Electrical nightmare help!!

Ok I even tried taking it to the garage and they gave up!

So problem seems to be on circuit from fuse 2 a 20 amp one. That I believe is trailer ...radio and a couple of other things. If the fuse is in the headlights go on and stay on regardless of headlights switch position. If the fuse is out headlights are normal but and up till today stereo didn't run but today the radio and interior lights began working without the fuse no 2 in place. I've been told it may be an earth fault but simply have no idea where to start looking? It all started after a storm so maybe a water leak and short? Surprisingly the landrover does leak

Oh I'm running a 110 csw 1995 300tdi 1995 I think

I think that you have a short circuit. Most likely behind the fuse panel. Follow the headlight wiring from the relevant fuse and you should find that it's damaged (probably because it's rubbing on something sharpish) alongside another damaged wire. That other wire will be the one that comes from the radio etc. If it's a mess, you'll need to replace sections, but if not, plenty of insulating tape on both, and do something to stop the chafe in future.

Thanks I did take out the fuse panel and it looked ok behind.... if it's a short which it may well be how come the radio and interior lights now work without the relevant fuse in place? Fused header perhaps that's on the wiring diagram but no idea where it is....And if the short effectively disables the light switch does that mean it must be light side of the switch? I'm not trying to be cheeky as I am a complete novice I just want to think this out to try and avoid hours of work taking the whole dash off!! I'm thinking if I can start looking in the right place??? I dunno just a thought..... I notice the fuse sends a live to the colum switch whatever that is ? I looked at the colum and it seems ok no obvious faults sorry to be a bore

Your thinking is exactly what I thought until I looked at the wiring diagram. That says that the power to the switch isn't fused, but that the supply from the switch goes through fuses 6-11 and then to the bulbs. The interior light power comes from fuse 1, and so that's where I think the problem is. Downstream from the fuses.

The diagram I'm using is Haynes, and that says that the radio is supplied direct from the battery and through a separate fuse(presumably a line fuse), but that it also connects to the rear light relay. That's a bit odd and I can't see why, but if true, then because the rear light relay is connected to the light switch our first thought could be right. But my hunch is that the radio isn't connected that way, but also from the interior light fuse though.

Ok that's interesting I think ur right the radio is off fuse 2 in my diagram and that would correspond to it not working when the fuse was pulled. Who it does work now, the radio I mean, with no fuse in place I guess some short feeding it? I'm also reading about a dim dip balast thing that can case wierd light problems? Anyway the garage said the wiring was a mess apparently someone really messed it up so perhaps a strip and tidy up is in order?someone else mentioned the radio might be poorly installed easy to check I suppose? Anyway it doesn't look like I can get away without a dash removal frrr mmm!?

Yes. that's why I think two wires (or more) are damaged - cross feeding each other sort of thing.

I think it's been discussed on here before, but I reckon that Landies attract wiring bodgers more than any other car. I tend to strip out dead wires completely, mainly so as not to confuse myself in the future, and then replace with black or red, but tagged everywhere with its function. But I'd save the full tidy up for a warm day, and do the minimum (properly) to get it working for now.

So to update the lights are back feeding the radio circuit as today I noticed the radio goes on when you turn the lights on with the radio fuse removed! So if the light switch gets a live from the battery then sends lives to the fuses it's likely to be in that area I need to poke about ? I'm away at the moment so need the truck running but next week it's out with the spanners thanks for the help I'll keep you posted any insights welcome

It'll be fairly obvious when you find it. Probably on the outside of the bundled wires in the loom where it's rubbing against something. For what it's worth, the headlight wires from the fusebox should be blue with orange or grey or pink or black stripes. Interior light purple, radio may be anything.

Ok so I have dismantled the entire dash today and sadly no obvious short. by cutting a couple of wires I have isolated the fault to a purple wire in the loom that goes through the bulkhead.... I have simply no idea where that goes any ideas as I really dont want to strip the loom back the engine bay? For the time being I have disconnected it and everything seems to work? aside from rear window heater but I think thats broken anyway?

I'm thinking!

The three purples in my 300tdi diagram go from the fusebox to Cigar Lighter, Hazard switch and the interior light switch/headlight switch. Do they go through the dash and back in to the column/inst cluster?

Does the headlamp still come on with fuse 2 connected? And is it dip or main beam if it does?

William Marshall said:

Ok so I have dismantled the entire dash today and sadly no obvious short. by cutting a couple of wires I have isolated the fault to a purple wire in the loom that goes through the bulkhead.... I have simply no idea where that goes any ideas as I really dont want to strip the loom back the engine bay? For the time being I have disconnected it and everything seems to work? aside from rear window heater but I think thats broken anyway?

Click to expand...

Purples should be permanent lives - not sure where you are on this but it may help you with your diagnoses.

Well to be clear the previous owner of the vehicle had put in relays and fancy headlights so unlike my old defender the lights are not driven directly by a live through the switch... Also there were apparently some lights mounted on the front grill now gone..... There are a couple of obsolete switches on the dash which I presume is from the extra lights?

Anyway here is what I discovered.... The purple live from fuse two went into the dash then was joined into 3 wires with a copper crimp covered in electrical tape. One of these wires go to the dim dip switch/indicator stalk on the column. one of the wires goes to a connector block with lots of purple wires from it feeding radio internal lights and so forth . The last of these wires goes through the bulkhead and in to the engine bay. The engine bay wires are totally taped so I don't know where it ends. This last wire if disconnected eliminates the fault... ie headlights radio internal lights ect all behave normally. I am thinking of blanking it off as I an not able to see anything not working at the moment... Anything I should check??

the wire I disconnected is a heavier gauge btw than most of the loom. Its the same weight as the wire from the original fuse (NO.2)

ohh and lights work normally with fuse 2 removed

and almost no rust on the bulkhead Hurray!!!!!!!