Thread: defender td5 light switch

I've melted two switches in the past due to the extra load through the switch
of my camper trailer lights. problem solved by getting the auto electrician to fit a relay. Don

Yes, looks like it was the trailer, what relay can you suggest and where do I put it.

Thanks for the help guys.

Phile what was that stuff you were mumbling about, sounded good!

Hi guys,

How do I install the: Drive safe kit

Cheers

The entertainer

Originally Posted by Psimpson7

I dont think that the fact its a non genuine one would cause the issue, (when mine failed, I got a non genuine one from the uk due to the stupid price from LR - I think it is the only non genuine part fitted on mine) and it has been fine since. (You may have had a duff one I suppose - can you get it replaced under warranty?)

Have you taken the switch out to see what it looks like? I dont think it would spark, and if it did spark, I dont think it would cause the issue. They melt due to heat created by the current draw through the switch heating up the plastic, allowing the contacts to move.

Rgds
Pete

Hey Guys had the same prob with my defender.
Contacts will spark when you brake the load ( turn 0ff) and not when making the contact ( turn on).
Current Draw is worked out the watts divided by volts.= 60/12=5. So times that by 2 to include both lights and you have 10amps current draw on high beam. and 9.1 on low.
Its the current that melts the contacts. as the contact gets hotter the contacts gain extra resistance so the contacts get hotter and it spirals up intill the plastic melts. The worse the contact the hotter it will get.
I installed a relay (standard 40amp that will come with anyspot light kit or available from repco, auto barn or any auto electrcian, Big W even i think) so that the light switch just turns the relay on and off and the relay controls the load.
Putting a relay on the parkers is not required as its only low current draw but you can if you wish.
I didnt have a prob after that.
BTW your spot lights shot be on their own fuse and circuit with a relay inline near one of your head lights. A wire can the be connected from your high beam wire to the controlling spot relay to turn your spots on and off with your high beam.There is next to no current used to turn a relay on and off.
Any probs give us a yell.

Regards:

Eck

Hi, these switches are a pain in the butt - take it back and demand a new one under warranty - the only way to make Land Rover fix the problem. They should have installed relays for both high and low beam right from Factory. This has been happening since the 200TDi Defender and is still the same my 2006 TD5 Defender

This melt down occues because of the switch design. There is a poorly designed connection close to the main wire termination point of the switch. You can bypass this by soldering the main incoming supply to another point of the switch, thus bypassing this.

One of the only real solutions is to inslall relays on both the high and low beam, the simplest is using one of Drive Safe's set-ups as these appear to be very Land Rover friendly, especially if you are unsure of what you are doing.

I installed a HID set-up in mine. This comes with external balast controls and requires an external battery source, so the current through the switch in minimal.


Erich

Originally Posted by TheEntertainer

Yes, looks like it was the trailer, what relay can you suggest and where do I put it.

Thanks for the help guys.

Phile what was that stuff you were mumbling about, sounded good!

dunno? what was i mumbeling about???
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/projects-t...t-upgrade.html

cheers phil

Originally Posted by TheEntertainer

Hi guys,

How do I install the: Drive safe kit

Cheers

The entertainer

Buy the kit, it comes with step by step instructions and everything you'll need to install it.

Baz.

[QUOTE=Bundalene;891927]....... This has been happening since the 200TDi Defender and is still the same my 2006 TD5 Defender........../QUOTE]

Not quite right - it has been the same since the introduction of the 110 in 1983 (The part numbers are different, but the difference is only in the plug, switch is the same). In fact, you could say that the problem has existed since 1948, although it was unheard of for relays to be fitted then - but headlights were usually no more than 35W, and the rotary switches used up to 1967 were more durable.

John