Been doing some googleing, now I have a start; as it is a diesel and does not have a coil, found something on the fan.
"Another common use of a ballast resistor in the automotive industry, is adjusting the ventilation fan speed. The ballast is a fixed resistor with usually two center taps, and the fan speed selector switch is used to bypass portions of the ballast - all of them for full speed, and none for the low speed setting. A very common failure occurs when the fan is being constantly run at the next-to-full speed setting (usually 3 out of 4). This will cause a very short piece of resistor coil to be operated with a relatively high current (up to 10 A), eventually burning it out. This will render the fan unable to run at the reduced speed settings".
Maybe it was put on for the rad fan, at least I'm getting somewhere.:tea:
"Another common use of a ballast resistor in the automotive industry, is adjusting the ventilation fan speed. The ballast is a fixed resistor with usually two center taps, and the fan speed selector switch is used to bypass portions of the ballast - all of them for full speed, and none for the low speed setting. A very common failure occurs when the fan is being constantly run at the next-to-full speed setting (usually 3 out of 4). This will cause a very short piece of resistor coil to be operated with a relatively high current (up to 10 A), eventually burning it out. This will render the fan unable to run at the reduced speed settings".
Maybe it was put on for the rad fan, at least I'm getting somewhere.:tea:
Richard Martin
Well-Known Member
Indeed.
you have traced the wire havent you?If one end goes to the fan, id say your onto a winner.
Except that the "thing" in the photos only has two wires, wouldn't a ballast resistor with two centre taps have more than two wires?
The ballast is just used to limit the current to the coil when the engine is running. So there is a bypass circuit for starting.
From what i have read. I no very little about series land rovers.
Richard Martin
Well-Known Member
I know very little about Series Land Rovers or electronics, but it has already been pointed out that this one is diesel, so it has not got a coil. The next thought was that it is a "ballast resistor with two centre taps" used to control fan speed. I thought this would have more than two wires.
blue beasty
Leaks an prone to bits dropping off
suppressor?
Ah yes
One to many beers with my indian last night i think :doh:
I will now bow out of this conversation and let the eggspurts take over.
Tronicus Maximus
New Member
its either a resistor or a diode.
heres a quick way to check.
hook one end to bat+ and connect other end to a low power bulb and then from bulb to bat-. see if the bulb comes on or not.
then flip the connections round on the device and repeat. If the bulb lights again, you have a resistor.
If it didn't light last time but lights up this time, or vice versa, then you have a diode.
if it doesn't light at all, then it may be a high resistance resistor, so you'll need a multimeter to check.
Test above can also be done with the continuity/buzz mode on a multimeter (where buzzer is the bulb)
heres a quick way to check.
hook one end to bat+ and connect other end to a low power bulb and then from bulb to bat-. see if the bulb comes on or not.
then flip the connections round on the device and repeat. If the bulb lights again, you have a resistor.
If it didn't light last time but lights up this time, or vice versa, then you have a diode.
if it doesn't light at all, then it may be a high resistance resistor, so you'll need a multimeter to check.
Test above can also be done with the continuity/buzz mode on a multimeter (where buzzer is the bulb)
