Central Locking stopped working and interior light only works with the engine running

Hi There

I am new to the forum but not to Land Rovers having grown up around them since I was small!
Before I get shot down I know defenders can be a bit temperamental and I know a lot of readers will be horrified that a defender will have central locking at all, but it is driving me bonkers, so sorry before I start.

About a year ago one of the doors stopped locking/unlocking with the key fob, so I took the door card off and gave it all a grease and hey presto everything worked again. Now I have lost the locking in all doors, so I checked the fuse which had blown and replaced it, only for it to blow immediately again. I proceeded to remove all the door cards including the back door and grease everything, now all locks are moving freely I replaced the fuse again only for it to blow. Initially I thought it would be an actuator gone in a door, however strangely the courtesy light has also stopped working unless I turn the engine on, then the light works as expected. When the engine is off you can switch the light on and off manually it just wont work from a door opening.

Does anyone have any ideas before I resort to a horrifically priced main dealer?

Thanks

Dan

Worth trying to disconnect all door actuators and fit a new fuse, does the light work as expected and the fuse stay intact? If it does reconnect one door actuator at a time and then test the light (and locking) again, if it is ok then reconnect the next actuator and repeat the test. If you connect one and the fuse blows there that is a good pointer as to what door you need to look at (could be an actuator or door loom issue). Central locking and interior lighting are normally controlled by one box hence the two issues at the same time.

If it's an aftermarket central locking kit you might want to check where the wires goes through the A pillar to the door. They should be protected with some sleeving as they can chafe and short against the body. Normally the only thing that goes wrong with the actual actuators is the gears start slipping or they jam up, shouldn't develop a short and blow a fuse..

Thanks for the advice, got them sorted in the end, was a dodgy earth!
Ended up selling the defender as the wife hated driving it and its value went through the roof, ended up with a 3 year newer half the mileage RR sport, which she loves, i have to be impressed with its ability off road and on road but still miss the defender and the smile it bought to all who travelled in her.... except the wife!