Thread: Number plate light not working

LL, I suggest you buy a copy of the electronic workshop manual - RAVE here:

Defender Disc 90_110

It has all the info you will need, w/s manual, owner's manual, electrical wiring diagrams, etc.

Originally Posted by LuckyLandy

Hi all,
1995 300tdi Defender 110. Just replaced both globes in the number plate light but it still doesn't work. Waiting on my manual to arrive in the mail as I did not buy this car with one, for the time being does anyone know where I can find the fuse for the number plate light? I'm guessing that's what the issue likely is. If not are there any other ideas what might be causing it not to turn on?

There probably wouldn't be a fuse dedicated to the numberplate light it would run on the sidelight circuit. Do the rear lights work OK ?

Maybe a dodgy earth connection or broken/disconnected wire somewhere.


Colin

Originally Posted by gromit

There probably wouldn't be a fuse dedicated to the numberplate light it would run on the sidelight circuit. Do the rear lights work OK ?

Maybe a dodgy earth connection or broken/disconnected wire somewhere.


Colin

Yep, all other rear lights working, the connections on both the outside and inside of the housing (behind the panel in the car) look healthy, so could be a loose wire somewhere along the line. Any ideas where to start looking?

Originally Posted by LuckyLandy

Yep, all other rear lights working, the connections on both the outside and inside of the housing (behind the panel in the car) look healthy, so could be a loose wire somewhere along the line. Any ideas where to start looking?

Do you have a multimeter ?

I'd be checking for power at the globe holder then checking that you have a good earth connection. Then tracing the wire back to where it connects into the harness.

I don't know where it would connect into the wiring harness or whether it just joins into the rear light connection for that side. 'Looking healthy' doesn't mean much as terminals corrode etc. and this can't be seen.


Colin

Lucky Landy, get underneath and follow the wire physically, that should take ten minutes.

If it's like my vehicle the underside gets peppered with rocks and all my taped junctions are cut from stones , it's so easy for a skinny wire to be cut.

I have retaped everywhere with heavy duty pressure tape and it seems to resist the peppering.

The number of terminals and joints that are exposed is crazy , considering the vehicle's intended duty , allowable wading depth etc.

I have a small light bar mounted low in the grill , its been well under water for considerable distance twice now , Koor lighting lives up to its name.

Hi all, I found the problem. Not enough insulation in the piece meaning it shorted out whenever I turned it on. Fixed it with a flat piece of rubber and it seems to work?

And thank you for telling us what it was! Was this short in the bulbholder?