Thread: Defender centre dash wiring mess - help !

Originally Posted by VladTepes

Been looking for good instructions to find out how to use my multimeter to check wiring for live so I can see if its accessories, always on, or only with ignition ON.


Then there's the whole issue of figuring out what fuse it works from. No idea how to do that!

Ok, you asked for it-brace your self.
You thought till now your where confused


Set your Multi Meter to 20V DC (lots of YouTube "how to" that are poor for a beginner).
Connect your black lead/probe to go to a good earth(steel of the body/dash[I use the ignition key often].
Use the red probe to test the following coloured wires....
(I went through the linked book from Don130.)
The first colour will be the main one, if a second colour is listed it will be fine trace down the main one.


Radio should be two plugs and your adaptor loom should fit them both.
Big grey plug.....
Purple-battery constant(I'll call it 12 V from now)-dash fuse box, f2.
White/orange-accessory-12 V-dash fuse box, f7.
(Test this wire by turning the ignition key, off-0 V, acc-12 V, ign-12 V)
Black wire is earth, test with the black probe in it and the red to the above purple, should see 12 V.
White plug...
(You will get no voltage as driven from the radio.)
Black/brown-RH speaker.
Black/white- RH speaker.
Brown/black LH speaker.
White/black LH speaker.


Clock wires will(likely) be individual wires with a protected female terminals...
Black earth(check as above)
Purple- Constant 12 V-dash fuse box, F2
Red/White-parkers/back light-dash fuse box, F16
(This Red/white wire goes via a resistor to reduce the brightness)


Cigar lighter, again protected female terminals.
Black earth(you know the drill by now).
Green-ignition 12 V-dash fuse F9(test as you did for the radio in different ignition positions).
Red/orange-parkers/back light-dash fuse box,F16




There you go, clear as mud
To sum it up..
Constant 12 Volts-Purple wires.
Accessory 12 Volts-White/Orange.
Ignition 12 Volts-Green
Parkers/back lights 12 Volts-Red/white(duller) or Red/orange(full brightness).
Black - earth(negative side off the battery).


Additionally you may find.
High beam 12 Volts for driving lights.
I suspect this is the big switch looking at the pictures.

That's actually really helpful! Thank You !



Big switch? You mean the big green one? That's the maxidrive.
The spotlight switch is (for some reason) down on the panel to the RHS of the column, with the hazard lights.


Anyone know how easy / hard it is to bring the hazard light switch up to the centre console (I have a MUD stuff hazard switch so would have to re terminate the wires anyway. There are a LOT of bloody wires onto that switch.

Originally Posted by VladTepes

That's actually really helpful! Thank You !



Big switch? You mean the big green one? That's the maxidrive.
The spotlight switch is (for some reason) down on the panel to the RHS of the column, with the hazard lights.


Anyone know how easy / hard it is to bring the hazard light switch up to the centre console (I have a MUD stuff hazard switch so would have to re terminate the wires anyway. There are a LOT of bloody wires onto that switch.

Ah, so that's what that big switch is, cheat mode when playing.


You may want to add a dash back light wire to your radio when installing.
It usually dims the back lighting for night driving.
I could only see 3 wires in the pictures for the main plug.
It also looks like it's only got one speaker in the other plug.


If the colours don't match to what I listed use the same method to test what does what.

I'd be inclined to leave the seldom used hazard switch a use the mud console for something else.
Driving lights/ roof lights/ air compressor/diff locks/reverse(cough) work light/etc..

Originally Posted by alien

You may want to add a dash back light wire to your radio when installing.
It usually dims the back lighting for night driving.
I could only see 3 wires in the pictures for the main plug.
It also looks like it's only got one speaker in the other plug.

If the colours don't match to what I listed use the same method to test what does what.

Yes I had wondered about the radio wires - the fact that there are a lot fewer than what the actual plug accommodates.
Then again this ute has only ever had front speakers, no rear or subs or other fanciness. The previous radio was a genuine LR tape deck !