Thread: Defender electrical problem, please help.

Originally Posted by Jimmy

I really hoping someone can help here.

My 2001 defender (TD5) is alive!?! when I get into the vehicle all of the dash lisghts, interior lights, batterey, computer, fuel pump and pretty much everything starts flashing and going crazy. THis happens when I try to start the car, but also sometimes before I have even put the key in the ignition?!?!?! needless to say the engine dose not turn over and the flicking and craziness continues. THe flicking sometimes stops when I manually link the duel batteries. THe funny thing is that I just got back to Perth after driving from the Gold coast and had not one problem the whole way (not even a flat tyre) and the flicking and maddness started after I had the car "resting" in the carport for a week??

Anyways, If anyone can help or has had similar issues I would be really keen to hear any ideas or solutions.

Cheers
Jimmy

Does sound weird.

My gut feeling is that it's related to the courtesy light circuits/& or central locking, and possibly a faulty earth connection somewhere. The courtesy lights are controlled via the ECU, so I would be checking ALL the earths, starting with the main engine earth, through the ECU earth and so on.

DC earth faults can cause the most bewildering symptoms, so this is your first job.


Cheers,

Lionel

Originally Posted by Lionel

Does sound weird.

My gut feeling is that it's related to the courtesy light circuits/& or central locking, and possibly a faulty earth connection somewhere. The courtesy lights are controlled via the ECU, so I would be checking ALL the earths, starting with the main engine earth, through the ECU earth and so on.

DC earth faults can cause the most bewildering symptoms, so this is your first job.


Cheers,

Lionel

Thanks Lionel, no central locking but I will certainly check all the earths and go from there. The ECU is a bit scary but I'll hit with hammer and see what happens....ha ha ha

Jimmy

Id start at the ECU earth + main body earth then inspect the handbrake cable, if they go bad then the earth can be made through the handbrake cable and that has the potential to be bad in the "huh, the engine just shut down and Ive lost the handbrake crud I just ran out of vac assist on the foot brakes and cant get a gear now im getting afwul quick on this descent" brown trousers kind of way....

JIMMY
One of our club members had a simaler problem they found that it was a loose or dry connection on a relay once that was fixed all was happer again
snailbate

ok, I've checked as many earths as possible but all seem to be ok. However truth be told I wouldnt have the first idea about checking relays?? any tips

Jimmy

Originally Posted by Jimmy

ok, I've checked as many earths as possible but all seem to be ok. However truth be told I wouldnt have the first idea about checking relays?? any tips

Jimmy

What did you do, when you say you checked the earths, did you undo the bolts/screws and check there's no crud between body and earth terminal, did you check the earth from battery to engine and engine to body, did you physically clean the terminals and where they earth, poor earthing is a major cause of electrical problems and frustrating to find, but you should check them properly to eliminate earths as the cause, please post what the problem turns out to be when you fix it as a help/guide for others, Regards Frank.

Frank, cheers for that I might give it anotehr go and see what turns up.

Jimmy

check where the cranking battery is earthed to the chassis......or the engine etc....

that is.....check where the negative from the battery runs to.....it sounds like it may be loose.....

why.....?
because when you join the two batteries together.....it appears to be bypassing the main battery earth.....
and getting earth through your auxillary battery and solving all your woes......


make sure the terminals on your batteries havent come loose either.....



also.....what sort of voltage are you getting from your main battery when its isolated from the aux......?
if this has died....it may simply be not supplying enough power for the computer to think......
the above remedy is assuming your main battery is ok.......


cheers...and good luck....