Is there a sparky in the house?

afternoon all.

my disco 1 300tdi has got an electrical gremlin! ive lost dim/dip and main beam lights! but my side lights are ignition live!:doh: also if i turn on the side lights on the stalk the radio come on! can anyone help? ive had a guts full now its been one thing after another!


Many thanx paul

as a general starting point go round the car grabbing various wiring clusters and giving them a little shake if one cluster starts or stops your issues start work there

When you turn something on and something else also happens that's usually an earth problem, so check all the earth points there is also one in each footwell behind the kick panel.

try checking all the lights in the rear clusters.. all sorts can happen if there earth probs there

Thanx guys!

All the earths are in good nick!

sorted the side lights and radio problem, there was a short in the loom passangers foot well!


still got no headlights tho! could the short have killed a relay some where?

P4UL5 said:

Thanx guys!

All the earths are in good nick!

sorted the side lights and radio problem, there was a short in the loom passangers foot well!


still got no headlights tho! could the short have killed a relay some where?

Click to expand...

There no relays as standard other than the dim-dip. The light should handle the current

Is the dim/dip a yellow one in the P/S footwell?

Yes it's yellow but it only operates when the sidlights are on and the engine is running.
I would check the light switch, I don't have access to a wiring diagram at the moment for the wiring colours which you'll need when shorting out the wiring to bypass the switch for testing.

Ive changed the switch for a second hand one from a brakers just up the road from me. Cost me £11.75 it came from an early model TD5 but it fitted and was in good condition feels nice and tight and gives a nice click!


Ive found something like 13 relays in total! Most of em yellow so not really sure if im looking in the right place or not.

Im not sure if ive got power going from the fuse box in the engine bay to the one in the cab! if i run a live from the battery to the headlamp fuse they work!

Does this mean there is a brake in the live wire between the fuse boxes or could it be something els?

sounds like it??

Sounds like it 2.... have you checked all the fuses in the engine bay fuse box even the lower level ones.

didnt know there were lower level ones!!!!

are they under the main fuses in the engine bay?