Rewiring a Series 3 - advice required

[45tr0]

Hi all,

the so called "wiring" in my series 3 is a combination of old gunky electrical tape, screw connectors, burnt fuses and twist-together bodge jobs held together by a few yards of scrappy copper wire.
There are probably left overs from two or three sets of driving lights - not to mention all the hacked-out army black out light connections etc - floating around in the engine bay. The fuel guage has never worked, I've just lost headlights altogether, and my spark gets weaker daily.
I'm at my wits end!

I'm looking at something like this generic wiring loom (http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=150262157688&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=005) as an alternative.
i've never delved this far into a car's wiring before, let alone the hell of Mr Lucas.
Can anyone tell me if the above would be suitable and within the skills of a moderately capable young man who can read instructions?

[lro11]

If you are thinking that sort of money, have a look at AUTO SPARKS (http://www.autosparks.co.uk)
you can get exactly what you want and just plug it in.

[JDNSW]

For the sort of money listed in the "buy now", I would be looking at contacting a specialist such as Vinwire ( Vintage Wiring Harness - High Quality Replacement Automotive Wiring Harnesses (http://www.vinwire.com.au/)), but alternative approaches would be to do it yourself, working from the wiring diagram, get a second hand loom from a wrecker (you might find one better than yours), or just ask a local autoelectrician to quote on it.

John

[lro11]

For the sort of money listed in the "buy now", I would be looking at contacting a specialist such as Vinwire ( Vintage Wiring Harness - High Quality Replacement Automotive Wiring Harnesses (http://www.vinwire.com.au/)), but alternative approaches would be to do it yourself, working from the wiring diagram, get a second hand loom from a wrecker (you might find one better than yours), or just ask a local autoelectrician to quote on it.

John

Vinwire don't do series 3. I spoke to them at the Toowoomba swap meet.

[Sleepy]

Thanks Guys,
I'm a little way off from this job in my S2 but it's nice to have a head start.:)
Good luck with yours 45tr0.

[Lotz-A-Landies]

Have to agree with John here, nothing beats one specifically made for the model.

Series 3 individual harnesses are still available OEM from many of the UK LR specialists. You may get away with working out which of yours need replacement and start there. The fuel guage may just be as simple as the wire to the sender has disconnected, broken or burnt, although the guage or sender itself may have failed.

Vintage Wiring can be expensive, expect over $500.00 but they do an excellent job. However you will find the pricelist doesn't currently list the S3http://www.vinwire.com.au/pdfs/JKL-pricelist.pdf. Although when I spoke to them at the Eastern Creek Classic last year they suggested they will replicate a harnesses from an original and the wiring diagramme. They even make them from very damaged harnesses with missing bits or even just the measurements and the diagramme. After this process, they then add them to their catalogue. Maybe one of our Melbourne members may supply a harness from a wrecked S3 for them to copy.

Diana

[45tr0]

...or just ask a local autoelectrician to quote on it.


$1500 - $2000, and that was the one out of three in town who would even consider the job! :o
the others said that private work isn't worth their while anymore because of the resources boom... (ah the joys of the northwest!)

Looked into the Vinwire option, but this situation requires a more urgent response than the lead-in of them borrowing and replicating an original loom.

The autospark option looks reasonable (more expensive but vehicle specific).

Thanks for the advice guys, will mull my options.

[JDNSW]

$1500 - $2000, and that was the one out of three in town who would even consider the job! :o
the others said that private work isn't worth their while anymore because of the resources boom... (ah the joys of the northwest!)

Looked into the Vinwire option, but this situation requires a more urgent response than the lead-in of them borrowing and replicating an original loom.

The autospark option looks reasonable (more expensive but vehicle specific).

Thanks for the advice guys, will mull my options.

Yes, I see the problem with your location! Depending on your expertise, doing as Diana suggests and repairing your existing harness may be your best option. Another possibility, again depending on your expertise, would be to remove the harness and duplicate it yourself - a fair bit of work, but not all that difficult and not very expensive, particularly if you do not attempt to duplicate original colour codes and make use of off the shelf items such as multicore trailer wiring.

John

[Lotz-A-Landies]

Thanks for the advice guys, will mull my options.
Tell us what vehicle your vehicle was originally 88" or 109" and/or Station Wagon, 4 or 6 cyl engine, vehicle suffix number, engine suffix number and did you have a choke warning light?

For example, the OEM main harness for a 4 cyl with choke warning switch (part number 575373) is available from John Craddock (http://www.johncraddockltd.co.uk/) for GB£135.00 plus shipping via an internet order system.

This would be a good one to start with as it has the all the wiring inside the dash panel and up to the headlights. But not the engine harness or the rear tail lights etc.

Diana

[45tr0]

its a 1980 109" Series III GS (ex military) with the 6 cylinder. Engine # 94130728C.
No idea about a choke warning light - if there was one there certainly isnt now!

[Phoenix]

The GS has some extr wiring for convoy lights, and I think a different reverse light wiring. The wiring diagram is actually up in the files section of the forums here.

[Lotz-A-Landies]

its a 1980 109" Series III GS (ex military) with the 6 cylinder. Engine # 94130728C.
No idea about a choke warning light - if there was one there certainly isnt now!
OH.

Having been 32-012 will make some difference! However the rules will remain the same. Identify which bits are the problem, decide if you want to restore it to Mil Spec or just have it working. If you merely want it to work then using a civilian 6 cyl harness will still be a good idea.

Even if you wish to return it to MilSpec and you can find the military S3 wiring diagramme (<snip>oops should read shouldn't I?) you can still hybridise the civilian harness.

Also give the usual suspects (dealers) around Sydney a call, they may still have surplus sold off when the LR plant in Sydney closed up. Try Land Vehicle Spares Land Vehicle Spares (http://www.landvehiclespares.com/) and Hilton Pollard (contact through Master Chief (http://www.aulro.com/afvb/members/master%2Bchief.html) if necessary).

Diana

[LandyAndy]

google "mustang sallys landrover pages"
Loads of very good info there.Should be good enough to inspire you to DIY your own wiring!!!!
Goodluck
Andrew

[BlueBandit59]

Howdy 45tr0



You say you can read a diagrahm/follow instructions why not do what I do and go to the local auto shop and purchase some different coloured wires and do it yourself. It can be done in 2 to 3 days if you have your wits about you and you don't get any interuptions.:):D:D


Cheers Nev.

[Lotz-A-Landies]

Howdy 45tr0
You say you can read a diagram/follow instructions why not do what I do and go to the local auto shop and purchase some different coloured wires and do it yourself. It can be done in 2 to 3 days if you have your wits about you and you don't get any interuptions.:):D:D

Cheers Nev.
Nev

It's a great idea to make your own and congratulations for doing it. Ever tried to remember what you did several years later, if you can't find your code sheet or worse still be the next owner of a vehicle that has had this done even if there were 5 different colours? Or even 10 it makes simple problem solving all that much more difficult?

Yes I have done it that way and now being older and wiser, I would rather that someone cut up a number of British harnesses and use the correct colours, it makes life much easier.

Diana

[BlueBandit59]

Hi Diana

I can see where you are coming from but if you follow the colour code as per wireing diagrahm you can't go wrong.
Just for interest sake when I finish my landy it will not be sold for a long time.
Maybe after I have past my time.:angel::angel::angel:

Cheers Nev.

[landymad]

I've also been considering doing this job on my S3 for a while - although it's not in the stage that yours seems to be! Having had to do quite a bit of re-wiring when my dash caught on fire one trip I hate it every time I have to go into the mass of brown wire that is behind my instruments!!!

One thought I'd like to throw into the cauldron is that the orginal S3 wiring has very heavy cored wire and that is unnecessary for much of the signal wires to and from the engine. Of course you will still want heavy guage wires for running anything with a decent current. BUT, you sound like you want to do this right, so I'd be putting relays in front of anything that runs more than the interior light. In that case ( and this is what I'm doing ) consider making your own loom out of multi core cable ( such as 8 wire or 12 wire alarm cable ).

Now, the trick here as someone has pointed out, is to know what the hell the wires are 6 months down the track. Get yourself a dymo labelmaker .. or better still a Rhino labelmaker that will print onto heat shrink cable and label your loom at the ends and every so often down the length. And of course on each individual wire at the terminals.

If you group your wires as per function, i.e have 1 whole 8 core dedicated to blinkers and sidelights, 1 x 8 core for headlights parkers and driving lights... etc.. you then have the workings of a sensible system to re-wire your landy.

I havn't done this yet, but it's been brewing in my mind....


Whatcha think, guys?

[JohnE]

thought i had done a reply on this one,
if you get hold of the schematic for the ser 3 GS from the files section,
its easy to follow,
a suggestion, remove all your wiring lay it on the floor and trace all the relevant wires and get rid of the superfluous ones. if your loom is fairly ntact you'll find the millitary wiring overwrapped on it, The are three that go to the rear, blackoutlight/blackoutbrake and nato plug power, red/yellow, green/purple and brown. if you still have the blackout switch they go straight to it.
there are two bundled sections ( they all come together and have and end piece on them) the first is heavier grade brown, they are power for major items and the second are all white, they are power as well for minor items,

I have just done mine, my comments etc are in the remlr projects section.

Initially its a pain, working it out , eventually it all falls into place when you work out the colour codes, the common earths and the like.
initially I thought it was one for the too hard basket, but it wasn't
hope this helps


john

[ddkemp]

If yours is a S111 ex Army Ring British Off Road in Qld sunshine Coast 07 54951094, Im sure they still half a dozen complete looms in packets .They were going to charge me $180 a little while ago.;)

[TeZZaP]

Since this is relevent to this thread I thought I'd pop it here rather than under 'Markets'... but mods feel free to move it if you want!

Land Rover Series 2/3 Chassis Wiring Harnes NEW - eBay Other Lights, Indicators, Lights, Indicators, Car Parts, Accessories, Cars, Bikes, Boats. (end time 28-Jul-08 20:19:04 AEST) (http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=200240727563)

[JohnE]

yes definately a series 3 however its only the wiring for the chassis and by the looks of it, it appeas to be millitary, the give away is the fat brown wire and the red/yellow. Seems popular . bidding wise.


john

[TeZZaP]

As an aside, is it possible to cut down a LWB chassis harness to fit a SWB, or would you just coil-up the extra bit of wire and keep it intake?

[Lotz-A-Landies]

As an aside, is it possible to cut down a LWB chassis harness to fit a SWB, or would you just coil-up the extra bit of wire and keep it intake?
The only difference in the chassis harness between the long and short wheel bases is the length on the harness behind the fuel tank.

You have two options: Where it exits at the rear cut the 21" out and re join. I always use soldered joins and individual heat shrinks with an final outside heat shrink to bind the harness back together.
Just feed the extra 21 inches into the chassis rail and it will coil itself up. The risk is that over time the bit where it is looped back on itself will wear through.If you want to be pedantic about new wiring running inside the chassis rail then put the split flexible conduit over the harness before you insert it into the chassis. Then it is the conduit that wears first and not the harness wrapping.

Diana

[TeZZaP]

yes definately a series 3 however its only the wiring for the chassis and by the looks of it, it appeas to be millitary, the give away is the fat brown wire and the red/yellow. Seems popular . bidding wise.

Purely out of curiosity, what's the difference between civilian and military?

[Phoenix]

The military wiring looms have extra wires for the convoy lights and convoy/blackout light switch.