Musntant of paid my electricity bill

[bob h]

Hi all, hoping someone can help. Going fishing last night and almost there when the elect mob cut power to my headlights. Had to come home [about 25ks] with no lights except for parking lights. Checked out the switch for the lights and all seems well. Power on the brown wire, nothing going out to the lights. Lights work on the flash part.

Sorry, veh is 88 RRC Hiline. 3 position switch for off, parking, lights, under the main light hi/lo/flash stalk. All fuses OK. Where else can I check and are/where is the relays for the lights. I dont think it is a relay as lost all lights at once except for the parking lamps. Tried shorting out the wires from one to another but still no lights working. Any help appreciated as having such a nice veh only as a daytime veh sucks big time.

Oh, didnt catch any fish either. Bob

[LandyAndy]

A poblem shared with Series Landies and Defenders and I guess early Discos.
You need a new light switch.
It occurs because all the power is drawn thru the light switch for the headlights.It makes it worse if upgraded bulbs are fitted putting more current thru the switch.
Drivesafe(Traxide Tronics) on here makes an upgrade kit that uses the exsisting wiring as a trigger for a relay based headlight system.No more burnt out contacts in the switch:cool::cool::cool: It really easy to DIY and you get brighter headlights.
Goodluck
Andrew

[bob h]

A poblem shared with Series Landies and Defenders and I guess early Discos.
You need a new light switch.
It occurs because all the power is drawn thru the light switch for the headlights.It makes it worse if upgraded bulbs are fitted putting more current thru the switch.
Drivesafe(Traxide Tronics) on here makes an upgrade kit that uses the exsisting wiring as a trigger for a relay based headlight system.No more burnt out contacts in the switch:cool::cool::cool: It really easy to DIY and you get brighter headlights.
Goodluck
Andrew



Thanks Andrew, by you need a new light switch, do you mean the small one that switches the lights on or the long stalk that switches from lo/hi beam???

Bob

[LandyAndy]

Good question.
Rangies are seperate arent they,the others are multi.
Im sure somebody with a little more Rangie experience will help.
If there is no lights the one to check will be the main switch.
Andrew

[JDNSW]

Thanks Andrew, by you need a new light switch, do you mean the small one that switches the lights on or the long stalk that switches from lo/hi beam???

Bob

It could be either! (or one has gone now and the other soon to follow. The situation is exactly as LandyAndy says, and excess current through contacts on both switches can cause failure of them. The flash uses different contacts so that says nothing, but if both high and low beam are not working, I would guess probably the little switch, but trace where you have power to be certain. You might spot it just looking for melted plastic or charred copper contacts.

John

[bob h]

It could be either! (or one has gone now and the other soon to follow. The situation is exactly as LandyAndy says, and excess current through contacts on both switches can cause failure of them. The flash uses different contacts so that says nothing, but if both high and low beam are not working, I would guess probably the little switch, but trace where you have power to be certain. You might spot it just looking for melted plastic or charred copper contacts.

John

The little switch appears to be OK so I guess the next step is to check the hi/lo stalk connections. Power seems to be coming to the little switch but not out, eg nothing happens when shorting the contacts. I presume the wires go from the small switch up to the hi/lo stalk. If this is the case, then it points to the stalk needing to be replaced. Bob

[bob h]

Good question.
Rangies are seperate arent they,the others are multi.
Im sure somebody with a little more Rangie experience will help.
If there is no lights the one to check will be the main switch.
Andrew

Thanks Andy and everyone else, I pulled the connector off the dipper switch, shorted the wires and all works fine. So a new switch is the go. Much appreciated for the help. Bob

PS Might try cleaning/adjusting the contacts as this was a regular on the 80 series LC Bob

[Jhonno]

They have nailed the problem,:) I have had to make this mod to each of my RRCs,;) not sure when RR got around to fitting H/Lamp relays.:mad::mad:

Fit two relays, one for low and one for high beam. When you fit the new switch cut into the loom, blue/white = high beam, blue/red = low beam. I mounted my relays on the metal panel adjacent to the steering collumn also used this as the earth for the relays, brought a fused 6mm wire from the positive terminal on the battery as the relay power supply, soldered additional lengths to the cut loom to reach the relay, now the high low switch only acts as the switch for the relay,:):)

No more problems.:D:D

JML

[JDNSW]

It is actually preferable to have the relays close to the headlights, so that the length of wire between the alternator and the lights (actually carrying the current) is as short as possible so that the lights get maximum voltage and hence brightness. Of course, this does not matter from the point of view of avoiding switch problems.

John

[Jhonno]

Agreed John, but to date (25 years) I haven't had a major problem with voltage drop, maybe because I haven't gone wild with high voltage h/lamp globes, prefering to use high quality driving lights, the relays for these I usually fix to the RH inner skirt or LHF rad support panel

JML

[CraigE]

I had the same with my Fender. Was the stalk switch (short one). It was much cheaper to get the old type as there are 2 types. One with the rubber block connector (which your RR maybe) and then the one with the plastic connector like my Fender. They are identical apart from the connectors but the plastic style one is about $200+ out of the UK and $300+ in Australia (at least it was when I bought mine about 3 years ago). The rubber style one was about $60 delivered from the UK (cheapest I could find and genuine LR part). I just cut off the connector and reused my plastic one saving a fair amount of $.
Also you may want to consider one of Drivesafes headlight upgrade wiring kits that will stop this happening again.
I did and the switch does not even get hot anymore.