Headlights cutting out.

Mudstyler · Nov 1, 2023

Just a quick question please. For years my headlights have been a bit hesitant to come on sometimes, now they cut our for 20 seconds or so now and again when driving. It's just the headlights, side and dash come on immediately and stay on. I assume it's the relay I have to change. Just checking with you guys before I buy one.
Thanks

miktdish · Nov 1, 2023

You have a relay ?

What car ?
What engine ?
What year ?

Brown · Nov 1, 2023

Sounds a bit like the symptoms of a deteriorating headlamp switch. As it carries a good deal of current (it doesn't operate a relay, unless someone has modified the wiring) the plastic gets warm and distorts over a period of time and the contacts don't touch as firmly as they should, leading to the headlights going off intermittently.

I'm not saying that's definitely what it is, but this is a fault that a good many of us have experienced.

BulletBrindle · Nov 1, 2023

Mudstyler said:
Just a quick question please. For years my headlights have been a bit hesitant to come on sometimes, now they cut our for 20 seconds or so now and again when driving. It's just the headlights, side and dash come on immediately and stay on. I assume it's the relay I have to change. Just checking with you guys before I buy one.
Thanks

Sorry to be blunt, but surely you should have sorted this when you first had an issue with the headlights years ago.

RustyDefender · Nov 1, 2023

- Switch
- Wiring
- Relay

Start there

Mudstyler · Nov 1, 2023

BulletBrindle said:
Sorry to be blunt, but surely you should have sorted this when you first had an issue with the headlights years ago.

oh, blunt, I mess read it. Thanks for your input.

Mudstyler · Nov 1, 2023

Brown said:
Sounds a bit like the symptoms of a deteriorating headlamp switch. As it carries a good deal of current (it doesn't operate a relay, unless someone has modified the wiring) the plastic gets warm and distorts over a period of time and the contacts don't touch as firmly as they should, leading to the headlights going off intermittently.

I'm not saying that's definitely what it is, but this is a fault that a good many of us have experienced.

Thanks for that, I'll start there

Mudstyler · Nov 1, 2023

RustyDefender said:
- Switch
- Wiring
- Relay

Start there

excellent

miktdish · Nov 2, 2023

@Mudstyler You have a relay ?
@RustyDefender He has a relay ?

What car ?
What engine ?
What year ?

Mudstyler · Nov 2, 2023

miktdish said:
@Mudstyler You have a relay ?
@RustyDefender He has a relay ?

What car ?
What engine ?
What year ?

It’s a 2004 Td5 defender 110dc.
I had a harness and relay taking the headlight feed straight from the alternator, I’ve removed that now but still an issue.

miktdish · Nov 2, 2023

Mudstyler said:
It’s a 2004 Td5 defender 110dc.
I had a harness and relay taking the headlight feed straight from the alternator, I’ve removed that now but still an issue.

Ok.
Now we have a chance.
Normally, there is no relay.
The power comes from a fuse, up to the stalk master switch (part# AMR6104) and then to the light switch (part# XPB101290) and then to the headlights.
Earlier cars (not sure if yours still has) had a 'pink' dim/dip relay which when you turned the sidelights on routed voltage through a resistor so that the headlamps came on 'dimmly'.
It was a legal requirement several years ago, it no longer is.

Many people remove this pink relay (part'# YWC10050) and bridge it out.
The relay is behind the binnacle.
This could be the 'issue'.
The resistor is under the O/S wing near the brake servo, if you take the wingtop vent cover off get your arm in up to the elbow you can just about feel it.

Mudstyler · Nov 2, 2023

miktdish said:
Ok.
Now we have a chance.
Normally, there is no relay.
The power comes from a fuse, up to the stalk master switch (part# AMR6104) and then to the light switch (part# XPB101290) and then to the headlights.
Earlier cars (not sure if yours still has) had a 'pink' dim/dip relay which when you turned the sidelights on routed voltage through a resistor so that the headlamps came on 'dimmly'.
It was a legal requirement several years ago, it no longer is.

Many people remove this pink relay (part'# YWC10050) and bridge it out.
The relay is behind the binnacle.
This could be the 'issue'.
The resistor is under the O/S wing near the brake servo, if you take the wingtop vent cover off get your arm in up to the elbow you can just about feel it.

Thanks. That rings a bell, think I bridged my relay out years ago.

v8250 · Nov 3, 2023

Guys, if you're having headlight wiring issues due to old wiring, previous owner bodges, frequent intermittent headlight failures why no just do the job properly and run new wiring and add relays and fuses. Do as per below and you'll see no headlight failures + with added advantage of reducing current through your headlight stalk and switch to a minimum :. fewer headlight stalk & switch failures. Just re-wire as per below, you won't regret it...

*note: do not buy the Boomslang wiring loom kit, they're sh!t.

Mudstyler · Nov 3, 2023

v8250 said:
Guys, if you're having headlight wiring issues due to old wiring, previous owner bodges, frequent intermittent headlight failures why no just do the job properly and run new wiring and add relays and fuses. Do as per below and you'll see no headlight failures + with added advantage of reducing current through your headlight stalk and switch to a minimum :. fewer headlight stalk & switch failures. Just re-wire as per below, you won't regret it...

*note: do not buy the Boomslang wiring loom kit, they're sh!t.

View attachment 301662

That’s the kit I removed. Issue persists.

v8250 · Nov 3, 2023

Mudstyler said:
That’s the kit I removed. Issue persists.

Measure voltage at o/p of bulkhead wiring for clean/constant voltage for side, headlight, side & headlight and full beam. This will give you base guarantee before wiring in new looms, fuses and relays. If problems persist you only have the old wiring, old fuses in fusebox and light switches. Land Rover wiring is very basic, it's just needing to work through the wiring and components methodically.

With the new wiring loom be sure to terminate individual earthing points for each side of the headlights near to the headlights, and use star washers under the earth wiring terminal eyes for proper grip/contact to chassis - this enables easy localised future fault finding.

BulletBrindle · Nov 3, 2023

v8250 said:
Guys, if you're having headlight wiring issues due to old wiring, previous owner bodges, frequent intermittent headlight failures why no just do the job properly and run new wiring and add relays and fuses. Do as per below and you'll see no headlight failures + with added advantage of reducing current through your headlight stalk and switch to a minimum :. fewer headlight stalk & switch failures. Just re-wire as per below, you won't regret it...

*note: do not buy the Boomslang wiring loom kit, they're sh!t.

View attachment 301662

I had a Boomslang on my previous truck and have just installed it on my current one too. Apart from the cables being a little short, what else is wrong with the Boomslang kit? Cheers

Mudstyler · Nov 3, 2023

BulletBrindle said:
I had a Boomslang on my previous truck and have just installed it on my current one too. Apart from the cables being a little short, what else is wrong with the Boomslang kit? Cheers

Nothing by the look of it. The issues seems to be in the original wiring of my truck.
I’ll be looking at the main switch first.

v8250 · Nov 3, 2023

BulletBrindle said:
I had a Boomslang on my previous truck and have just installed it on my current one too. Apart from the cables being a little short, what else is wrong with the Boomslang kit? Cheers

Poor quality crimps/crimping and cable. Many of us have made the mistake of buying and fitting the Boomslang, ending up ripping it out 6-12mths later. Mine had an intermittent high resistant short to the o/s headlamp causing the light to go into dim mode. P!ssed me off tracking down this fault over a number off weeks as every time I cct tested with the DVM for voltage, current and resistance it was NFF. Much by-passing of cables later I found the fault. Post this I ripped out the Boomslang and threw it in the bin, and then made up a proper new loom from the bulkhead forward using high quality automotive cable, housing the relays behind the upper centre dash and taking fused supply from my previously upgraded/installed new bladed fuse fuse box. I've never had a fault since.

iainmaoileoin · Dec 4, 2023

see my recent post. I found my headlamp connectors had melted a bit around the earth (black wire). Looked OK on the outside, but looking into the socket -> all warped and benkled. I too had strange works/doesnt work, sometimes works when you flash them. Then suddenly - nothing!

KISSMYAURA · Dec 4, 2023

v8250 said:
Poor quality crimps/crimping and cable. Many of us have made the mistake of buying and fitting the Boomslang, ending up ripping it out 6-12mths later. Mine had an intermittent high resistant short to the o/s headlamp causing the light to go into dim mode. P!ssed me off tracking down this fault over a number off weeks as every time I cct tested with the DVM for voltage, current and resistance it was NFF. Much by-passing of cables later I found the fault. Post this I ripped out the Boomslang and threw it in the bin, and then made up a proper new loom from the bulkhead forward using high quality automotive cable, housing the relays behind the upper centre dash and taking fused supply from my previously upgraded/installed new bladed fuse fuse box. I've never had a fault since.

what he said............ just make you own.

Headlights cutting out.

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