LR & Lock warning lights

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cowasaki

Well-Known Member
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1,517
Location
North West England
Just got the defender on Monday and not had much time to mess yet but I noticed that changing from high to low or using the diff lock didn't light up any warning lights on the dash. Nor does a light come on when the engine is cold for heater plugs etc....

When I turn on the ignition the volt, oil and brake lights come on then when I start the engine just the brake light is on and as I take off the hand brake the brake light goes out...

I'm not sure what all the lights actually are as I cannot find an owner's manual for the 1994 300TDi defender 90 on line but I am sure that there should be a warning for heater plugs, LR and/or lock. I've tested the operation of both LR and diff lock and they both work just not the lights.
 
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Theres no light for low ration, but there should be for heater plugs and diff lock.

Do the other warning lights work, ie rear heated window (if you've got one), lights and anything else.
AFAIK the dash lights all share an earth, so thats unlikly to be the issue, try changing the lamps, its quite possible the lamps have just gone.
other than that, are the heater plugs actually doing anything, difficult to tell in this weather, the 300 will start without till it gets quite a lot colder.

have a look on here, im sure theres a link to the manual, although its not very helpful, alot of the dash lights are "model/country specific" some work on some, not on others, my handbrake light does nothing, nor my low fuel level, wheras on some they do.
 
The rear windscreen heater doesn't work because the rear door isn't attached to the loom at the moment!

I've looked at the wiring at it would appear that they all share a positive (thicker white lead) and it's the ground that switches each one on. The Haynes manual appears to show a LR and a lock switch strangely but there only appears to be a lock warning light as you said. I'll have a closer look when I next have a day off but was hoping for a key to what each light does. I can't work out which is heater plugs for example....
 
I found a PDF'd of the user manual on line for a 1997 300TDI, lost the link but if you PM me with an email address I can send you a copy.
 
I found a PDF'd of the user manual on line for a 1997 300TDI, lost the link but if you PM me with an email address I can send you a copy.

Thanks that would be brilliant....


Here are my warning lights and I think that I inadvertantly fixed the glow plug warning light whilst I was at it....


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IMG_7456.jpg
 
I'm guessing that the light next to the 24v is the glow plug light.

So ...

Seat belt - not on this model.
(P) - No idea.
Trailer - I'm guessing this is for a warning light if the lights or indicators on the trailer don't light
24v - not on this model
Fuel light - probably not on this model
Heated rear window - My back door loom is ripped out and the next job on my list....
PARK BRAKE - ???
(!) Brake - Transmission brake
Fog light - not fitted. fog light works but warning light doesn't

Diff lock >>> The one that looks like H ???
 
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It's funny how a simple little fault can open a can of worms!

I got all the warning lights working other than the diff lock light but I was determined to get them all working so:


out came the middle seat where I found that the metal plate/floor was just sat there with no screws in it at all.

found the wire for the diff lock loose but couldn't find the diff lock sensor module

decided that the only way I was going to find it was to remove the tunnel so gear and transfer knobs off, carpet out, foam bits etc etc then started at the screws.....

5 were too rusty and stuck so out came the grinder....

had to remove screws for fuse box to get tunnel out.

tunnel now removed and lots of crap removed to find that one of the electrical connectors has broken off so I need a new sensor module....

BUT

Having removed all that lot I realised that the bulk head lowers were starting to rust.... Its generally surface rust so I've washed off all the crud and now I need to attack it with the wire brush and paint it all with hammerite.

I've ended up with a shopping list though:

1 fuse box screw (head kanckered)
10 tunnel screws (replacing them all as they are mainly rusted and 5 are grinded off)
5 of the plastic things that the tunnel screws go into
all the screws and spires to re-fit the floor panels
screws for the plate under the middle seat

oh and the sender :D


Still it will be better once it's done............
 
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Well thats the sender bought on ebay for £5.65

I'll probably get the rest from the local fastenings place although I need to work out what the plastic square things are called.

ADDED:

It's an RTC3744 and very helpfully the screws are AB614061L !!

Anybody know what size the screw is so I can buy some stainless allen headed ones!

And what to search for on ebay for the RTC3744 parts?
 
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Well I've done it :D

In order to get at the diff lock switch I had to remove the gearbox cover and in order to remove that I had to remove all the carpets, acoustic covering etc.

I found a hole which needed welding then had to repair my welder replacing the gooseneck, shroud and tip! Once I did that I realised that my steel sheet was all rusty and then shop I used to buy it from no longer exists. Then I ended up spending 4 hours finding somewhere else...

Eventually the hole was welded and with the floor removed I cleaned an inch of crud off the gearbox and transfer box. The crud was so thick it was actually making it difficult to get the transfer box lever to move....

So with all that done I've cleaned and re-painted the middle of the Landy underneath and the floor inside.

Several days work and I'm very happy with the result

BUT

Once everything was put back together and I took it out for a run the indicator warning light was not working! So I swapped one warning light failed for another. Luckily I am better with electrics than welding and it ended up being the flasher unit.

So it's all working now and I've found a box in the garage with 2 new gauges, one volt and one amp which are a really nice match for the stock landy ones. I've fitted the volt meter and replaced the faulty bulbs in the dash too.
 
You poor bugger...it's all over for you now.

You have fallen into what is commonly referred to as shipfitter's disease - also known as "just 6 more bolts" syndrome.

"It's just a few more bolts - I'll fix X" then you get that out and the rusty Y behind it is just a few more bolts...and deeper and deeper you go.

Good luck with that... :)

ajr
 
Thanks....

I've just been outside making a start on the next job, whilst I was painting I found a hole 3"x2" in the battery box. I've got the seat out and the battery and just roughly cleaned up inside the box. I'll have to get the wire brush in there tomorrow but it looks like the rest of the box is sound. Will probably weld the hole up in situ as I've got no rivets left to refit it if I take it out. I found 1/2p in the box so that's reduced the total cost of ownership :D
 
Well, found another 10p behind the passenger seat so that probably pays for today's MIG wire :D

The hole:

IMG_7469.jpg


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My amateur welding

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Finished (note the red is the reflection of my welder in the shiny black paint!)

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