Light Stalk Fault

[Berliner Beer]

Hi Every one, Happy New Year, Hick!

I was drining to work in the dark and my main beam, rear lights and dash lights failed. I move the head light stick to parking lights and all the lights were restored............PHEW not funny with the fog we have had lately!. I have took the steeering colum covers of and ther seems to be a loose contact or wire in the 3 position switch. It is an intermittant fault. Is this switch/stalk an Easy DIY job to replce or should i get an expert with massive labour rates to have a go at it. My Mechanical/elecrical skills are fairly basic along with my took kit!

Cheers

Berliner Beer!

[mmgemini]

Yep it's an easy job to replace that switch.

What isn't easy is tthe fallout from the dealer or Lucas for a new switch  :twisted:

What I have recently discovered with a little help and modification an early Range Rover Classic up to 1984 could provide that switch.

[Litch]

Depending on the year/model it should be cheap enough (not certain if the light stalk changed through the years like the wiper one). Bought a pair of brand-new ones last year and together they only cost me £25 so no big issues there.
Regards fitting it is very easy but the wheel needs to come off and some people struggle with this whereas with a puller it is a 10-second operation. If you get stuck drop me a line and you can pop across and do it at my place (Cranfield) assuming I can find my home-made puller again (it's around somewhere!).

[mmgemini]

Litch
I'm reading that as the headlight switch rather than the dip switch  :lol:

[Litch]

See that now, it was the use of the word 'stalk' that made me think he meant the main stalk and not the switch.

Easy and fairly common to replace but depending on model a new switch is around £12 (early) or £35 (late).

[Berliner Beer]

Sorry shall try to make it clearer. Its A defender 110 1997 300tdi The stalk is on the left side of the steering collum and it turns the lights from off to parking to dipped beam. Its the shorter of the two stalks. Thanks for everyones info!

[extreme90]

yano, i mite very well just have one lying around, afink its a complete stalk  :shock:
dan

[Litch]

Sorry shall try to make it clearer. Its A defender 110 1997 300tdi The stalk is on the left side of the steering collum and it turns the lights from off to parking to dipped beam. Its the shorter of the two stalks. Thanks for everyones info!

That's the main light on/off switch, the stalk is the hi-low/ind/horn lever.

If you check out any of the dealer websites you can get the part number & price from there. Paddocks is quite user friendly but as I said earlier, it depends on the age so have your chassis number available (they don't go on age). When you have the correct part number you can do an internet search to see what price other dealers are charging but make sure you are getting prices for similar parts (i.e. genuine vs OE or pattern).

[age]

If its any consolation I've had 3 Defenders and they have ALL needed new headlight switches (driving home with 6 kids on main beam or sidelights only was best bit)  LR say there is no known fault......

Dead easy change - only fiddle is teasing the steering column covers off round the wheel hub - undo all the cover screws first to give most movement, and swing the wheel a few degrees each way for the really tight bits.  Mind you don't mangle the soft foam finish on the hub tho.

Later models call up a part number with the nylon push fit loom plug, and cost about £60!!!  :shock:  Early models are exactly the same - when I last did it - and you can Scotch block it into the loom if happy with that.

Good luck, Age.

[mmgemini]

In my opinion and experience there is only one place for Scotch locks or what ever you care to call them.
The rubbish bin.

I needed to make a new loom up after a so called professional auto electrician knackered it up with those things. If you really want wiring problems use them.

Proper Lucar connections and joining blocks are only coppers and easily obtained.

[age]

Still, they do come in lots of pretty colours..... each to their own!  Cheers, A

[Litch]

Have to agree, Scotch-locks cause more problems than they solve and I haven't used them for over 20-years, If I ever come across one I cut out the damaged section of wire and make a proper repair. The worst place for them is when fitting a tow-bar, people cut into the wires in the worst possible place where they are exposed to road dirt, damp etc when removing the light-covers inside the rear tub would reveal spare connectors just waiting to be utilized.

As I have already said, the later switches are available for under £35 (non-genuine), the early ones for about £12.
Although I know they can give trouble I personally haven't found the head-lamp switch to be a major cause for concern, I think SOME OF THE TIME the faults can be self inflicted by the use of high power headlamps, additional spots etc without using a relay.

[Ben]

OT a bit, but I was horrified to find out that a well known tow bar fitter local to me uses Scotchlocks as a matter of course to keep costs down when fitting tow bar electrics. Even if there's a manufacturer plug in part (as per most "modern" Land Rovers).

Back on topic - my light (off/side/dip) switch has an annoying habit of not staying on dip - it just flicks back to side unless I hold it into the dip position for a few seconds.

Any ideas? Just a good clean out, or do I have to resort to the £60 part (£25 last time I looked on eBay).

Ben

[mmgemini]

Could be Ben.
What suprised me was that the back of that switch is open to the elements and all other crud.

A good clean out with WD40 might work wonders.

[age]

Sorry I ever mentioned the Scotchblocks ...... for what its worth I did buy the v expensive oe switch with the proper loom plug and still working fine!

BTW Mike you sound as if you are well up on all the Defender issues - don't suppose you (or any of the others) have any ideas on my 'TD5 coolant loss' query I posted as a newcomer?  Cheers, A.

[mmgemini]

age.
Don't take what I say too hard please.
I hate those things. I would rather spend time to use either a bullit connector or a Lucar connector.

As for the TD5. Sorry I keep well away from the modern electronically controlled things  :twisted:

I only know the Defender from what I worked on eons ago and from my own Defender.

Just a point...
I wired my headlights up as per the post I linked.
All NEW bits. I've had nowt but trouble with the left headlight since. I see the thing isn't working again.
Even working on do it properly do it once hasn't worked here  :roll:

[Litch]

"Back on topic - my light (off/side/dip) switch has an annoying habit of not staying on dip - it just flicks back to side unless I hold it into the dip position for a few seconds.
Any ideas? Just a good clean out, or do I have to resort to the £60 part (£25 last time I looked on eBay).
Ben"

Not uncommon, not usually a problem with the switch itself (unless there is no positive 'stop' when the switch is on but is caused by the rubber gater pulling on the switch.
Pull the gater out of its seat in the column shroud and see if that helps, if it does (and it probably will) you just need to adjust the shroud so there is no pressure on the gater when the switch is pulled back. I had the same problem and it took me less than 5-minutes to fix mine. :lol:

[age]

Mike - your LH headlight.  My previous Defender (P Reg) had a recall on the LH headlamp loom when it was fairly  new - there was a replacement section from under the bonnet somewhere right through under the wing into the headlamp housing.  Maybe relevant, maybe bo**ocks - shame not to mention it tho.

(Garage says no doubt at all the coolant over-pressure is gasket (at the least)  Cheers, A

[mmgemini]

Mike - your LH headlight.  My previous Defender (P Reg) had a recall on the LH headlamp loom when it was fairly  new - there was a replacement section from under the bonnet somewhere right through under the wing into the headlamp housing.  Maybe relevant, maybe bo**ocks - shame not to mention it tho.

(Garage says no doubt at all the coolant over-pressure is gasket (at the least)  Cheers, A

Yes well... Exactly that might help someboody. :D
Have a look at www.lrtech.co.uk.
Headlight wiring the correct way I think I titled it.

I wouldn't use the wire that Land Rover provide for parking lights never mind headlights  :roll:

There is a six month old wiring system in there.
I trhink I'll be renewing the wiring block to the headlight again  :lol: