A couple of weird and not so weird electrical gremlins.

[disco_potato]

As the title says
I will start with the weirdest
My head lifts are a bit dim I know this is not uncommon.
However when I pull up my hand brake and not just so the dash icon comes on
I have to pull it up all the way, all my head lights dash lights and room lights all become significantly brighter:confused:

I have an after market stereo so it may just be a bad earth on the stereo. But when I either use the whippers, turn on the head lights or use the brake the stereo turns of momentarily.

I know I prob have a bad earth somewhere causing issues with the stereo. But why would the lights get brighter with the handbrake fully engaged.

[bee utey]

The hand brake cable is providing the earth path that is normally done by one of the main earth straps. Find the earth straps between the battery, engine, body and the chassis and clean/tighten every connection thoroughly.

[disco_potato]

Righto that Makes sence. I'll get on to that ASAP.

[Grappler]

Ditto with BEEutey

There is a post on here somewhere reporting the hand brake lever getting hot when the lights are on.

[disco_potato]

Ditto with BEEutey

There is a post on here somewhere reporting the hand brake lever getting hot when the lights are on.

Yes mine is doing that.

[sierrafery]

That's another proof that it completes the earth path for all the load ... find that bad earth ASAP or the handbrake circuit might melt

[disco_potato]

I can't seem to find the earth from engine to body/chassis. Where can I find them. For now I have made my own and it has fixed the problem with dum lights and the radio turning off. But I would like to find the correct cable.

[spongie]

By the starter motor usually

[spongie]

Directly earthing the starter to the chassis rail. Just add some nice thick battery cable in a couple of places and you'll be on to a winner

[disco_potato]

I did check around the starter area. But didn't see any thing. The car yard I bought it from replaced the clutch the week before I bought it so I wonder if the forgot to put it back on when they put the gear box back in.
The earth I put on seems to have done the job but I might add another for good measure.

[Roverlord off road spares]

Ah not to be an alarmist, but get it seen too quick. Recalls an incidence where the from engine to main earth lead to body earth was not connected and the Disco2 earthed itself via the handbrake cable, which then got red hot and fried the main engine ECU.

[Dorian]

If its a D2 and it sounds like it cause I had the same problems. Dim lights, radio turning off, temp gauge going to cold ( like it was a blown hose and no water), hot hand brake. I found that most of my problems went away with the following two points. Disconnect the battery first.
1. Take off all of the connections on the earth bar just behind the ECU ( drivers side) and give them a good clean as well as the bar itself. From memory there is a link from the battery to this earth bar. I did this 2nd up and found my lights were brighter after, didn't realize I had a problem with the lights before this.
2. There are a couple of earth points behind the air filter box, clean these as well, you will have to take out the filter box. I did these first and they changed my initial radio problem.
From memory there were also a couple on the passenger side firewall inside the engine bay, but these didn't change any of my problems. Apologies for the vagueness as my god-fairy changed my disco into a 12 Defender.

Cheers Glen