No Headlights!

[rikshaw]

hi,all any leccy types can help please, I have no headlights on my 1993 (L)
200tdi disco,its got the dimmer thingy on,can this be bypassed????any help
would be appreciated,regards rikshaw.

[aimbones]

Hi - do you mean no headlights at all or is just dip beam playing up - does the dip dim unit work ie if the side lights are on and the engine is started do the headlights come on at about 1/3 power?

[bilge rat]

they do suffer from the earth terminal on the back of the head light melting . but would be un usual for both to go at the same time. might be worth a check though..alan...

[thebiglad]

I'm assuming you've checked the fuses and relays??

[ianhl]

my dipped beam wouldn't the other day. sidelights only as i drove home. started to fiddle about on the drive and i shifted the steering wheel height adjuster. when i moved the wheel down slightly the lights came on. been alright since...
long shot i know but worth a go...

[rikshaw]

Hi, folks answer is no power to the headlights at all,power to the side lights,
headlight main beam no power,but blue dash light comes on?help,I'M
confused.com.!!!:(:(:(:(:(:(

[littlelegs]

Hi, folks answer is no power to the headlights at all,power to the side lights,
headlight main beam no power,but blue dash light comes on?help,I'M
confused.com.!!!


I've checked my Haynes manual wiring diagram showing a wrong pair of connections on the relay, which would prevent the headlights from working, and presuming you've not rewired it like this then if the main beam warning light is working but nothing works from the dipswitch or dipdim then the only thing down stream is the four headlamp fuses A1 to A4, the wiring, any connectors, the lamps or earthing. I suggest you start at the lamps to see if they are actually good, then the connectors, then the earthing then the connections and wiring back to the fuses and the fuses. It could be you have more than one fault as there's no reason why all the headlights don't work especially as the main beam warning light and side lights are working. The dipdim unit should bypass the lighting switches providing an alternative dip supply activated by the ignition and oil switch so you need the engine running to check this.

[thebiglad]

I've checked my Haynes manual wiring diagram showing a wrong pair of connections on the relay, which would prevent the headlights from working, and presuming you've not rewired it like this then if the main beam warning light is working but nothing works from the dipswitch or dipdim then the only thing down stream is the four headlamp fuses A1 to A4, the wiring, any connectors, the lamps or earthing. I suggest you start at the lamps to see if they are actually good, then the connectors, then the earthing then the connections and wiring back to the fuses and the fuses. It could be you have more than one fault as there's no reason why all the headlights don't work especially as the main beam warning light and side lights are working. The dipdim unit should bypass the lighting switches providing an alternative dip supply activated by the ignition and oil switch so you need the engine running to check this.

Hi littlegs, you keep referring to the Dimdip unit, what is this?? My wifes '93 Tdi 200 doesn't have dimdip??

[littlelegs]

Hi littlegs, you keep referring to the Dimdip unit, what is this?? My wifes '93 Tdi 200 doesn't have dimdip??

This is a common UK spec only so you may not have it. It prevents you driving on parking lights only as some people are daft enough to do by automaticly switching on dimmed dipped headlights via a resistor when the sidelights are on and the engine is running. Unfortunately the same people tend to drive without any lights at all in poor visibility! :eek:

[mmgemini]

Hi, folks answer is no power to the headlights at all,power to the side lights,
headlight main beam no power,but blue dash light comes on?help,I'M
confused.com.!!!:(:(:(:(:(:(

I've just been pointed in the direction of this thread. Sorry I didn't get the message earlier.

I'm not familier with the 200Tdi switches so could you tell my how the lighting switches work please.

Do you have a separate switch for side head or are they in the dip switch stalk.

Does the headlight flasher work.

Do you have a test lamp ?

Answer those for me and I'll try to help.

[thebiglad]

This is a common UK spec only so you may not have it. It prevents you driving on parking lights only as some people are daft enough to do by automaticly switching on dimmed dipped headlights via a resistor when the sidelights are on and the engine is running. Unfortunately the same people tend to drive without any lights at all in poor visibility! :eek:


Sorry, no. Both my Disco's are UK sourced & spec'd and neither has this function - not that common then?

[littlelegs]

Sorry, no. Both my Disco's are UK sourced & spec'd and neither has this function - not that common then?


Both my '92 200TDI and '96 300TDI have dip dim fitted and it is standard in the Haynes wiring diagram for both models. This is why you won't see it on later models:

Dim-Dip Lamps (UK Only)
UK regulations briefly required vehicles first used on or after 1 April (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/April_1) 1987 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1987) to be equipped with a dim-dip device[18] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automotive_lighting#cite_note-17) or special running lamps, except such vehicles as comply fully with ECE Regulation 48 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Forum_for_Harmonization_of_Vehicle_Regulatio ns) regarding installation of lighting equipment. A dim-dip device operates the low beam headlamps (called "dipped beam" in the UK) at between 10% and 20% of normal low-beam intensity. The running lamps permitted as an alternative to dim-dip were required to emit at least 200 candelas straight ahead, and no more than 800 candelas in any direction. In practise, most vehicles were equipped with the dim-dip option rather than the running lamps.
The dim-dip systems were not intended for daytime use as DRLs (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daytime_Running_Lamp). Rather, they operated if the engine was running and the driver switched on the parking lamps (called "sidelights" in the UK). Dim-dip was intended to provide a nighttime "town beam" with intensity between that of parking lamps (commonly used by British drivers in city traffic after dark) and dipped/low beams, because the former were considered insufficiently intense to provide improved conspicuity (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Conspicuity&action=edit&redlink=1) in conditions requiring it, while the latter were considered too glaring for safe use in built-up areas. The UK was the only country to use such dim-dip systems.[19] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automotive_lighting#cite_note-18)
In 1988, the European Commission (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Commission) successfully prosecuted the UK government in the European Court of Justice (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Court_of_Justice), arguing that the UK requirement for dim-dip was illegal under EC directives prohibiting member states from enacting vehicle lighting requirements not contained in pan-European EC directives. As a result, the UK requirement for dim-dip was quashed. Nevertheless, dim-dip was (and is) still permitted, and while such systems are not presently as common as they once were, dim-dip functionality was fitted on many new cars well into the 1990s.

[rikshaw]

ref: mmgemini, hi,answers to your questions,1.lights sw is a stalk!,side,dip,
main,horn, 2.blue light on dash,comes on but no lights,3. yes I have a test
lamp!,Q. can the dimmer system be bypassed,I would need a wiring diagram
please! regards rikshaw46@yahoo.co.uk:(

[thebiglad]

Both my '92 200TDI and '96 300TDI have dip dim fitted and it is standard in the Haynes wiring diagram for both models. This is why you won't see it on later models:


That's interesting, ours are Tdi 200-nov '92 & Tdi 300-jun '98 and neither has this feature.

Welcome to the world of Land Rover, we make it up as we go along, an LR spokesman said recently :rolleyes::D:rolleyes:

[mmgemini]

Right let's try to check through.
If you have NO lights it's not the dim/dip but then I could be wrong.
The Discovery dim/dip is different to the Defender and I can't remember which relay it is.

So shroud off steering column please.
Find the wires to the lighting switch.
Do you have flash and horn.

Find the red wire and the blue wire.
Are they live when yoiu switch the lights on, that's both the side/tail and the headlights.