Idle Issue on 130 TDi

[Mickman]

Hello all. I'm new to the forum and this is my first post.

I have had my 130 for a week or so now and apart from a fuel leak that I'm working through, my car is pretty sorted. I do have an issue that I have really noticed today as I was trying to get my brake controller to work. My idle is nice and consistant for about 8-9 seconds, then it will drop for about a second and then back up to a nice steady idle. This repeats constantly. I noticed the other night that my headlights/dash lights were not a consistant brightness also (could be the same issue).

Today when I was checking my brake controller, I found it wasn't working but every now and then it would flick on for a split second. So I discovered that when I sit at idle, the light on the brake controller is a dim green, then the light goes bright green a split second before the idle drops, and when the idle rises again the green light returns to a dim green. If I slide the emergency lever across whilst it is dimly lit nothing happens however when I slide it across when it is bright green (at low idle) it will work, albeit briefly.

Has anyone any clues as to where I should start to look?

[Blknight.aus]

fuel solenoid electrical, first thng would be to just hot wire the solenoid to see if the fault persists.

if the fault persists its a fuel flow issue, if not its electrical.

[Mickman]

Thanks Dave, I'll do that and post back.

[Mickman]

Update: I took the leads of the brake controller from the aux. battery and put them on the main battery. I now have a constant 14v at the plug whilst engine is running and the brake controller is now working. I am still getting the small fluctuation in the headlights and the slight dip in rpm for about a second every 11 seconds. I'll report back once I have hotwired the solenoid.

[AK83]

with the headlights, as I understand them, Defenders run the main headlight power directly through the headlight switch .. ie. not a relay!

I've read that it's common for switches to burn out.

Old car headlights always do well with a loom upgrade, where a relay is used between headlights(switching) and the globes themselves.

Alternatively a pair of LED globes of good quality will require less power(ie. amps) through the wires(and switch) so will glow brighter by default, and/or negate high currents through wires and switches (= longer life electricals).

I was going to upgrade the loom(make myself) on my D1, but opted instead to try a pair of (expensive) LED globes(H4).
Best $'s I've spent on the D1 so far .. and no need to muck about with wiring too.

[Mickman]

Arthur that's a good tip, I might try the LED globes.

So I found the trouble. Turns out my second battery is cActus - it failed miserably on the load tester. I've taken the second battery out of the system now and I have a constant revving engine and brake controller is working perfectly.

Thanks for your input guy, much appreciated.

[AK83]

...

So I found the trouble. Turns out my second battery is cActus - it failed miserably on the load tester. I've taken the second battery out of the system now and I have a constant revving engine and brake controller is working perfectly.

Thanks for your input guy, much appreciated.

Oh! so it sounds like the alternator must have been doing some heavy duty intermittent power draw and strain at idle .. or something.

With LEDs.

I have Philips Ultinons, exxy, but I reckon worth the $s. Had them for a good 4 years I think now. The 'candles' I was relying on prior to that annoyed me so much. If you don't like white type light(many don't) you won't like them tho.
I much prefer white light to dull yellowy orange light any night of the week. Our (work)truck lights annoy the daylights out of me!

Anyhow, a mate has a Defer and I remember they have a protective plastic convex rear cover .. and not a whole lot of room behind the headlight/globe.

Many LEDs come with heatsinks, I suggest avoid the cheapies.

On my D1 I have a Philips Ultinon type that uses a hard(screw on) heatsink.. makes for easy fit. A bit tedious to screw it on, but you don't do this regularly.
I also bought a pair for brothers D2, but the type that came use a braided heatsink. Flat braided cord that you need to stuff into the protective rubber boot on a D1/2.
I don't remember any rubber boot on the defer, just the rear plastic shield.

I don't have measurements, but the Defer may struggle to fit the screw on heatsink type between globe and plastic cover(dunno, just guess)
But I'd reckon the braided heatsink type will be an easy fit.

Philips, JW Speaker and Stedi are the only manufacturers(of reputable quality) that I've seen use the braided heatsink style .. if this helps in your searching.

[Mickman]

Thanks Arthur, I'll grab a set of the Stedi's.