Freelander - HDC TC lights (but without ABS)

stedlocks said:

sorted!!

so a quick one for everyone searching........

amber/orange HDC and TC lights on. Brake lights bolloxed

get a torch and lay an your back in the footwell.......shine it on the brake pedal bracket and locate the switch.........its a grey thing that looks a bit like a fag lighter and wedged between a load of loose spagettitwist it about 45 degrees anti clockwise and it should come out......then get hold of the black plunger bit sticking out and pull it out a bit gently!!!it has a sort of ratchet in it......then reconnect it and hope that your luck was as good as mine

both the lights went out and my brake lights work as well........result!!

I think i'll get a new one on order for when my temporary fix/bodge packs in again..........

hope this can help/encourage other non mechanics like me

Click to expand...

thought this was a good one

Thank you so much! Fortunately, this switch can be taken apart and cleaned, which is what I needed to do. Pull the black plunger all the way out and then pry the black cover off. It slides in a grove. My contacts were really dirty so I just wiped them off and put the switch back together. Works like a new one!! You saved me a big headache.

Hi,
I had exactly the same problem.
HDC and TC lights illuminated. After reading this thread I checked my brake lights and found them to be not working.
Following the advice above I removed and dismantled the brake light switch.
Could I just add that once you have the sliding black cover off you then have to pull the plunger out. This takes a little bit of effort.
When I got mine apart I found that the carrier housing the two button contacts had broken and one of the contacts and its mate in the switch housing had obviously been arcing.
A quick visit to the dealer for a new brake switch (£19) and all is sorted.
Thank you to the posters on this thread for saving me money and heartache.

Fish.

I had exactly the same problem. The brake light switch broke which then blew fuse no 2 resulting in no brake lights and displayed HDC and TC amber warning lights on the dash. I had £££££ signs flashing in front of my eyes.

Following the above advice I contacted my local dealer who supplied me with an upgraded switch for £19 which will hopefully last a bit longer than the original. Fitted in seconds with a new fuse and I'm one relieved freelander driver.

Many thanks for the helpful and accurate advice.

Regards

Shugstar

Had this proplem ages ago......brake lights always worked tho....ignored it and it went away.

Hi Guys,
This happenned to me today on my 04 TD4 HSE Auto.
Panicked at first cause I thought it was a megga gearbag problem, but replaced the switch with the new improved version (must be fitted properly or it doesnt activate, so beware!), and bingo! problem solved.

Speaking with the friendly local LR service bod, he told me the HDC & TC lights come on to tell you your brake switch is about to or has failed, which once you know, is actually quite reassuring that its been thought out. Pity it doesnt tell you this in the manual though :-(

Other symptoms with the auto are: gear selection lights on the shifter dont work; selected gear doesnt display on the speedo.

Hope this helps!

johnmacb said:

Hi Guys,
.....(must be fitted properly or it doesnt activate, so beware!), and bingo! problem solved.

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Hi JohnMacb ... what do you mean by fitted properly or it doesn't activate? I did mine , simply plugged it in and it works, No activating required ?

cheers

Its self adjusting and sometimes doesnt sit properly and so brake light stays on.

Other hints, when TC/HDC lights come on the Temp guage fully deflects and so the radiator fans switch on.

Hi, I meant locate properly!

Well, the problem has come back, and is worse.
Select Reverse, and the HDC & TC lights come on, as does the engine management light, goes into limp home mode, and blows fuse 4 in the engine bay fuse box. Oh, and flashes f 4 fault on the digital dash display.
Changing the reverse switch to try to cure the problem, any ideas?

johnmacb said:

Hi, I meant locate properly!

Well, the problem has come back, and is worse.
Select Reverse, and the HDC & TC lights come on, as does the engine management light, goes into limp home mode, and blows fuse 4 in the engine bay fuse box. Oh, and flashes f 4 fault on the digital dash display.
Changing the reverse switch to try to cure the problem, any ideas?

Click to expand...

I think yours is an auto. F4 is normally related to the auto gearbox. In this case perhaps no power to the auto as Fuse 4 in the engine bay powers the auto's computer.

Also check yer auto's barrell connectors are connected tight. Located above auto under the bonnet. There's 2 of them.


DSC01080 PnqqrjE

Hippo said:

I think yours is an auto. F4 is normally related to the auto gearbox. In this case perhaps no power to the auto as Fuse 4 in the engine bay powers the auto's computer.

Also check yer auto's barrell connectors are connected tight. Located above auto under the bonnet. There's 2 of them.

Click to expand...

Hippo,
Hi thanks for the info and the pictures.
I looked at the two barrel connectors, and it appears the front one has experienced some chaffing to the wires (especialy white/black one) against the lip of a cover on the gearbox.
I've taped up the exposed wires, and cable tied the block & cables away from anything metal, and on first tests seems to have sorted the problem.

Symptoms again for anyone with the same:
Select reverse, and HDC & TC lights come on, along with engine management fault light, also blows fuse 4 in the engine compartment fuse box, and F4 flashes on the dash digital display, and finaly, the gear selection indicator lights at the gear stick go out (never looked to see if rev lights worked or not):

Cause for all seems to be a knackered wire or two on the two barrel connectors on the front of the gearbox (brake switch may not have been faulty after all??).

Thanks for everyones help on this, I will give it a week and advise if its a fix (sooner if not!!!)

Regards ..... John Mac

Hi all,
Especially Hippo!
Beastie has not failed since finding the frayed wire, seems that was the problem.

Thanks all!

Regards ..... John Mac

Mine came on today (56 plate TD4) twice for 10 seconds and then went away, having read this post I checked the brake lights and 1 bulb has blown. Is this enough to cause the warning lights to come on or is the brake switch about to go as well?

Well after changing the battery due to failing at the onset of winter my '2 amigos' stopped occuring. However I had already bought the upgrade brake switch and harness and have just fitted them. The issue now is that whilst the brake lights work, I am hearing a relay operation behind the glovebox that wasnt there before and isnt there when I change the switch back! Anyone have any idea as to what it is doing???

just a guess....... you may not have it...... is it something for cancelling cruise control?

Is it an automatic gearbox and does the "relay click" fall in time with a "click" felt through the auto lever? If so could be the position interlock forgotten what it's called thing which senses if the brake pedal is pushed, so it knows to allow you to shift out of park etc.

Had same problem this weekend.
amber/orange HDC and TC lights on.
After reading this post, I checked break lights they didn't worked.
Fuse 2 was blown. ( probably when I hooked on a trailer )
Replaced fuse, pushed the brakes a couple of times and the warning lights went off.
Thanks for this solution !!!

Same issue over the past few days. Initially a case of both the lights illuminating intermitently, then recently staying on at all times.
Many posters mentioned the absence of an ABS light would mean it's unlikely to be anything related to hub sensors etc so I looked at other possibilities first.
I hadnt realized that my rear brake lights were now acting up since the TC/HDC decided to stay on. Pressing the pedal wasnt getting a brake light, but lifting off ever so slightly would then engage the lights.
Decided to check the stop light switch located at the top of the brake pedal bracket. Removed it, cleaned contacts and opened the switch itself to lubricate the plunger mechanism as it was notchy. Popped it back in and hey presto, my 2 amigos disappeared and normal brake light service has resumed.

I'm trying this out right now but I can't see how I can open up the cover of the black light switch. It seems short of impossible without breaking the thing. How do you guys do it? For reference, this is what mine looks like. There are four snap fits that I can't get past.

Alasio said:

I'm trying this out right now but I can't see how I can open up the cover of the black light switch. It seems short of impossible without breaking the thing. How do you guys do it? For reference, this is what mine looks like. There are four snap fits that I can't get past.

Click to expand...

The brake light switch is cheap and easy to replace. I wouldn't bother opening them up. Just chuck it way and fit a new one.