Hey Guys, I'm having a problem with my SES light NOT coming on (I know -- sounds counterintuitive to me, too!).

Background info: 2000 Disco 2, 191,000 miles. I'm trying to get my newly-purchased truck inspected, and my indy mechanic says he can't pass me for emissions without a functioning check engine light. He recommended taking the truck to the stealership to have the instrument cluster checked out, as the SES light does not illuminate when staring the truck. Stealership calls to tell me that it is NOT a matter of replacing a bulb, but that the entire "instrument pack" is bad and needs replacing. EVERY OTHER bulb on the cluster works; can one bulb fail and render the entire cluster unusable? At $814 + $230 for labor, I respectfully told the dealer to cram it.

Is this a bulb issue, or am I going to have to swap out a new (read: used) cluster for the inspection? Help!

 

The ECU on connector 637 - pin 20 - supplies a switched ground that turns on the MIL (malfunction indicator light). The light shows as 1.2 watt bulb on the electrical diagram, so it may be replacable, or not. Most equipment builders prefer not to solder incandescent bulbs in place. Uses the red/gray wire on pin 13 of connector 233 of the instrument cluster.

Swapping cluster might require some dealer re-program, other options might include hook up your own light to the wires above, or install an ultra gauge and program it to show the "MIL" status (check engine light on). Don't know if function light translates to "oem". Put a tiny green oval on it.

 

I believe your check engine light is an LED like all the others, you may want to have someone look at the dash.
Several time peole have found the light painted black, cover with tape and worse broken. It is amazing the length people will go to when selling these trucks to shut light off, half the time it would have been quicker to fix the truck.
But you should have some one physcial check the LED to see if it is even there. Also how about going to a different inspection place most place around dont care as long at the light is not ON.

 

As above, it's a led not a simple bulb swap. Do some double checking on the emissions requirement. This has been a while ago but Rovers used to be exempt from emissions in PA because of the GVW and classification as a class 3 truck. Instead of the emissions sticker it was an exempt sticker.

 

No luck. It looks like all light-duty trucks, built from 1975 on and weighing less than 9,000lbs GVWR are required to pass an emissions test.

What exactly is involved with a dealer re-program? Say for example, if I had to swap the cluster, would they reprogram the mileage?

Any other ideas, guys?

 

You may be able to tear the panel apart and piggy back a LED to the existing one or replace it but they're actually soldered to the PCB and not through it which makes repair a little more tedious.

 

Or use your own LED with series resistor and connect to the two wires mentioned above, and shove in the right spot on the dash. But is your LED cut out, or just painted over?