sep 2024 12:56pm
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custom90



Member Since: 21 Jan 2010
Location: South West, England.
Posts: 20220

United Kingdom 
When I say thread locker I mean only a drop, one of the issues with spring washers with some materials that are softer such as copper or tinned copper is when undone they can chew into the surface.
For hard metals they are good though.

LR used on the rear loom ground a bolt with flange, presumably for more surface area on the eyes and reliant upon the torque setting to stay tight which it doesn’t, if the threads get oils in a workshop environment I expect that may even add to the likelihood of them loosening.

If you did use a spring washer, which of course you can, I’d imagine a standard hex bolt would suit better than a flanged hex head bolt / stud.
Otherwise the spring washer would have the flange larger than the washer dia. NEVER SURRENDER! ⛽️🛢️👨‍🔧🧰⚙️ RED, WHITE & BOOST! 🇬🇧
Post #1046010 17th Sep 2024 1:08pm
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