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       #Post#: 65260--------------------------------------------------
       fuse getting hot and blowing when headlights are switched on in
       my series 2a la 
   DIR By: les
       Date: June 21, 2013, 10:15 am
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       can anyone suggest a reason why one
       of the fuses gets hot and blows when
       the headlights  are switched on. the
       car is a 1970 series 2a swb land rover
       called doris.
       #Post#: 65264--------------------------------------------------
       Re: fuse getting hot and blowing when headlights are switched on
       in my series 2a la 
   DIR By: mark-h
       Date: June 21, 2013, 11:39 am
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       I had the same problem on my series3 could not touch the fuse
       and eventually could smell burning, in the end i had to fit a
       relay to reduced the current through the fuses with a new small
       fuse box feeding the relay. wiring had melted and fused
       together.
       if its blowing id say theres a short somewhere, im sure the more
       knowledgable on here will give you  more detail...
       #Post#: 65277--------------------------------------------------
       Re: fuse getting hot and blowing when headlights are switched on
       in my series 2a la 
   DIR By: FenTiger
       Date: June 21, 2013, 2:01 pm
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       Short to earth or poor connections causing high resistance.
       Strip all connectors, clean with fine emery, grease and refit.
       Also check that all earth connections are clean.
       #Post#: 65296--------------------------------------------------
       Re: fuse getting hot and blowing when headlights are switched on
       in my series 2a la 
   DIR By: Jagger
       Date: June 21, 2013, 3:12 pm
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       At least your fuse blows.
       Mine didn't during a motorway run with everything switched on
       for three hours in the pissing rain and heavy stop-start
       traffic.It melted the fuse box enough for it to get chucked but
       it also melted the nylon barrel in the middle of my
       ignition/lights switch which stopped me from switching it off at
       journeys end.
       I managed to salvage the ignition switch but decided to relay
       the headlights and the monster radiator fan to give the repaired
       switch an easier time.The real bonus is very bright headlights
       (they run 14.2 volts now instead of 10 point something.)
       #Post#: 65563--------------------------------------------------
       Re: fuse getting hot and blowing when headlights are switched on
       in my series 2a la 
   DIR By: Glen
       Date: June 23, 2013, 5:24 pm
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       Do the headlights get switched with the ignition?  They
       shouldn't but people often modify them so they do (stops you
       leaving the lights on which sounds handy but it also makes using
       the sidelights when parked imposable unless its got a relay in
       it) which can overload the ignition circuit when everything is
       used together.
       #Post#: 65564--------------------------------------------------
       Re: fuse getting hot and blowing when headlights are switched on
       in my series 2a la 
   DIR By: espacekiller
       Date: June 23, 2013, 5:31 pm
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       Have the lights been uprated to halogens by a Previous owner?
       #Post#: 65742--------------------------------------------------
       Re: fuse getting hot and blowing when headlights are switched on
       in my series 2a la 
   DIR By: Jagger
       Date: June 25, 2013, 2:33 am
       ---------------------------------------------------------
       --- Quote ---
       > Do the headlights get switched with the ignition?  They
       shouldn't but people often modify them so they do (stops you
       leaving the lights on which sounds handy but it also makes using
       the sidelights when parked imposable unless its got a relay in
       it) which can overload the ignition circuit when everything is
       used together.
       --- End Quote ---
       Glen,on my @66 2A shorty the light switch is integral with the
       ignition.The ignition has to be on for any lights to be used.As
       standard.A 1970 may well be different.
       #Post#: 65810--------------------------------------------------
       Re: fuse getting hot and blowing when headlights are switched on
       in my series 2a la 
   DIR By: NiteMare
       Date: June 25, 2013, 11:07 am
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       i can't be 100% sure on the "ignition on to have lights" on your
       '66 swb being correct, it sounds like the wiring has been
       modified to me
       my '65 109 has the integral lights/ignition switch but the
       lights could be switched on independantly of the ignition with
       the original harness
       but i've since rewired the whole vehicle myself and modified the
       system (i used the '68 lights in wings diagram as a guide) to
       include extra fuses and 4 relays (two for dip/main beam, one for
       spotlights and one for a rad' fan) as i was concerned about
       resistances in the connectors and switches (not to mention
       creeping corrosion in the wiring)
       relays used with the lights is one of the best things you can do
       on any of these old landrovers even down to voltage loss at the
       lights due to accumulated resistances in the
       switches/connectors/wires, they'll even wake up the old lucas
       sealed beam units once they're getting full voltage
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