Defender Tdi dash warning lights

[uninformed]

Hey all,

Is there any up grade to this area? (aside from LED globes)

I just went to put LED globes in mine and see the abortion of a design. My circut board (if thats what you call it) is corroded and missing copper sections. Of course being open to the elements is not great (well done LR!)

cheers
Serg

[Dervish]

Don't get me started. The only alternative I see is to completely chuck the whole unit and start again with a piece of aluminium drilled for individual warning lights (from memory VDO sell them). I've been very tempted many times, but never have the time.

The amount of redundant wiring in our dashes is truly staggering. One day I'll get the time to rip the whole thing apart and do it properly.

[Devans]

Don't get me started. The only alternative I see is to completely chuck the whole unit and start again with a piece of aluminium drilled for individual warning lights (from memory VDO sell them). I've been very tempted many times, but never have the time.

The amount of redundant wiring in our dashes is truly staggering. One day I'll get the time to rip the whole thing apart and do it properly.

Take photos of the process for us!! :cool:

[Dervish]

I will :) Top priorities will be to clear out all the needless wiring and make it so the gauge pinnacle can be removed completely by disconnecting a few electrical connectors (and the speedo cable).

I actually drew up a design to replace the whole binnacle - not just the warning lights - with aluminium in Sketchup. I'm not sold on it yet, but you can fit an extra 52mm gauge with the wasted space on extra warning lights gone.

[uninformed]

Thank god Im not alone! :D I removed the binnacle and went :o WTF!!! Now I know 2/5ths of bugger all when it comes to electrics but that isn't right.

A mate made his own waring light unit out of aluminium and made his own little coloured lenses with symbols. I didn't see the process at the time mind you.

Id love to clear out the junk in there. Dervish, post up what you have if you can, id be very keen to see (looking at your avatar, I'm guessing you know electrics)

Now my next questions. I have attached a pic of my warning light front panel, so we are all on the same page. Where there are blank spaces there are actually symbols and bulbs in there.

Far right under the "heated rear window" symbol is another battery symbol
Middle under the "glow plug" symbol is a vertical thermometer
Top left next to the "trailer" is the "Park Brake" words
Bottom left next to "fog lights" is a picture of a engine with a lightning bolt through it.

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachment.php?attachmentid=78944&d=1402737983

When I turn my ignition on (position II) I get my low oil pressure light, the "parking brake" words (not the parking brake symbol??) and the "glow plug".

that is all???

When I turn the engine over (position III) the brake system check lights up and so does the little vertical thermostat. They both go out as soon as the key is returned to ignition, i.e. the engine is now running. It says in my owners manual that I should have the brake system check light coming on with ignition??? Im not getting the battery charging light either, but that could be the dodgy circuit board at this stage?

For some reason, LR have a bulb and wiring fitted to the "heated rear screen symbol" and my 110 is a truck cab (ute)! I have never seen it lit up since day one.

Until tonight I had never seen the little vertical thermometer before??

any thoughts?

[uninformed]

looks like the little thermometer is oil temp warning light and the engine with lightning bolt through it is engine immobiliser

[Phil B]

You are definitely not alone with the desire to upgrade the warning light system. There is a mob in the UK who sell an upgrade but from memory it was over $300 without postage
I would pay good money for the schematics and instructions to do it
Regards
Phil

[uninformed]

You are definitely not alone with the desire to upgrade the warning light system. There is a mob in the UK who sell an upgrade but from memory it was over $300 without postage
I would pay good money for the schematics and instructions to do it
Regards
Phil

Any idea who made it or where to get it?

[Phil B]

I can't find the site but it was on eBay UK
Phil

[manic]

Td5 warning lights not a good enough improvement?

Sent from my PadFone 2 using AULRO mobile app

[uninformed]

Td5 warning lights not a good enough improvement?

Sent from my PadFone 2 using AULRO mobile app

Im thinking they may be, but do you know what is needed parts wise and involved in the change over ;)

[manic]

Yes I done it recently ->
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/technical-chatter/130630-what-did-you-do-your-landy-today-post2139092.html#post2139092

I also have a spare TD5 warning light set you can have.

You need:


Two new connectors -> Defender TD5 Instrument Warning Lights Connectors Terminals Clocks Gauges | eBay (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/DEFENDER-TD5-Instrument-Warning-Lights-Connectors-Terminals-Clocks-Gauges-/161328564400?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item258fee88b0)
A TD5 dash instrument panel with warning lights, or if you are prepared to mod your existing dash instrument panel with aluminium plate you can just get the instrument lights and mount them to your existing panel (TDI/TD5 warning light panels are different sizes)
Some patience to snip and solder on the new plugs.



Here is a guide for the wire colours and pins -> Installing a Defender Td5 Instrument Pack into a 200Tdi/300Tdi - Land Rover Technical Blog (http://www.retroanaconda.com/landrover/2009/10/installing-defender-td5-gauges-into-a-200tdi300tdi/)


The only issue I had was that the glow plug feed to my older instrument panel was positive trigger and the TD5 is a negative trigger. For now I just hooked it up to the hazard light instead, but may eventually convert to negative feed.

[manic]

BTW, I was fortunate enough to find a dash panel with inst warning lights for cheap, but initially I was just going to use a plate over my existing panel-> Land Rover Defender Stainless Steel Dash Cover / Trim NEW | eBay (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Land-Rover-Defender-Stainless-Steel-Dash-Cover-Trim-NEW-/161198179319?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item25882903f7)

Painted black it would have looked pretty good, covered over the cracks I had and served as a mount/surround for the TD5 inst lights.

[Phil B]

Thanks for these posts.
Where did you get a second hand TD5 warning light module from?

Regards,

Phil B

[manic]

I initially bought just the warning lights for £12.50 on ebay UK. A day later one of my low bids was accepted on a dash panel including lights so I am left with a spare unit (if anyones interested?). A tip for Ebay UK, do not ignore items that say they do not post to Australia. Contact sellers, a lot of the time they will quote you a reasonable shipping cost.

So you can do this upgrade pretty cheap...

Rough prices using ebay UK (excluding postage):
- TD5 Dash lights £12.50
- Stainless Dash Panel £8.50
- Connector Plugs £12.00

[Phil B]

I am interested.
Any chance of a photo?

Thanks,

Phil

[uninformed]

I am interested.
Any chance of a photo?

Thanks,

Phil

hey, get in line :D I already sent a PM :p

[Phil B]

Sorry mate.
I had no way of knowing.

[uninformed]

all good, will let you know first what happens

[VladTepes]

Whats so different about the td5 lights over tdi ?

[manic]

TDI are incandescent bulbs shining through a coloured plastic lens with black 'inked' symbols. Even if you swap in LED's they are not easy to see with sunlight on the dash.

TD5 have colour LEDs shining through symbol cut outs. Much better on a sunny day.

[VladTepes]

Ah i did not know that. Are the TD5 dials the same as the Tdi (incandescent bulbs) ?

[Dervish]

I will :) Top priorities will be to clear out all the needless wiring and make it so the gauge pinnacle can be removed completely by disconnecting a few electrical connectors (and the speedo cable).

I actually drew up a design to replace the whole binnacle - not just the warning lights - with aluminium in Sketchup. I'm not sold on it yet, but you can fit an extra 52mm gauge with the wasted space on extra warning lights gone.

Well a year almost to the day later I decided to do something about it. I got the corner radius wrong, but a bit of linishing of the 3mm plate will have it fit perfectly.

http://i940.photobucket.com/albums/ad246/OreganoM1/IMG_0046%202_zpsyo4ropom.jpg

I was also wrong - you can actually fit an extra 2 (!) 52mm gauges in the space liberated by getting rid of the unused warning lights, not just one. This is good news, now I can move both the EGT and voltmeter gauges over from the MudPod and get rid of it.

Warning lights will be LEDs in bezels from Jaycar.

[Judo]

Very nice. How many are you making? :D

[Phil B]

Well done Dervish.
You should consider making a few. There will be interest, me for one.
Regards,

[Dervish]

Very nice. How many are you making? :D

One :angel: The number of people you would need to make production economical would be far greater than demand, I would think.


Well done Dervish.
You should consider making a few. There will be interest, me for one.
Regards,

Thanks Phil, I don't think the numbers would work out but I'll have a chat to some people in the business and see what they think.

Having a nice quiet day to myself today I set about installing the plate. It was a few hours work getting the binnacle out and disassembled, cutting away the unnecessary plastic, installing the plate and then the new gauges. I've gotten to the point of having all the gauges working; all that's left is to get some more of the warning lights from Jaycar and wire them up. All in all, I'm pretty happy with it so far.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2016/07/846.jpg

http://i940.photobucket.com/albums/ad246/OreganoM1/IMG_0107_zpsg0ezvxko.jpg

[Phil B]

Dervish,

I think you may be surprised.
I can see a demand for them purely because owners would be able to customise the dash and put in anything they want ie boost, EGT, amps, volts, twin fuel tanks guages, and any number of combinations of warning lights.
There is a lot of poorly used space on the facia and it sounds like you have found away to better use and customise it.
I will be watching this with interest.
Regards,

[steane]

I'd buy one ;)

[SSmith]

Very nice :thumbup:

Sent from my GT-S7562L using AULRO mobile app

[VladTepes]

Great idea.

[VladTepes]

Look forward to seeing how you do the LED's.

Did you take pics along the way? If so maybe a little project / tutorial thread would be super handy please.

[Dervish]

Look forward to seeing how you do the LED's.

Did you take pics along the way? If so maybe a little project / tutorial thread would be super handy please.

I would be happy to help someone do the same to their dash, it's not hard - just time consuming to do it right.

https://youtu.be/ntgAM-mQ73Q

[manic]

Nice!

Will you need a dimmer on those warning lights? Also it is confusing not to have any labels on them.

Could install lights like this I guess
Universal LED Warning Light Motorsport Race Racing Rally Kit Car Sold Each | eBay (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Universal-LED-Warning-Light-Motorsport-Race-Racing-Rally-Kit-Car-Sold-Each-/360701560708)

Top job.

[Phil B]

Very nice!!!
Inspires me to start on similar.
Thanks

[VladTepes]

Dervish - before anyone gets too carried away it would be really helpful to know what sort of ballpark $ figure a dash conversion like this costs?

[Dervish]

Dervish - before anyone gets too carried away it would be really helpful to know what sort of ballpark $ figure a dash conversion like this costs?

Good point, I guess it depends where you start. I had all of the gauges, electrical bits and the stainless nuts/bolts already, so it was a matter of cutting the aluminium and buying all of those (admittedly expensive) little LED bezels. The bezels were $7.95 each - so that's $80 - but far cheaper ones are available. The 3mm aluminium sheet can be had for ~$20 if you go to a metal supplier. I've got an email currently sitting with a laser cutter who's going to send me a quote too, if it turns out good and there's interest we might be able to do a run.


Nice!

Will you need a dimmer on those warning lights? Also it is confusing not to have any labels on them.

Could install lights like this I guess
Universal LED Warning Light Motorsport Race Racing Rally Kit Car Sold Each | eBay (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Universal-LED-Warning-Light-Motorsport-Race-Racing-Rally-Kit-Car-Sold-Each-/360701560708)

Top job.

Good find, I looked for something similar but came out empty handed. I was going to label the warning lights by taking the plate out and attacking it with letter punches, if I could be bothered - and that's a big if.

I haven't been for a long night drive yet, but it's possible that the sidelight and High beam warning lights might be too bright. We'll see. The video does make them look brighter than real life.