If you are looking to add extra switches to your Td5/Tdci Defender it can feel a little complicated. Aftermarket switches can be fragile and prone to wiring errors (if I had a pound for every report of a blown LED). To play it safe we recommend you combine the genuine style switch rockers with the more durable Genuine Land Rover switch. Land Rover switches have a removable rocker so you can simply prise the rocker off with a small flat headed screwdriver and then use the switch body to create your bespoke switch.
You will also need to remove the keyway on the switch. This is part of the switch moulding which was used by land rover on the production line in order to work out which switch went into which hole. You can remove the keyway with a craft knife, this will allow fitment into any of the small rectangular holes found in the Defender Td5/Tdci dashboard.
Crucially however you’ll still need to decide which Land Rover switch to use….
Although the small rectangular switches found in the Td5/Tdci all look the same there are in fact two different wiring circuits. From experience the switches which use the positive/live circuit are much easier to install than the earth/ground switches. As such these switches are harder to source and a few of them are now obsolete at Land Rover. This is a pattern we expect to continued as more and more people turn to using the genuine switch bodies.
The switches below can be used as a positive/live circuit donor switch. This includes some Discovery 2 and Freelander switches which are a good option if you can pick up a second-hand bargain on eBay (also check the refurbished switch section on our website). Don’t worry about whether the rocker on the donor switch is in a portrait or landscape format, once you’ve removed the rocker you won’t know the difference.
Td5/Tdci Heated Rear Screen- YUG000470LNF (uses blue 5 pin connector)
Tdci Air Conditioning- JTB500010 (uses green 5 pin connector)
Tdci Heated Seat - YUF500150LNF (uses black 5 pin connector)
Td5 Heated Seat RH- YUG102440 (uses black 5 pin connector)
Td5 Heated Seat LH- YUG102430 (uses green 5 pin connector)
Discovery 2 Heated Seat LH- YUF500050PUY (uses green 5 pin connector)
Discovery 2 Heated Seat RH- YUF500080PUY (uses black 5 pin connector)
Freelander Heated Seat LH- YUG500290PUY (uses white 5 pin connector)
Freelander Heated Seat RH- YUG500280PUY (uses blue 5 pin connector)
Something else to bear in mind is the housing connector you will also need in order to wire the switch. Different switches have different coloured connectors, the colour of the connector does not make a difference in terms of the wiring. The connector required for each switch is also listed above.
Wiring the Positive/Live Circuit
Please Note: This document is only to be used as a guide. Remember re-wiring any vehicle can be a huge undertaking and appropriate research beyond this document should be undertaken. If in doubt always seek advice from a qualified auto-electrician.
