Bizarre Electrical Problem - Land Rovers Only

Jules · 07-20-2006, 04:10 AM

morning everyone,

i have an MY97 D1-300. a bizarre electrical glitch has appeared: i've just changed a blown rear offside brake light bulb. usual thing - rummage around in the rear pod; find it's only possible to do it lying down in the boot; bloody knuckles etc.

the result? rear brake light now works as it should, but every time i press the brake pedal, the headlights come on as well on the sidelights setting. take my foot off the brake, they go out.

has anyone else experienced this and is there a fix? have i just knocked something out of true in the rear light pod by trying to replace the bulb? seems strange that it would then affect the headlights ...

any assistance appreciated ....

cheers

jules.

TerryS · 07-20-2006, 07:32 AM

You have managed to dislodge the ground wire from one of your 2-filament bulbs in the brake circuit. Without the ground, when you step on the brake, power is going to that filament of the bulb, but as there is no ground, it is going through the other filament (same circuit as the head & side lights) and finds it's ground on the otherside of the headlight or sidelight. The brightness of brake,headlight, and sidelight will only be about half, as you are running them in series.
The dislodged ground could be on either end of the wire; where it grounds to the chassis, or at the actual bulb socket. It's not a bizare as you might think and it's not unique to Land Rover. It will do it in any car. Nor is it as annoying as having your horn blow everytime you step on the brake.

Jules · 07-20-2006, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TerryS

You have managed to dislodge the ground wire from one of your 2-filament bulbs in the brake circuit. Without the ground, when you step on the brake, power is going to that filament of the bulb, but as there is no ground, it is going through the other filament (same circuit as the head & side lights) and finds it's ground on the otherside of the headlight or sidelight. The brightness of brake,headlight, and sidelight will only be about half, as you are running them in series.
The dislodged ground could be on either end of the wire; where it grounds to the chassis, or at the actual bulb socket. It's not a bizare as you might think and it's not unique to Land Rover. It will do it in any car. Nor is it as annoying as having your horn blow everytime you step on the brake.

**

thanks for the insight Terry, very kind of you. i'll risk the knuckles again. the replacement bulb i bought (apparently for this model, so the shop assistant said) only had one filament in it while the duff one had two. is that part of the problem?

horn & brake? be great in italy ...

mac55 · 07-20-2006, 01:53 PM

Them damn grounds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have never seen such a screwed up electrical system!!!!!

mac55 · 07-20-2006, 01:55 PM

Yes that is a problem if it requires two and you only have 1 its feeding back!

Jules · 07-21-2006, 11:23 AM

thanks all. a two-filament bulb has fixed it, replacing the single filament-bulb the numpty in the shop gave me.

07-20-2006, 04:10 AM	#1 (permalink)
Jules Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 3 Gallery: 0	Bizarre Electrical Problem morning everyone, i have an MY97 D1-300. a bizarre electrical glitch has appeared: i've just changed a blown rear offside brake light bulb. usual thing - rummage around in the rear pod; find it's only possible to do it lying down in the boot; bloody knuckles etc. the result? rear brake light now works as it should, but every time i press the brake pedal, the headlights come on as well on the sidelights setting. take my foot off the brake, they go out. has anyone else experienced this and is there a fix? have i just knocked something out of true in the rear light pod by trying to replace the bulb? seems strange that it would then affect the headlights ... any assistance appreciated .... cheers jules.

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07-20-2006, 07:32 AM	#2 (permalink)
TerryS Moderator Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Bloomfield, CT If I died today, I lived there all my life. Posts: 2,236 Gallery: 0	You have managed to dislodge the ground wire from one of your 2-filament bulbs in the brake circuit. Without the ground, when you step on the brake, power is going to that filament of the bulb, but as there is no ground, it is going through the other filament (same circuit as the head & side lights) and finds it's ground on the otherside of the headlight or sidelight. The brightness of brake,headlight, and sidelight will only be about half, as you are running them in series. The dislodged ground could be on either end of the wire; where it grounds to the chassis, or at the actual bulb socket. It's not a bizare as you might think and it's not unique to Land Rover. It will do it in any car. Nor is it as annoying as having your horn blow everytime you step on the brake.

07-20-2006, 01:53 PM	#4 (permalink)
mac55 Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 61 Gallery: 0	Them damn grounds!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have never seen such a screwed up electrical system!!!!!

07-20-2006, 01:55 PM	#5 (permalink)
mac55 Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 61 Gallery: 0	Yes that is a problem if it requires two and you only have 1 its feeding back!

07-21-2006, 11:23 AM	#6 (permalink)
Jules Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 3 Gallery: 0	thanks all. a two-filament bulb has fixed it, replacing the single filament-bulb the numpty in the shop gave me.

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