Defender back door central locking wiring.

[Captain_Rightfoot]

Hi All,

I bought my car new on 05. Every few years the central locking wiring to the back doors fail. It fails in the little rubber shield they fit at the factory. I think it just gets bet too tight. it's like clockwork. Last failure was in 2019 and both wires broke and they shorted which caused all sorts of issues (closest my car has ever gone to going on a tow truck). Typically just one wire breaks though.

Normally I splice in another bit of wire and away we go again for a few years.

Anyway hoping someone knows if there is any kind of permanent fix for this.

EDIT: For clarity this is the rear passenger doors, not the door on the back of the car with the tyre on it.

[Colmoore]

I’ve had the same issue, so replaced the wire with speaker cable which has quite a heavy gauge wire made up of many fine strands and is wrapped in really good quality rubber insulation.

I’ve done this on all the doors and made sure there’s extra length than factory loom.
No more issues

[POD]

As above, some slightly heavier wire, make sure it is of good quality and supple, give it a little extra length. Haven't had a failure since doing this.

[spudfan]

My passenger door driver's side has just gone too!

[Captain_Rightfoot]

As above, some slightly heavier wire, make sure it is of good quality and supple, give it a little extra length. Haven't had a failure since doing this.

So I'm pretty sure I did this. I used multi strand wire, not single core.

Unfortunately when it did fail it let to the short that resulted in a very unhappy time as the computer which controls this doesn't like it - not one little bit.

[Colmoore]

I know what you mean there mate!
I was camping by the Finke River with my family in my 2010 Puma 110, a few years back.
I’d wired some led strip lights for over the gull wing windows using the rear door feed for power but the Merini Loop corrugations took their toll and loosened a cable. This got trapped in the gullwing hinge and shorted, which in turn, blew 2 fuses but also immobilised the car .
I did not have a nanocom at the time so, fixed fuses, disconnected batteries for an hour, then reconnected them but still immobilised
So I used the 4 digit code - ig on/off, d door open/close function to sort it; thankfully it worked!!
Only time I’ve ever had to use the code sequence thing on a defender!

I sold the Puma though, I now have a td5 (& nanocom) so I’m probably not going to be able to help you, though I’m on the Central Coast.

Best of British Captain!

[Captain_Rightfoot]

I know what you mean there mate!
I was camping by the Finke River with my family in my 2010 Puma 110, a few years back.
I’d wired some led strip lights for over the gull wing windows using the rear door feed for power but the Merini Loop corrugations took their toll and loosened a cable. This got trapped in the gullwing hinge and shorted, which in turn, blew 2 fuses but also immobilised the car .
I did not have a nanocom at the time so, fixed fuses, disconnected batteries for an hour, then reconnected them but still immobilised
So I used the 4 digit code - ig on/off, d door open/close function to sort it; thankfully it worked!!
Only time I’ve ever had to use the code sequence thing on a defender!

I sold the Puma though, I now have a td5 (& nanocom) so I’m probably not going to be able to help you, though I’m on the Central Coast.

Best of British Captain!

I have a TD5 too. I'm not sure about the door opening code sequence thing.. might be a puma thing.

I can tell you was the closest my car has ever gone to going on a flatbed. Simply because of a central locking wiring short!