Handbrake wiring issue?

Hello everyone

Bit of a strange problem that my garage is stumped over and I don't want to start paying expensive labour for LR to investigate the problem...so I thought I'd pick your brains!

I have an 02 Defender 90 TD5, c. 50,000 miles.

Been running sweet as a nut but started hunting a bit recently when idling.

Not sure if the hunting is connected to the main weird problem, which is that when I put the handbrake on the engine cuts out, the fuel pump starts 'buzzing' (from under passenger seat), the temp gauge on the dash stops working and the lights on the dash flicker. It then won't start (fuel pump just buzzes rather than whines), until I take the handbrake off. The moment the handbrake is off it starts sweet as anything.

Am completely baffled! Am driving around without using the handbrake at the moment and it's fine, but I'm sure I'm going to need to do a hill start at some point soon...

Any ideas?

It's been in to the garage and they've inspected the wiring looms, fiddled things around (which then temporarily removed the problem), the handbrake's been stripped back and the wiring checked.

Thank you in advance!

id check earths in the under seat box

:5biagree: with James. It certainly sounds like an earthing problem.

Sounds like a great security device!

It is the earth cables.

I had the exact same issue. It turned out the main battery - chassis - transmission/gearbox earth was ruined and turned out my seat rails & handbreak where both live.

Adding a new earth cables from the battery to seat box and a new chassis to transmission/gearbox solved the issue.


Heres my previous thread -

http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/f16/some-odd-issues-02-td5-defender-210703.html

Thanks for the pointers folks. What would be my best way to get it fixed? I'm not up to doing it I don't think (this is my first Defender), and I'm wondering if my garage is. LR will likely charge a fortune...is it something an electrical engineer would be able to fix? Or is it a big job?

Just get someearth leads either from a scrap yard or a car accessory shop and follow the blach wire from the battery to the engine.
Where it is connected via a bolt, add one of yours to it and attach the other end to the body.
Then from that connection, run thinner wire to any bits that need earthing!

as well as earth to t/box from battery and chassis ,there is a couple of earths that bolt on drivers top side of t/box can be got at with center seat panel out

I rang an Autosparks in the end. Took about 1hr.30 and £60.

My cars now right as rain and so many other features work!

Not sure if your anywhere near me but i used -

AMT Auto Electrician