What's that big red warning light?

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OZAWOZA

Active Member
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416
Location
Somerset
I have a big red light that is permanently on but I have no idea what it is?

It's the one top dead centre of the Dash centre between the two main dials and at the same level as the indicator lights to the left and right hand side of the two main dials

I'm new to the world of land rovers and I've looked in the owners manual, restoration manual, workshop manual etc... and although it shows it in all the dashboard illustrations I cannot see anywhere that actually says what it is _ I am supposing that this must be some afterthought rewire but am just a bit worried that it is permanently on...

Please feel free to mock my ignorance, but if you could include the answer in your **** takes then I would be very grateful
 
ain't that the brake warning light thats fitted to models with split circuit brakes?

Trace your brake pipes from the MC, if they lead to a littlevalve type thing with a wire going in underneath then thats it.

Bit worying if its always on tho....
 
Could be brake warning, have a look behind the dash, see if the wiring looks original, tell us what colour the wire is. It would be useful to know what vehicle, engine etc.
 
Sorry for lack of previous information - borne out of frustration after a long day!

Landy is a 2.25 1975 Series 3 (diesel) 88" Safari Station Wagon... will check for valve identified by "Landy-Ads", and wiring by "Oxides" when I get home later (+ put some pics on)

Thanks for yer patience and help
 
Right - I have done some firkling around... and my guess is that this light is purely to identify that the the key is in the ignition and power is available.

My reasoning is as follows (and I would be grateful if any of the more electrically knowledgeable could support this, or pour **** on my bonfire):-

The light has two yellow cables coming from the rear of it and by tugging and pulling it would appear that one of these comes from No5 terminal of the fuseboard.

The second yellow cable to the rear of the light is spliced onto a black cable in the rear of the instrument panel (I presume Earth) which in turn connects to the top centre terminal on rear of the "watertemp/fuel/charge" instrument.

I cannot see any other connections or routes of these two yellow cables so presume that this is a simple on/of light???

What a strange idea?

Thanks
 
Wierd - what you say about the wiring sounds right but I can't see the point, unless someone wanted to fill in a hole in the dash with something pretty. I'm using this particular hole for the rear washer switch but it's not exactly convenient!
 
Hiya's, do you mean this light on this style dash ?

thislight.jpg


I'm not sure why but on dads S3 it's wired into the indicator's and only flashes when they are on, don't stay on permanant. I won't say this is right or wrong as I don't know. Just trying to help if I can :)

Although saying this dads could be wired up wrong as we haven't yet had a chance to look at it yet (only had it 6 months :p )
 
Hiya's, do you mean this light on this style dash ?

thislight.jpg


I'm not sure why but on dads S3 it's wired into the indicator's and only flashes when they are on, don't stay on permanant. I won't say this is right or wrong as I don't know. Just trying to help if I can :)

Although saying this dads could be wired up wrong as we haven't yet had a chance to look at it yet (only had it 6 months :p )

That's not standard - the green left and right pointing arrows/triangles to the left and right of the clocks and instruments should flash with the indicators, left with left, right with right. Work there to be done methinks.
 
Yup that's the one - with regards to the indicators, the green arrow lights either side at the top work when the indicators flash so don't think it would have been intended to do with the.

It must be some weird afterthought add on of some sort as I've looked at the circuit diagrams and cannot find a plain yellow wire identified on them anywhere (which this has two) and the modern snap on wire link connector suggests it's a later bodge of some sort

I've also got a small array or switches in the middle of the upper dash, which I presume would have been for additional fog/working lights (long since removed) so may have had some purpose in relation to those??????

Think I'll ignore it until something goes bang, or as the year heads to an end perhaps call it a christmas decoration???

Thanks for all of your inputs though
 
my thought on this, its been wired up to show when temp goes up as oppose to looking at the clock a sort of secondry warning , ive never seen it done or fitted to series before but going back a few years they were fitted to the trucks i was driving at the time.

Not if it's wired between unfused switched live and earth (fusebox to black wire).
 
I think that the lamp was originally fitted as an option to use as a warning light when towing electrics were fitted,when a trailer was connected the light flashed I cant remember if it stayed on when a bulb on the trailer blew or went out,we also wired it as a fog/spot lamp warning or a reversing lamp on reminder.
 
I think that the lamp was originally fitted as an option to use as a warning light when towing electrics were fitted,when a trailer was connected the light flashed I cant remember if it stayed on when a bulb on the trailer blew or went out,we also wired it as a fog/spot lamp warning or a reversing lamp on reminder.
correct.it is a light to tell you when trailer lights are working.I would guess a plug short but best just ignore it...:):)
 
I can confirm that the red light in the dash is for auxillary indicators, I had the same problem when i got mine home, and as suggested by someone it stayed on when a indicator bulb was out, very confusing as when i first checked my lights all were fine but then i found i had a loose bub which didnt make contact all the time, :)
 
the dash location was originally used for the trip meter reset knob (a twiddle one that wound back the digits) not all had trip meters, and the hole was blanked off.
yours appears to be an aftermarket annoyance of no particular function other than to catch your eye in darkness.
disconnect it.
 
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