300Tdi LED indicators ‘on the blink’

[travelrover]

Hi team

I have had LED indicators and brake lights on this vehicle for over a year with no issues but now for some reason I have a problem.

No problem if I indicate to turn right. Right side indicators flash as does the dash repeater.

If I indicate to turn left however ALL indicators will flash but not the dash repeater!

I am guessing this is either the hazard switch or the flasher relay?

Any educated guesses as to which? Rego is due next month so keen to sort it quickly.

[Dervish]

You haven't changed anything?

[travelrover]

You haven't changed anything?

Hi Dervish, changed nothing. But I just checked everything again and noticed that the right hand side repeater lamp was not working. These are the original incandescent bulbs. I put a new one in and now everything is working properly! Happy chappy, time for a drive then!

[Dervish]

The system you have is in a fine balance, frankly I'm a bit surprised it has ever worked. Basically you need enough current going through the dash bulb to light it up without it being enough to light up the opposite side's indicators, and with LEDs that's not much.

I'm glad the new bulb got you sorted though, you must be lucky.

[travelrover]

The system you have is in a fine balance, frankly I'm a bit surprised it has ever worked. Basically you need enough current going through the dash bulb to light it up without it being enough to light up the opposite side's indicators, and with LEDs that's not much.

I'm glad the new bulb got you sorted though, you must be lucky.

I have had exactly the same setup on my Td5 for 6 years and no issues there yet! Let’s see how long it lasts now I have cursed it ;-)

[AK83]

If Dervish is right and you're using the original flasher can(or box), maybe get a specific LED one for it.
I recently got one for my D1, but I could only find Defender specific flasher cans for LEDs.
The Defer and D1 flashers are different shape, so doesn't fit into the D1's holder(in the fuse box) so I made up short jumper leads and cable tied it.
But it works as advertised.
Has a small adjuster to get a good balance for the trailer lights warning where you want it too.
I think I paid about $40 off ebay I had one of my leds fail, and they keep on working.

I'm guessing you got incandescents on the side repeaters because you couldn't find an LED to fit into the holder?
I got a few really short leds fit fine.

[travelrover]

If Dervish is right and you're using the original flasher can(or box), maybe get a specific LED one for it.
I recently got one for my D1, but I could only find Defender specific flasher cans for LEDs.
The Defer and D1 flashers are different shape, so doesn't fit into the D1's holder(in the fuse box) so I made up short jumper leads and cable tied it.
But it works as advertised.
Has a small adjuster to get a good balance for the trailer lights warning where you want it too.
I think I paid about $40 off ebay I had one of my leds fail, and they keep on working.

I'm guessing you got incandescents on the side repeaters because you couldn't find an LED to fit into the holder?
I got a few really short leds fit fine.

Hi AK83. No it’s got a LED specific flasher can, came with the kit from Wipac but doesn’t have the adjustment option. I left the side repeaters as incandescent bulbs as I read somewhere (here no doubt) that you need some resistance as the LEDs draw almost no current.

The bulb I replaced was covered in dried mud so assume that was at least part of the issue. Sprayed holder with WD40 and inserted the replacement bulb..

Went for the mandatory ‘test’ drive and all is good!

[AK83]

Yeah! that's the one Wipac. What I got too.


.... I left the side repeaters as incandescent bulbs as I read somewhere (here no doubt) that you need some resistance as the LEDs draw almost no current.

....

I must have missed the part about the incandescent bulb for some resistance .. I changed all mine to LEDs, other than I couldn't fit some into the side repeater spots properly.
But with all LEDs I have no issues at all with the LED indicators with the Wipac LED flasher unit.

I did have issues with LED indicators with the original flasher unit .. so maybe that's what the issue actually is .. you need some resistance if you keep the original flasher unit?(dunno, mine never worked).

For some of the indicators, I got those 4 or 5 chip T10 globes(with the 4 square and one on top type globes) and the only LEDs I've had fail on my D1 in the past year and a bit have been them.
I also use the same type in my park globes, and I've now had two of those types where one of the chips has died. Globe still works, as it has other chips that glow tho.
On the parkers, the one chip that 'died' did so in an on/off flickering manner.
I think they were something sill cheap like $5 for a pack of 10 off ebay from a Chinese seller .. so no biggie to replace.

The only other 'technical' issue I've had with LED globes was just the tail/stop globes in the D1.
Had to have some resistance in them to actually work .. and also for my aftermarket cruise control to operate too.
I found some expensive Philips were the best, but not only globes that work well. Was going to add a resistor to the system, until I found the Philips.
The other globes I also found that worked were too bright for the tail and not enough differentiation when the brake lights came on .. so stuck with the Philips tail/stop globes.

ps. I have no fundamental or philosophical issue with incandescent globes. Just that I had 2 or three tail/stop globes blow in the D1, and the issue is about access to get them out/in. They mount from inside the bodywork, and no room for my 'fist' in there to get enough grip to get the globe cap off, so I have to remove the fitting .. which is probably harder to do .. so it's just the fitment issue for me.
Now, 1+ yr later .. no blown LEDs(other than those two cheapo ones partly failing). Cost me a bit of $s trying to figure out what works and what doesn't .. but now saved me a lot of knuckle skin .. and the neighbours kids discovering previously unknown expletives! [biggrin]

[Dervish]

This issue has nothing to do with the flasher, and the indicator wiring is different to a D1 such that the issue is Defender specific. On a Defender, there is a single indicator dash light. Connected to one side of the bulb is the right side indicators, connected to the other is the left side. If one side of the bulb is energised (you turn one side of the indicators on), the current though the dash light earths through the opposite side's bulbs. As the current is limited by the dash light, it is insufficient to light the bulbs opposite side's indicator bulbs.

If you change to LEDs, however, a tiny amount of current can light them up, resulting in hazard lights when you want indicators. Sometimes you can get away with it, sometimes you can't (and sometimes, it seems, you can get away with it for a while before it changes it's mind).

[travelrover]

The Tdi has a single dash repeater but the Td5 and Puma have one for each direction....