Topic: RRC Electrickery (Read 5000 times)

Range Rover Ron · « **on:** November 30, 2006, 15:28:23 »

Hello Guys,

My RRC has a wierd elactrical problem.
When driving at night my headlights change power, they go dim then brighten up again, that is without touching anything electrical.
At the same time my rear lights do not change.

Also if I have my radio/CD player on, it goes on and off of it's own accord, when it goes off, the radio front panel stays on/lit?
I think this is being caused by an electrical item fuctioning, like if I brake (brake lights) or if I indicate.

I'm not sure if the two things are related as a friend of mine has had terrible trouble with all sorts of electricl items on his LSE since installing a non standard Radio/CD.

Any suggestions???

Cheers,

Ron.

bezzabsa · « **Reply #1 on:** November 30, 2006, 16:11:14 »

headlights sounds like a dicky switch kicking the dim dip relay in

Range Rover Ron · « **Reply #2 on:** November 30, 2006, 16:46:06 »

Hi there,

Thanks for the reply and for trying to help.

The lights are not switching, the problem happens when the dip is on,
It's not changing form high to dip or dip to town lights,

Just on dip the lights seem to drop in power, only slightly but annoying.
A sort of faint flicker, if you know what I mean.

I'll double check that it is not happenning on high beam, but I think it's not.

Cheers,

Ron.

RR_Aero · « **Reply #3 on:** November 30, 2006, 18:45:47 »

Whats the charge rate, and hows your battery?

Range Rover Ron · « **Reply #4 on:** November 30, 2006, 20:29:11 »

Brand new battery two weeks ago.
at the same time the alternator was checked and found to be giving more power than required with every electrical item on, e.g fan, rear screen heater, wipers, hazards, head lights, radio, the lot and still showed over feeding the amps.
So is in tip top condition.

Cheers,

Ron.

Skibum346 · « **Reply #5 on:** November 30, 2006, 22:08:25 »

Sounds like the dreaded earthing problem.....?

:shock:

Have you tried putting a known good earth to the offending systems?

Garth · « **Reply #6 on:** November 30, 2006, 23:03:45 »

In the drivers side footwell about 2" above foot rest or clutch pedal there is a terminal post with lots of heavy brown wires going to it. Check that it is tight. I had similar problem with dull lights (but alternator light was glowing very dimly as well) only found it by chance as it was getting hot and I touched it. Once tightened I had bright lights and no glowing alternator light.

Range Rover Blues · « **Reply #7 on:** December 01, 2006, 02:04:40 »

Are you confusing dipped beam and dim dip, it's an alectrical block on the RRC just under the dash on the metal frame, when you switch on the sidelights and the engine is running (oil switch) then it brings the dipped beam on at about 8volts, the dipped beam also runs through the unit so you could be flicking between dim dip and dip?

Does the other problem coincide? if so then it's a faulty switch or power coupling in the loom.

Range Rover Ron · « **Reply #8 on:** December 01, 2006, 11:08:25 »

Hi all,

thanks for the suggestions, I'll check them out.

The dip beam is not changing to dim dip, the lights on dip beam just dim very slightly, if it went to dim dip I would know the difference.

There is only a slight change, a flicker, then the lights come back to normal brightness. difference is not the same as the difference between dim dip and dip.

I'll check out the box at the drivers side under the dash and see if I can find any earth straps broken or corroded.

Thanks,

Ron.

mike142sl · « **Reply #9 on:** December 01, 2006, 12:35:04 »

My lights sometimes dip like that, but I think it's a combination of an old battery and the air con switching on at low revs.

Range Rover Ron · « **Reply #10 on:** December 01, 2006, 13:49:20 »

Hello Mike,

Brand new shiney battery bought in the middle of November.
No A/C on my RRC.

Thanks for trying to help.

I think it's got to be a dogey earth somewhere, but will have a good look around at the wekend.

cheers,

Ron.

Range Rover Blues · « **Reply #11 on:** December 01, 2006, 20:08:16 »

Or the voltage reg on the alternator.

bullfrog · « **Reply #12 on:** December 01, 2006, 21:39:47 »

Alt should read 13 V static. Any more than 14.5 and its over charging.
I had similar on my RRC and it was earths.
They are terrible for it ! :roll:

mark.yellow.series.3 · « **Reply #13 on:** December 01, 2006, 21:44:32 »

dont do anything until you change both rear stop/tail light bulbs

Range Rover Blues · « **Reply #14 on:** December 02, 2006, 03:21:24 »

I find the 65 amp alternator struggles to beat 13 volts even when revving but my 80 amp reaches 14.3 volts without difficulty, except that now my lights flicker so it's going back tot he auto electricial who rebuilt it. Or I fit a 100 amp unit from a '93 model.

Range Rover Ron · « **Reply #15 on:** December 05, 2006, 11:27:34 »

Hello Guys,
Just an up date...

I had a look around on Saturday, my suspicion now is that it is indeed an earthing problem.
I went through all the electrickery bits and all seem OK,
I had everything switched on, the wipers, heaters, blowers, full beam, rear screen heater, radio, hazards....evrything and the alternator still showed a bit extra output than was being used with all these bits on.

I will check the rear lights as I did have a problem a few months ago, when I was on the Strata Florida they stopped working, I stripped out the lights and cleaned all the contacts, all then was OK, but is now a thing to double check.

Thanks for everyones input and help.

Cheers,

ron.

Range Rover Ron · « **Reply #16 on:** December 13, 2006, 16:06:14 »

Thanks to everyone who offered ideas to sort out my problem.
The good news is I think it is now history!

I found the earth strap from the battery was not connected properly, the earth was connected directly to the chassis and not conected to the body.

I noticed that the earth strap had a second "eye", so I re-routed the earth strap and connected the "eye" to the body at the earth point on the front inner wing.

Since then I have had no problems but have only really run around for about 10 miles, it looks good though, as my radio used to go off at the top of the road!

Thanks again fellow Mud-Clubbers,

Ron.

Range Rover Blues · « **Reply #17 on:** December 15, 2006, 15:15:43 »

Range Rover Ron · « **Reply #18 on:** January 05, 2007, 16:39:26 »

Yes guys, it's now officially history.
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
The earth strap needs to be connected to the body and the chassis.
As I said I found that the "second" eye was not connected to the body, this must have been the problem as since then there has been no electrickery trouble.

Thanks again for all the hints and help from my fellow mud clubbers.

mike142sl · « **Reply #19 on:** January 05, 2007, 23:06:57 »

Where is that strap, I must check mine?

Range Rover Ron · « **Reply #20 on:** January 06, 2007, 12:34:31 »

Hi Mike,

Yours being a '91 should be the same as mine (94) although mine is also a 300 Tdi.

If you follow the black earth cable from your battery it should go to a post on the inner wing then continue onto the engine.

When I checked mine the cable was not connected to the wing, so I had a "spare" eye blowing in the wind, after connecting this eye to the wing all went OK.

Good luck, let me know how it goes,

Cheer..........

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AuthorTopic: RRC Electrickery (Read 5000 times)