Hello Again
a wealth of info/knowledge on this site, so thought if maybe some advice on a small problem
the fuse for the headlights ( in fuse box under steering column housing)
keep blowing every now and then
I have replaced the original sealed beam headlight units with aftermarket ones with replaceable globes due to one of them blowing
correct fuse is being installed
Has anyone any idea's?
thanks in advance
Eric

a cupple of things you can do to sus it out, is the fuse blowing when you trun them on ? when a light first turns on it draws heeps more power due to the resistance of the elament, eg cold temp high amps, then when the coil is bright and hot the resistance of the elament is higher and draws less power, it all hapens in less than a second,. so if its blowing upon the warm up of the lights it can be ither a fuse that is to low or a wiring loom that is too small for the size of the globe.

if it is blowing wile your driving around it can be a short some where in the loom eg a bare wire rubbing on a body pannel.

some other things you can check for depending on how confadent you are with electrics are voltage drops, so first check the voltage at the battery, say its 13v and all good. then check the voltage at the light it self wile its pluged in. you should get somthing like 12.8 or so, there will be some loss through the wiring but if there is alot of loss eg like .5 of a volt its getting abit low, the power is being lost in the wiring and the fuse has more load on it becuse the lights are dimmer drawing more power.

sorry not trying to be an astronaut but where ever a wire feels warm its too small for the job, if you get a voltage accross the fuse it self when its got power going through it and is not blown, say .3 volts its working hard, and is probably about to blow, as the fuse it self warms up and works hard it will create a voltage accross both termanals. this is a sign its going to blow.

another check you can do is to see if you are drawing more than the lights are rated to ,

do you have a multi meater that mesures amps ?

if the lights draw more power when going throug the cars own electrical system than on there own hooked up directly then there is a current leak with in the cars electrical system.

let us know how you go,

jeff

The headlights and combo switch are weak points in the s111 you can fix the headlights by fitting relays for headlights this takes the load away from the combo switch and makes the lights brighter the combo switch theres not much more you can do for you can wire the relays yourself or you can buy kits to upgrade them from traxside electronics (tim drivesafe on here). Taht way the voltage is carried buy 2 seperate fusees and power drawn straight from the battery

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29-472 S3 109 GS "THE BOOGER"
94 D1 300tdi
kawasaki gt 750 & gt550 yamaha XT600
EX rocky EX mavrick
REMLR 282
GEOFF

Had the same problem and fixed it with the relay.

thanks everyone
do you mean fitting a relay for each head light ??

yep usally only for the low beam makes them brighter and stops the compination switch burning out hi beam doesnt seem to have the same problem

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29-472 S3 109 GS "THE BOOGER"
94 D1 300tdi
kawasaki gt 750 & gt550 yamaha XT600
EX rocky EX mavrick
REMLR 282
GEOFF

G'day ozgunworksandmilitaria

The Series 3/Rangies and all later 110's and Defenders and other English vehicles had problems with that type of Lucas switch,they would melt the plastic of the switch around the terminals because of the heat of the power draw, the solution is to fit a relay into the headlight system, I would recommend using a New-Era type relay available from Traxide ("Drivesafe") RLD1 go to the website, www.traxide.com.au and you will see it in the headlight upgrade section, I would also suggest that you fit a 30amp circuit breaker CB 30 which would then allow you to have a power source for other things but be protected by the circuit breake, beats having a wiring fire

By fitting a relay all the switch does is to energise the relay coils and there is no Amp draw (heat) through the switch and you will find that by getting the full 12 volts at the lights they will be brighter.


cheers

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68 2a GS 6028D 172-484
Aust No5 trailer 2wheel 1/2 ton Ch 1974=173-489
REMLR No 003