Dash lights - blowing fuse

[Kelly928]

The fuse (#18) for dash lights/illumination and drivers side parkers keep blowing. The passenger side parkers (#19) all good. Globes (parkers and dash) not blown.

Everytime I fit a new fuse and go for a drive the fuse blows soon after. It does not blow immediately after car is started.

I am guessing power feed wire is faulty, but where? Other suggestions?

Anyone had this before?

Thanks
Kelly

[miky]

Unless this a known problem and someone has the answer all you can really do is try and follow the wire. A wiring diagram may help, but they don't show you the physical run. If you can find the end of the wire then you could try replacing it?


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[alien]

Got a tow hitch on it?
If so check the wires at the plug, I've seen wires rubed through before.

[Kelly928]

Thanks guys.

Think I will have to follow the wire but was hoping I wouldnt have to take the dash apart yet again!

Kyle - I do have plug for tow hitch so will check that.

Cheers

[ciapek]

The fuse (#18) for dash lights/illumination and drivers side parkers keep blowing. The passenger side parkers (#19) all good. Globes (parkers and dash) not blown.

Everytime I fit a new fuse and go for a drive the fuse blows soon after. It does not blow immediately after car is started.

I am guessing power feed wire is faulty, but where? Other suggestions?

Anyone had this before?

Thanks
Kelly

Mine had this. Exact symptoms.

I replaced all light globes, fearing it will be a collapsed element somewhere, no win.....
I spent hours under the car tracing back wiring looms....no win....
I pulled out all external light fittings cleaning contacts and getting mud off wires..no win....

It turned out to be the actual head light switch toggle, slowly melting and collapsing, it would cause a short and blow the said fuse at a particular time when it felt like it........:twisted:
And yes, this was the second light switch, first one replaced under warranty.....

Good luck......

[bee utey]

Replace the fuse with a 100W halogen globe/lamp. When the short circuit condition occurs the globe lights up without damage to the wiring. Then wriggle everything until the globe goes out.

[ciapek]

Replace the fuse with a 100W halogen globe/lamp. When the short circuit condition occurs the globe lights up without damage to the wiring. Then wriggle everything until the globe goes out.

yep, and that's how it was done in the old Defenders.
Do this in your TD5/Puma and watch the wiring light up somewhere along the line......not the same guage as it used to be.....

[Kelly928]

Mine had this. Exact symptoms.

I replaced all light globes, fearing it will be a collapsed element somewhere, no win.....
I spent hours under the car tracing back wiring looms....no win....
I pulled out all external light fittings cleaning contacts and getting mud off wires..no win....

It turned out to be the actual head light switch toggle, slowly melting and collapsing, it would cause a short and blow the said fuse at a particular time when it felt like it........:twisted:
And yes, this was the second light switch, first one replaced under warranty.....

Good luck......

Funny you mention this. I replaced the original switch with a simple on-off toggle switch sometime ago due to the original switch melting. I knew I should have relayed the headlights!

This may explain why it doesnt blow the fuse straight away. The heat must build up in the switch then short then blow.

I hope it is the switch cause I just spent the last 3 hours looking at the RAVE circuit diagrams and it was doing my head in.

Will check it out in the morning if the rain stops.

Thanks mate.

[bee utey]

yep, and that's how it was done in the old Defenders.
Do this in your TD5/Puma and watch the wiring light up somewhere along the line......not the same guage as it used to be.....
100W globe runs 8 amps max. This should be similar to the fuse rating so shouldn't melt wiring with short term use.

[one_iota]

yep, and that's how it was done in the old Defenders.
Do this in your TD5/Puma and watch the wiring light up somewhere along the line......not the same guage as it used to be.....

(Just a technical correction here: the Puma head lights are relayed and therefore the switch is no longer susceptible to this Defender flaw....LR can be a slow learner but it learnt this lesson)

[Nero]

Now I can't say this definitively applies to your car but typically the dash lights and tail lights on most vehicles are wired into the same circuit the headlights have a circuit and fuse all buy themselves. So it might be worth going throughthe tail lights and making sure they are not full of mud dirt or corrosion causing a slow short. The other thing to think about is when does it blow ie after the first brake application? or after the first time you go around a corner and use the indicators, just a couple of simple ways of narrowing things down.

[Kelly928]

Well its not the headlight switch and the trailer cable looks ok.


Now I can't say this definitively applies to your car but typically the dash lights and tail lights on most vehicles are wired into the same circuit the headlights have a circuit and fuse all buy themselves. So it might be worth going throughthe tail lights and making sure they are not full of mud dirt or corrosion causing a slow short. The other thing to think about is when does it blow ie after the first brake application? or after the first time you go around a corner and use the indicators, just a couple of simple ways of narrowing things down.

This is a great idea. Will test drive and see when it actually happens.

I think you are right. If I read RAVE correctly the RHS front park lights and tail lights share the same circuit coming from common fuse and trailer cable is picked up off the RHS tail light wire.