Electrical issues

[Foz31]

Today all my lights, horn and indicator packed up mid-journey. I checked the fuses and all fine. I wiggled the 6 way switch every which way and the IR switch but no luck.

I know it’s an open-ended question but is there a suggested order of checking things? I don’t know where to start.

Thanks.

[VictorLymbery]

Hi Foz31,
I guess, from your other recent posts, you are en route to Europe and need immediate info on how to sort your lights.

I will suggest some possibilities for your problem, but also give some background for others searching this thread in times to come.

The Lightweight, being military, needed to be able to stop involuntary announcements of presence when in potential enemy areas. One way was to have a lighting system that could be restrictive on what lights were shown compared with civvy vehicles. The most obvious was when "convoy" light was selected on the six way switch. This effectively cut all lights except a small 5W bulb under the rear, shining onto a white painted rear diff for following drivers to see. Most obvious cut was to brake lights coming on, but it also stopped the horn from working for obvious tactical reasons.

The first thing you should check is the "aux relay" mounted on the front face of the bulkhead under the bonnet. This basically allows/cuts these circuits. Brown/yellow going in, Brown/blue coming away from this to the lights/horn. Brown/yellow comes from the 6 way via a connection at the fuse box (though not through a fuse).

The other separate military requirement was for the headlights only to come on in dip when IR is selected on the IR switch. (Filters could be fitted to headlamps to allow only light invisible to human eyes to be shone, and reflected from objects to the driver's eyes through a special headset he wore.
This was a constant source of lighting failure in service, often due to the IR switch itself, which will need checking. This is mediated by many civvy lightweight having this feature by-passed bytheir owners, which later lightweights also had done to them while still in service. This is the "wildcard" as after all these years, I am sure no two Lightweights have exactly the same re-wired outcomes.

I hope you manage to get your lights going and the above assists you in this. Driving in daylight obviates all the above, just hotwire your brakelight switch and no one will know!

This might be of help:

http://www.land-rover-lightweight.co.uk/LRL%20M.html

Best wishes

Victor

[Foz31]

Thanks Victor, I appreciate you taking the time for all that.

I leave for Normandy in a couple of weeks so thankfully I have time to fix.

I’ll check all I can, then if no luck I’ll head over to Safari Engineering (with hand signals ). They suggested I try bypassing/direct wire the IR switch to see if it resolves.

David

[Foz31]

Well, I’ve finally got my lights fixed - turns out it was the 6-way switch. Tried rinsing it out with contact spray and got a ton of rubbish out, but didn’t dare take it apart and it didn’t resolve the problem. Bit the bullet and fitted a new one.

But that was only after I negotiated a week in Normandy with no main headlights…what a PITA. The fuse would blow after just a few yards.

But the main excitement was for French Border Control to find a stowaway in the back at Passport Control!

[Ridgy]

No!!!!! How did you not notice?

[Foz31]

I know Ridgy, hard to imagine. But it was pitch black, no interior lights on, just a 600m drive to ferry check-in, and all straps and ropes on the tilt flap in place. We didn’t even think to look in the back. When he was discovered he’d hidden under our bags and blankets. Lesson learned to be more vigilant in future.

[AR4412]

Sneaky bugger!

Regards,

[Ridgy]

So an accomplice must have laced him in then......? Blimey!