Extra instrument panel warning light

Hi all, I have a red led warning light fitted to the instrument panel of my '97 300 tdi Defender which generelly flashes all the time. I thought it was an alarm indicator of some sort for whatever system was fitted when new. Its between the temp and fuel gauges as below:

Anyone know what its for?
I just discivered a kill switch wired through the stop solenoid feed and when fiddling with this the light has gone to sttaic red and the truck won't start (fiddling with the connector solves this so I'll clean it up and crimp it to fit better).
I just need to know what the warning lamp is for!
Any advice greatly appreciated. Thanks

It’s not a standard light.

Agreed.
The 300TDi owners manual and my own cluster have no image against that position.

Can't make out the image, if someone has gone to the trouble of putting a symbol onto the light then I would have thought it related to whatever it is. Can you get a clearer image?

Just checked against the early 90/110 owners manual and Military 90/110 User Handbook, both those show it as spare as well.

I can't find any reference to it in the manual either and there is no text to indicate what it might be for. There is an alarm spider unit on the inside front of the passenger seat box so I always assumed it was linked to that. I see no way to arm or disarm said potential alarm system however so assume it has been disabled by a previous owner. I have found images of two othe instrument panes with the same light in the same place online however, so I was thinking that it may be a common placement.

It's an ex power company vehicle and had loads of excess wiring when I got it. The damn thing flashed all the tme right in front of me but has now gone static on. Very weird. I guess I'll just have to take the facia off and trace its origin.

Did your vehicle ever have a roof light or emergency beacons fitted ?

Mine's a late 300tdi it had the same LED (I since cut it off when fitting a new metal binnacle as there was no hole for it), it flashed to show the alarm/immobiliser was active, and flashes rapidly during arming/disarming. The illuminated cog thing under the hazard/indicator on warning light panel shows the immobiliser is active, car won't start when this is illuminated - i.e. immobiliser needs deactivating with the fob (2-button type).

BigRedMachine said:

Mine's a late 300tdi it had the same LED (I since cut it off when fitting a new metal binnacle as there was no hole for it), it flashed to show the alarm/immobiliser was active, and flashes rapidly during arming/disarming. The illuminated cog thing under the hazard/indicator on warning light panel shows the immobiliser is active, car won't start when this is illuminated - i.e. immobiliser needs deactivating with the fob (2-button type).

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Same on our 97 300tdi county. 100% the alarm and immobiliser. A right faff when the solder joins go dry and brittle in the box under passenger seat and starter & stop solenoid signals becomes intermittent and won't start or cuts out.

Happened on royal mile in rush hour and kept cranking in gear to get out of traffic

Alarm LED

l used to fit these years ago. Although l wouldn't normally drill a hole in the dash binnacle, l would use a switch blank or fit it to the top of the steering column shroud

Its funny ou should mention that as that's what sparked this question. I had issues with the stop solenoid. Fitted some driving spots and there is a aftermarket switch on the steering column. I thought this might have been for prevously removed lights and might save on a new switch. Following what I thought was the cable it went to the stop solenoid and I managed to dislodge the connector somehow so my truck wouldn't start. Got this sorted after some head scratching. Turns out to be a different wire, not from the switch.

My new question is therefore, if the stop solenoid has a secondary feed would this be to overide a defective alarm/immobiliser? The truck doesn't have central locking (or any locking really). So how is the immobiliser activated / deactivated? Ideally I'd like to remove any superflous wiring and the underseat unit as, sod's law, it will only cause trouble in the middle of nowhere some time in the future.

It did have emergency beacons fitted but these were routed through another switch directly from the battery.

Fiddling with the stop solenoid made the light go solid on but its back to flashing now. Truck seems to be running fine now but that flashng light bugs the hell out of me.

No cog light ever illuminated on the dash though.

Bit late to the party, but having this exact same problem, in a 1998 110 CSW 300tdi I bought last year. Everything alarm or immobiliser related seems disconnected but still in place, also has series doors, and no key fob.

But has this tiny red light that’s been flashing in an alarm fashion most of the time I’ve had it, except once or twice been on constantly, and since a week constantly on.

Changed the binnacle, the mount and end piece today so don’t have the hole for the little flasher anymore, but would like to know how it’s connected if everything else is disabled alarm wise. Anyone wiser on this issue?

malte300tdi said:

Bit late to the party, but having this exact same problem, in a 1998 110 CSW 300tdi I bought last year. Everything alarm or immobiliser related seems disconnected but still in place, also has series doors, and no key fob.

But has this tiny red light that’s been flashing in an alarm fashion most of the time I’ve had it, except once or twice been on constantly, and since a week constantly on.

Changed the binnacle, the mount and end piece today so don’t have the hole for the little flasher anymore, but would like to know how it’s connected if everything else is disabled alarm wise. Anyone wiser on this issue?

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Follow the wires.
Does this light flash when the engine is running?

Hicap phill said:

Follow the wires.
Does this light flash when the engine is running?

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For most of the time since I bought the car it’s been flashing, but now it’s constantly on. And it’s happened once or twice before but went back to flashing after about 15-20 minutes of driving.

Maybe just old wiring. Attaching some pictures for clarity. Light diode wire carrying tag YWN10002 which is alarm flasher, but car definitely doesn’t have any kind of alarm function. Think there’s an ultrasonic sensor in roof trim but disconnected.