Good Old Earth

Thanks for the useful comment!

Well found out what it means and I would call it bad connection learn something new every day!

On a good day a short blows a fuse, on a bad one your Landy catches fire

Yer now I understand! This electric business is a nightmare. Do most landy owners go through this?

danchapman2k2 said:

Yer now I understand! This electric business is a nightmare. Do most landy owners go through this?

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More than their fair share have leccy probs

Thy say if it can't be fixed with a hammer, you have an electrical fault

Haha makes total sense!

Quick simple home fix is substitute a new bulb for the old bulb. If it then works it was the bulb and not fuses, earthing or other bad wiring. If it still doesn't work at least you have yourself a spare set of bulbs.

Then move on to check the fuse. Same again substitute new for old. If it then works thats what it was. If it doesn't then you also now have a spare set of fuses to go with the bulbs.

For checking earth or live feed you need a tester of some sort. This is where it gets more complicated.

You mention mud. Did you put the mud there and then the problem started? I'm looking for "Cause & effect" here.

About to send abuse your way! But then realised that you have spent time to write this do you have not much going for you

Multimeter I think is the device you mean!

Find your faulty light.... run a seperate earth temporarily using a piece of wire and fixing it to a decent earth point (preferably on your chassis)

If it fixes the problem then your earth is faulty.

You mentioned the presence of mud in the lights.... did this happen following an off road session? If so then strip the lights out and clean all the connections cos water and electrical connections go together like me and my ex wife.

It was like it when I brought it. It worked fine I just arrived home to find the right stopped then the left. Monsoon over and I will do what you have suggested! Thanks for the reply

danchapman2k2 said:

About to send abuse your way! But then realised that you have spent time to write this do you have not much going for you

Multimeter I think is the device you mean!

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Sorry it was meant as a "tongue in cheek" reply to try & lift your despair. What with this & your trolley jack trouble. But substituting relatively cheap components is a quick way to find whats wrong.

Multimeter or simple bulb, wire & battery will do. I can help with the former as I recently got one when upgrading my lights. If you want any help I am only just up the road from Writtle near Freeport.

Sorry just sometimes on here you don't get banter you just get someone who isn't helpful! Thanks for the offer pal I see you have a new landy mines mega old haha! I hope to get it sorted as engines I'm fine - electrics!! Well that's another matter but I'm learning fast!

danchapman2k2 said:

Sorry just sometimes on here you don't get banter you just get someone who isn't helpful! Thanks for the offer pal I see you have a new landy mines mega old haha! I hope to get it sorted as engines I'm fine - electrics!! Well that's another matter but I'm learning fast!

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No problem. Mine is a Y plate under the personalised one so only 11ish years old but my old IIA was a K so I have come across all sorts of wheezing & leaking & iffy electrics in the past. I cut my mechanical teeth on British motor bikes so that set me up for Land Rover ownership nicely.

When I wired my work light I had some issues with earthing & getting an illuminated switch to work but sorted it in the end. Good luck & if I can help don't hesitate to let me know.

Thanks for the offer flat Eric much appreciated! Well while it is at the garage they had a quick look well it isn't bulb or earth! It's been wired by a plank who thought he had half an idea!!! So now there trying to find the problem. Thank god for mates rates!

danchapman2k2 said:

Thanks for the offer flat Eric much appreciated! Well while it is at the garage they had a quick look well it isn't bulb or earth! It's been wired by a plank who thought he had half an idea!!! So now there trying to find the problem. Thank god for mates rates!

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Glad it's being sorted. Nothing worse than trying to fathom out someone elses idea of wiring.

This is one of my friends efforts. Just tie a knot in it. It'll be fine.



And our gentle warning that he should try harder. Smoke machine from mobile disco slid under the car. You should have seen him run.

Hahahaha!! Superb I bet he **** himself when he saw that! It's a nightmare if someone has bodged it and you dont know what they have bodged! Well got it all sorted today! Needed a re wire for the lights as they were all bodged etc! Well all in all including re wire, a new battery, new leads all sorted, fault found for the lights an vat 240!! I reckon that's a bargin!

You've got three wires at the bulb. One is live for dip beam, one live for main beam the third is an earth which is shared.
If the earth is faulty your light will usually only glow cos it earths thru the other circuit doubling the resistance
Easy test. Get a simple test light, a 12v bulb with two bits of wire will do, connect one end to a known good earth like something metal on the engine. Stick the other end in the lamp connection. Turn dip beam on, does it light up? No? Try the other two terminals. One lights up that's dip live! If none light up you either have no power there or your test light isn't working! Stick it on the main power cable at the back of the starter, lights up? Yes, then you have no power at the lamp! Check fuses, switches, relays and wiring! Repeat for main live, you only need to test two wires this time cos you know which one dip is! The remaining wire will be earth. A good basic test is to connect one end of your test light to a good power supply, back of starter or similar, earth the other end to check it works! Note how bright it glows, now stick the earth end into the third connection, the headlamp earth, it should glow as brightly as it did before. If it isn't as bright you have a resistance on the earth, usually corrosion. If it doesn't light the earth is either broken or you have a very high resistance. Trace the wire check for breaks and corrosion particularly where it bolts to the body!
Easy you've just checked your lives and earths at the lamp without a diagram!
If your lives and earths are present change the bulb and check the connectors are a tight fit to the bulb they get weak with age then hot then melt the plastic holder!
The above is a good basic testing method for basic circuits only!
See how you get on. A basic cheap test light is invaluable for basic electrics. Much simpler than a multimeter. More complicated stuff you'll need one but you need to learn how they work to use one properly. So stick with the basics until you get the hang of it lesson over
That method is how some manufactures teach you to do it. Simple and it works. W

Diesel Do that is possibly one of the best replies i have ever heard! That is going to help so much. Thankyou for that. the problems now sorted which turned out to be faulty wiring and also a mixture of incorreectly wirred fuses.

But thank you its very helpful