I know it’s earthing but why and how to fix

300tdi CSW 90

I recently removed all my rear lights to paint back of defender. Before removing all lights were working.

replaced lights none on RHS working did usual checks and realised power was getting there so was earth issue.

two earths in rear corner. The one from the loom that is wired into the plug for the stop / tail. The other in the loom that connects mainly to the fog light. But also the trailer wiring.

if I connect test screw driver to body and put probe into either earths I get a faint glow on the screwdriver and faint lights where rears and fog flash with indicators.

classic earth issue.

So what I am not sure about is what I could have done to break it? Where I can run a new earth from.

thanks.

Did you remove the earths to paint under them?
If so the paint is acting as an insulator and the earths have no direct electrical contact.

Scrape the paint off to bare metal, bolt on the earths, paint over the earth.

Hi there is no screwed down earth point in that corner and I was painting outside.
It’s a duetsch (sp) connector and a bullet connector in the back.

I could check wire to earth in case it got damaged but my recollection is in that corner it’s straight into loom and then earthed near transfer casing. Unless I’ve missed something obvious.

I fitted an earthed bar in the corner at the back, a seperate one from the back door and one from the tub to the chassis (near the front).
All the earths at the back are connected to it, including the trailor wiring

cool so the one from the tub to the chassis earths the tub and then the tub can be used to earth?

Landy_Ben said:

cool so the one from the tub to the chassis earths the tub and then the tub can be used to earth?

Click to expand...

Yes.

and by definition I could also run a earth wire from the chassis below that corner up into the tub to a Buss bar and connect there?

Thanks for all your help. Had a look at the earth point on transfer case. Whilst cleaning it up discovered a broken crimp fix that meant earth wasn’t connected. Decent fix in place and all working. Thanks.