I have a 1999 TD5 Defender 90 with a very strange issue.

The side lights and full beams work but the main beams don't.
They do come on randomly but are now totally off for the last day or so.


I've checked everything I can.
The bulbs are good.
I chased the live cable from the bulbs back to the 2 fuses for left and right main beams. These are fine.
The earth for both bulb is fine as the full beams work.

Both fuses are fine.

I then checked the switch on the stalk. There is 12v entering it and sending it out over a blue cable. However no power seems to get to the fuses from here.

Is there something else I need to look at under the dash?

The relay for the lights should be fine. I swapped it with an identical relay for the indicators and still nothing.

If anyone knows what is going on here or has had a similar issue I'd really appreciate some help.


Thanks in advance.

So,

After spending nearly 3 hours on the landy last night (in -8 degrees) I managed to resolve the problem with the lights so I thought I'd update this for anyone else having similar issues.

I decided to trace the cables from the switch on the stalk to the fuse box.

I found a red/blue wire coming from the fusebox that controlled the 2 10 Amp fuses for left and right main beams. I also found a red/blue wire on the indicator stalk but after testing the continuity across these there was none.

I decided then that I would remove the instrument cluster to see what was going on.

I noticed a red/blue wire behind the cluster leading to a pink relay and in turn coming out of this relay.
After another continuity test I knew I was on to something as the wires were indeed the same.
I decided to remove & open this relay and found that a plastic piece inside the relay was melted and had struck to the striker that fired the relay.

I managed to re-shape this and got the relay working again as a temporary measure until I get a new one.

Plugged it back in and the lights came back on.

LIGHTS SORTED.

I was sitting in the jeep and then noticed a burning smell, NOT GOOD.

I hadn't realised it but when removing the instrument cluster I must have hit the wiper arm. Due to the weather outside the wiper had frozen to the windscreen. To make a long story short, I burned out the wiper motor.
I'm very surprised however that the fuse didn't blow instead of constantly sending current to the motor.
I removed the motor and it was piping hot.
Something for anyone doing this job to look out for although there wouldn't be many times when someone would be attempting the repair in those sort of conditions.


So to conclude, in fixing my lights I managed to break something else on the jeep.

The joys of Landrovers I suppose.

I'll get a new wiper motor & relay for the lights today so hopefully all will be sorted come this evening.

it will give you all sorts of grief if you keep insulting it!