Diff-lock light

The difflock indicator lamp on my 300tdi 90 is either working haphazardly or not illuminating at all. Difflock is definitely working the way it should be. What should I start checking first?

the switch???????????????? :doh:

Or wiring

I'd pull the connector off the switch, Earth it and see if light stays on

Clean terminal, refit and if still intermitant suspect the switch

i guess i wasn't clear. I'm aware of the fact that the switch is probably at fault but I just wanted to know whether they are prone to something or other. How do I access the switch? Do I remove the floor pan?

Same problem here. Well, almost, since the lamp just doesn't work. Still wondering if it'd be easier to check the lamp first... Are they prone to burning out?

The bulbs are easy to check/change. Inter working could also be dirt around the bulb holder, but more likely a bad connection or switch.

i didnt even realise there was a lamp to indicate this!

bunch of show offs :blabla:

vilguy said:

i didnt even realise there was a lamp to indicate this!

bunch of show offs :blabla:

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I'm with you on that one!!

muck in the lampholder, mines the same, flick it and it behaves, for a while.

daddy2coull said:

I'm with you on that one!!

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Well, I'm not. Already happened to the wife... Rummaging around in the car the diff lock got kicked in. Drove several kilometres before noticing. Now we're always checking before taking off, but it's an accident waiting to happen.

I'm OK with you not sharing our problem, but wouldn't have missed your statement.

Quick update. I would really like to find the genius who decided upon the location of the diff lock light switch and flay him alive! Unscrewing the damn thing took a full half an hour! 1/8 of a turn at a time! All's ok now. One of the terminals of the old switch was breaking off hence the loose connection.

the guy above says he would kick his diff lock on by accident......

WOW - every defender ive ever driven has needed brute force and ignorance as well as a partially raised clutch to get it to go anywhere other than neutral on the T box

Seriously? I have owned my 90 for 12 years and the occasions in which i had to partially raise the clutch to engage low/high were few and far between. Difflock slides in and out with the smallest effort too.

mine engages.... when you properly shove it.

I wouldnt be able to do it by accident.

Ok got a problem with my diff light - needed to change the clutch fork in Morocco and the local mechanic fixed it but the diff light remained on (when I got back here also found he had left off several bolts on the gearbox) - he messed about underneath and got the diff light to go out but it stayed out in diff and when not in diff - my local mechanic here said he fixed it but when I got home and put it in diff the light came on as it should but will not now go out - anyone any ideas on what the problem might be.

It's a tricky thing to access the diff lock switch, agreed. Did mine with the tunnel and floor out from memory.

Where is this almighty switch? Mine has stopped working since the clutch change, didn't realise until recently when I came to use diflock.

The switch is on top of the centre diff housing - in front of the main transfer gearbox casing. It's a bit of a bugger to get at. Follow the linkage from the transfer gear knob and you'll get close. The wiring frequently gets damaged.

hopefully this image shows the switch in place. You can see the little nipple that operates the switch. Adjusting the depth of the switch body by turning it adjusts the operation.

zeaphod said:

hopefully this image shows the switch in place. You can see the little nipple that operates the switch. Adjusting the depth of the switch body by turning it adjusts the operation.

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These are the sort of answers we want:clap2: