Nearside fullbeam - fuse keeps blowing

[Saffy]

Before I go to town fault finding (when the rain stops ) is there any known common fault that would make the fuse blow on the nearside full/high beam? The lamp illuminates normally and same brightness as the offside lamp but then suddenly blows the fuse after a short period.

[Frankie-Boy]

From memory there are a couple of possibilities, the first is the connector that fits onto the bulb, they have a tendency to burn out as does the second item, that's the control stalk on the steering column.

Hope you get it sorted out ok.

[Saffy]

From memory there are a couple of possibilities, the first is the connector that fits onto the bulb, they have a tendency to burn out as does the second item, that's the control stalk on the steering column.

Hope you get it sorted out ok.

cheers,

Have now taking the lamp off , the connector is split into 3 but the termination are good and clean with no sign of arcing, so it's okay there. I am fortunate to have two spare stalk switches so was easy to plug in those to try and but no joy - fuse blows. Fuse is blowing right way now so should make it easier to fault find. Too dark dark now so will have to trace it though tomorrow. (Trying to think what work I might have down that could have distrubed wiring  :-k ... wax oil chassis 

[age]

ISTR on early td5 Defenders there was a service action to grommet the headlamp wiring through the inner wing panel / might have even been a longer loom now I think of it - maybe worth a look.....?  Certainly sounds like a worsening short.  A

[topless matt]

If you have extra spotlights that work off the main beam feed this can cause it.
I have the same fault and it stopped after disconnecting the relay, havnt got round to re wiring the spotlights yet tho  :doh:

[Saffy]

If you have extra spotlights that work off the main beam feed this can cause it.
I have the same fault and it stopped after disconnecting the relay, havnt got round to re wiring the spotlights yet tho  :doh:

aye, I do have the feed to the roof lamp relay(s) coming off the LH headlamp. It was my first port of call yesterday and I thought I would surely find fault there but after disconnecting the feed (it's switched) the problem remained.

[Saffy]

I got the multimeter out today and found that with the headlamp removed and the fuse removed there was still continuity to earth on the downstream side of the fuse connector. Jus t to clarify, this is the blue and slate wire from the fuse connector that runs directly to the headlamp with both ends disconnected there should not be any path to ground!

So starting at the lamp end I hand felt/inspected the loom as best I could for anything obvious - it take a path which is impossible to see/feel all the way, by the time I reached the bulkhead the short had cleared! So somewhere between bulkhead and lamp the loom (specifically the blue and slate full beam wire) is (WAS!) shorting against the body work or earth wiring. I haven't found where that short was and my moving loom a has cleared it and the fuse no longer blows.

I have a good suspicion that the wing at the corner near the bulkhead has worn into the loom from where I have been standing on wing messing with roof rack recently. Even though the fuse should catch a re-occurrence of the fault  to be on the safe side for the moment (until I find the bare wire) I will lay a wire to the full beam from the fusebox and put my own fuse inline.

thanks for advice, got me motivated.

[age]

unusually for me, not talking complete bo**ocks then....!  Glad its found/fixable.  A