Member Since: 11 Sep 2018
Location: Cardiff
Posts: 70
The curious case of disconnected rear puddle lights
I have a 57 D3 HSE with puddle lights - For a while, I thought I only had them in the front doors as only these lit up when the doors were open... but then I found I have them in the rear also, it's just that they don't work. Alongside each is a disconnected power cable (purple and black) sticking out the bottom of the door card which, I presume, is to power the lights (see photos)... so I have a few questions:
Is there a reason a previous owner would disconnect these, maybe a known fault/error easily resolved by disconnecting them? If I reconnect them, could it cause problems for the car? To reconnect them, is there a quick way to do it instead of removing the whole door card (maybe remove the bottom two screws to slide the connector back in, then remove the light and reconnect maybe)?
looking at pictures again … that black bit might even be the fitting.
you can check by looking at the one in boot above door opening as it's the same beast.
2nd Oct 2018 10:39 pm
Famousfive
Member Since: 12 Aug 2014
Location: Southampton
Posts: 1809
Just look like they’ve been unplugged to me. Maybe they had some expensive LEDs in there they wanted for the next car Stolen - D4 Loire Blue
D4 Bali Blue
2nd Oct 2018 10:42 pm
danrjm
Member Since: 11 Sep 2018
Location: Cardiff
Posts: 70
So, looking at it again, the light unit does come out but the wire doesn't thread back through because the connector is too large for the gap (the door panel is screwed on very tight). Will need to get the screwdriver out when the sun is back up! Not sure why someone would go to the trouble of loosening the door card and sticking the wire out the bottom though?
It wouldn't suprise me if a previous owner had some fancy lights which they removed before sale - The car has some very unusual three-way LED sidelights which I've never seen before (unless it's a LR thing?). It also has a removable tow bar security plate which I'd never seen before either!
2nd Oct 2018 10:58 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 72800
Worth checking there is actually power to it before messing around. Would be a wasted effort if they are electrically dead.
3rd Oct 2018 6:46 am
Pete K
Member Since: 15 Jan 2016
Location: GL
Posts: 10375
tell me more about these "unusual three-way LED sidelights "
3rd Oct 2018 12:07 pm
Browny90
Member Since: 19 Jul 2016
Location: Ashbourne
Posts: 687
I would assume the door cards have been off for some reason (door actuators?) and when refitted they have just missed reconnecting them, that's why they are trapped behind the door card?Disco4 MY16 SDV6 Landmark Black
Disco4 MY12 SDV6 XS Orkney Grey (Gone)
Defender 90 200tdi Completely rebuilt.
3rd Oct 2018 1:56 pm
Pete K
Member Since: 15 Jan 2016
Location: GL
Posts: 10375
that's what I thought.
But you would think after missing one side, they would remember on the other !
3rd Oct 2018 5:09 pm
adam
Member Since: 20 Sep 2005
Location: Home and Happy
Posts: 6917
I removed and changed my (D4) puddle lights without removing the door card - just slid them out from the bottom of the door - or am I missing something?
3rd Oct 2018 5:25 pm
danrjm
Member Since: 11 Sep 2018
Location: Cardiff
Posts: 70
So I managed to reconnect both lights today without too much hassle - The light units clip out and there's enough flex in the material around the hole that the connectors push back up from being jammed between the body and card (with a bit of encouragement!) and then can be thread back through the hole and reconnected to the lights. Pretty sure the light units have been out before as the corner of one was split and glued back on. All works fine now!
A mate of mine has a theory that a previous owner fitted expensive LED interior lights (as someone also mentioned here) but most packs only come with 13 interior lights whereas my car has 15 and so these two, as the least used, we're disconnected not to ruin the 'look'... Maybe?
3rd Oct 2018 8:20 pm
danrjm
Member Since: 11 Sep 2018
Location: Cardiff
Posts: 70
As for the three way LED side lights, photos attached (on and off). Each unit has an LED pointing forwards, one up and one down with a bright white light (not yellowish like cornering lights / full beam) in place of the usual bulb - Not LR standard so must have been fitted by a previous owner!
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