HELP! Electrical problem on my TD5 02' defender 130.

[Jarrod_James]

Hey guys, in need of some urgent help. I have an electrical gremlin in my 130 and need to get it sorted ASAP. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Recently reversed into a soft dirt ledge with the tail gate down, consequently breaking the licence plate. I ordered a new LED replacement and forgot about it for a few days as I didn't need to drive around at night. I then noticed a few days later that the LH front driving light and LH rear driving light was also not working. I then found the fuse had blown for these and from what I understand these are all on the same fuse. I then proceeded to replace the 10A fuse, and wire the new LED licence plate light directly to the existing wires of the old licence plate light. It's all working great, licence plate light, rear driving light and front driving light. But When I take off early the next morning, I drive only 1 min down the road and the fuse blows and I loose all 3 lights again. I changed the fuse straight away only to blow another 10A straight away. And then a 15A and a 20A. That afternoon I took the light apart and checked all visible connections, replaced fuse. And again all seems to be working fine until I drive for a minute or so.
Any help or suggestions would be great!! Please also let me know if need any more information. (Rear lighting clusters are aftermarket square LED type already installed when I bought the vehicle).

Cheers,
Jarrod.

[austastar]

Hi
Take the blown fuse and solder a wire to each terminal so you have a tail or park light bulb now acting as the fusible link.
Use this in the fuse spot that keeps blowing, when you switch any light on in that circuit the inserted bulb (and the vehicle lamps in that circuit) with dully glow. (series circuit instead of a parallel circuit)

Wriggle wiring looms around and see if you can get the inserted lamp to light up with the troublesome vehicle lamps turned on.

If you can get it to light up to full brightness, you are moving wires that are part of your problem and have now caused the short circuit. A bit of futzing about should locate the offending problem spot.

Cheers

[lump_a_charcoal]

I'd say that you have damaged a cable in the rear somewhere, and it shorts to ground when you start driving.
I'd look where the damage happened initially.

[Jarrod_James]

Hi guys, thanks for your advice. Have tried a few more things and I'm still struggling to solve the problem.
I inspected the areas where the damage happened and can't find any fault in the wiring. I disconnected the licence plate completely and still blew a fuse on the front LH parker and rear LH driving light.
"Austastr" I don't fully understand your method. You mean to use a bulb and solder two wires to its terminal and then to either side of the top of a blade fuse and then insert into the fuse block where the blown fuse keeps going?

[austastar]

Hi,
Exactly.

It will act like a fuse, but light up instead of blowing. It has much more resitsrance than a fuse, so stuff on the circuit won't get the full 12 Volts.
Cheers

[Jarrod_James]

Hi,
Exactly.

It will act like a fuse, but light up instead of blowing. It has much more resitsrance than a fuse, so stuff on the circuit won't get the full 12 Volts.
Cheers

Hi,

Thanks for your help guys, I sorted the problem and traced the short all the way to the front of the vehicle. Previous owner had left cut wires from spotlights untaped/bare. Thanks again "austastar". Cheers.