Puma binnacle lights off

I have bought a 2009 Puma 110 from the Council with the intention of either keeping it or tidying it up and selling it. I love Defenders and I love working on them so this scratches the itch, lets me drive one but keep my regular vehicle for work. This one is really great and Im very pleased with it. I am pleasantly surprised at how good it is to drive and a working heater at this time of year in Yorkshire is a wonderful thing! I recently had it in for paint and a dent to be dealt with but now its back I have noticed that the instrument binnacle lights dont work and they did before. The rest of the lights in the middle f the dash work fine and there are no other problems. After a bit of digging I found something about disconnecting the battery incorrectly can cause problems. Im sure they will have disconnected it but could this be my issue if its been done wrong? I am currently trialling a pair of led headlights and my first thought was that they may have caused it but Im not sure thats likely. Its my first Puma after various Tdis and TD5 Discos so Im not up on their traits and peculiar ways. Any advice would be much appreciated.

The only issue you will have if the battery disconnect procedure is not followed, is the alarm will go off. After the battery is reconnected the key fob needs to be resynchronised with the vehicle, this is needed whether or not the correct disconnection procedure was followed. Nothing else should be affected.

so you have had a dent and paint job where about on the vehicles would narrow the problems maybe a disturbed connector unattached earth damaged or trapped harness a fuse blown or dislodged

Paint was on drivers door where the Council had had some decals taken off and there was a minor dent on the front nearside wing. I had this hope there might be a switch to turn off the instrument lights like on old Defenders but I dont think there is. Im going to check fuses this morning now its light but I would have thought all instrument lights would have been on the same fuse and the centre ones are working, its just the binnacle thats out.

I haven't got any info on the 2009 (2.4) puma wiring, but have info for the later 2.2 puma which is similar (but not exactly the same). Based on the 2.2 the instrument binnacle has a 32 multi way connector on the back which appears to take all the cables going into the binnacle for all functions. My thoughts are that if the connector is loose nothing would be working. I suspect that as you have fitted LED headlamps, that may have affected the instrument lights, as you suggest. Only one way to test that ------

Well as good as they are it would be cheaper to replace them than to have to replace the cluster. Ive got to give it a go havent I.

Just to finish off this post it was as simple as a fuse. Though I feel a bit daft to be honest it seems the power to light the binnacle comes from the ns sidelight and the fuse for this had blown. Check the obvious before thinking too far ahead is my lesson on this one I think. Nevertheless saved me a few bob over what might have been.