Thread: Car died today

Oh dear, more problems with The Green Machine, Jase!!!!

Hi Jason

I have just dug out of my collection, the owner handbook for series 3, 2.6 petrol engined Australian content models. part number AKM4514 printed 1978.
This should cover your land rover, but according to this manual !!!!
The all four fuses are-------- wait for it------------- 35 amp each.

Now the next thing is, the white wire from the run position on the ignition switch terminal 2, feeds the terminal 7 on the fuse holder.

Terminal 7 is the feed side to the fuse and the fused side for that particular fuse is terminal 8.

The wire colour going from terminal 8 is green and one of those goes to to voltage stabiliser for the fuel and water temperature gauges, the other green wire goes to the stop light switch.

Back to terminal 7, this terminal which is not fused, feeds the coil by another white wire, the warning light bulbs ( alternator, oil and choke ) are also fed by this terminal 7, again the wire colour is white.

If that coil or the white wire feeding it, develops a short, smoke will happen,
so it is up to you, but I would have the wire going to the coil coming from the fused side being that terminal 8.

With that fuse block all the top clips are the odd numbered 1,3,5 and 7, they not fused.

The underneath terminals which are the even numbers 2,4,6, and 8, are on the fused side and each fuse is rated according to this manual at 35 Amps.

The fuse across terminals 3 and 4 isn't used in my manuals diagram, so can be a spare.
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If the coil is one that is meant to run with a resistor in line, it will have that info stamped in the case and most likely in the end of its case.

Otherwise the coil should be a 12volt type if it is to be fed the full voltage and it would be marked accordantly.
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An auto electrician at work (who incidently did his apprenticeship on Series 1's in the British Army) told me it is safer to check a fuse with 12 volts instead of continuity. A blown fuse may still give a closed loop (or beep) reading if it's just a bit dodgey, but will give a reading lower than 12 volts, and you'll know for sure it's stuffed.

Originally Posted by '76swb

An auto electrician at work (who incidently did his apprenticeship on Series 1's in the British Army) told me it is safer to check a fuse with 12 volts instead of continuity. A blown fuse may still give a closed loop (or beep) reading if it's just a bit dodgey, but will give a reading lower than 12 volts, and you'll know for sure it's stuffed.

12volts applied across the fuse would blow it !!! yes that one is definitely faulty and the next and the next, until you find they are all really faulty.

I think he would mean to test with a lamp in line with the fuse to pass some current.
Then it would be feasible to use your meter to test across the fuse, using the 12volt range on your meter place the test probes one on each end of the fuse and measure the voltage, no volts = good fuse, 12 volts = crook

To measure voltage in turn between both of the ends of the fuse and the vehicle ground is ok until you strike a crook earth or earth lead.
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Originally Posted by wrinklearthur

I think he would mean to test with a lamp in line with the fuse to pass some current.
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Yes!! That is definately what he meant.

It's what I meant too, I just worded it poorly.

Appologies to anyone who rushed out and found all their fuses were suddenly no good.

Originally Posted by wrinklearthur

Hi Jason

I have just dug out of my collection, the owner handbook for series 3, 2.6 petrol engined Australian content models. part number AKM4514 printed 1978.
This should cover your land rover, but according to this manual !!!!
The all four fuses are-------- wait for it------------- 35 amp each.

Now the next thing is, the white wire from the run position on the ignition switch terminal 2, feeds the terminal 7 on the fuse holder.

Terminal 7 is the feed side to the fuse and the fused side for that particular fuse is terminal 8.

The wire colour going from terminal 8 is green and one of those goes to to voltage stabiliser for the fuel and water temperature gauges, the other green wire goes to the stop light switch.

Back to terminal 7, this terminal which is not fused, feeds the coil by another white wire, the warning light bulbs ( alternator, oil and choke ) are also fed by this terminal 7, again the wire colour is white.

If that coil or the white wire feeding it, develops a short, smoke will happen,
so it is up to you, but I would have the wire going to the coil coming from the fused side being that terminal 8.

With that fuse block all the top clips are the odd numbered 1,3,5 and 7, they not fused.

The underneath terminals which are the even numbers 2,4,6, and 8, are on the fused side and each fuse is rated according to this manual at 35 Amps.

The fuse across terminals 3 and 4 isn't used in my manuals diagram, so can be a spare.
.

Originally Posted by wrinklearthur

12volts applied across the fuse would blow it !!! yes that one is definitely faulty and the next and the next, until you find they are all really faulty.

I think he would mean to test with a lamp in line with the fuse to pass some current.
Then it would be feasible to use your meter to test across the fuse, using the 12volt range on your meter place the test probes one on each end of the fuse and measure the voltage, no volts = good fuse, 12 volts = crook

To measure voltage in turn between both of the ends of the fuse and the vehicle ground is ok until you strike a crook earth or earth lead.
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Jason,

Next time you are at SuperCheap, pick up one of their inline (continuity) testers. They are as cheap as chips. They have a lead with an alligator clip on one end - and a barrel with holes in it on the other. On the end of the barrel is a sharp point (usually covered with a screw on cap). Inside the barrel is a 12V bulb.

Attach the alligator clip to earth - anywhere close will do. Inscrew the cap and touch the pointy bit on the hot side of the fuse. It should light the lamp inside the barrel. Put it on the other side of the fuse - look for light. No light - fuse blown or dirty contact.

The pointy sharp bit is also good for burrowing through the insulation into a wire to see if it is alive.


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You could also make something similar with 2 bits of lead and a park light bulb soldered to the leads.

Originally Posted by drifter

Jason,

Next time you are at SuperCheap, pick up one of their inline (continuity) testers. They are as cheap as chips. They have a lead with an alligator clip on one end - and a barrel with holes in it on the other. On the end of the barrel is a sharp point (usually covered with a screw on cap). Inside the barrel is a 12V bulb.

Attach the alligator clip to earth - anywhere close will do. Inscrew the cap and touch the pointy bit on the hot side of the fuse. It should light the lamp inside the barrel. Put it on the other side of the fuse - look for light. No light - fuse blown or dirty contact.

The pointy sharp bit is also good for burrowing through the insulation into a wire to see if it is alive.

You could also make something similar with 2 bits of lead and a park light bulb soldered to the leads.

Now this leads onto the next thing that you should be aware of.

A test lamp is a low impedance device, don't use near or on wires leading to a computer or controls that have electronic components, they don't like the current that the bulb can pass.

Next is a coil driven movement in a multimeter, used because it's impedance is about 20,000 ohms for testing parts of CRT televisions, these are ok for testing most transistors but are not safe to use on FET's .

Then the electronic multimeter's which have impedance's ranging from 500,000 ohms upwards, are good for computer and logic circuits, but these can give a false voltage reading as they don't load a circuit and very slight leakage can be shown as a higher voltage.

Don't use a test lamp anywhere near air bag circuitry, there has been fatalities. When car phone installers looking for a spot to hook up the power wire have set the air bag off, they have been killed.

Yes I know that Defenders don't have air bags yet! but Freelander's, Range Rover's and Discoveries do have air bags, so beware .
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