The P38A has a moulding in the tailgate interior trim which seems to be there for a high-level brake light, but the ain't no light there. Presumably it's present on the Vogue but not on the HSE. Anyone know the part numbers for what I need to fit one? Is it an easy job?
I have done this recently, and it's not just a matter of adding the light.
Although the plastic mouldings look like they are ready to just put a light in, you actually need a completely different part.
The replacement mouldings are about £60, the light unit £50. I just cut the piece out of the existing trim, and made up a moulding to fit the lamp to out of Balsa Wood, and glued it in place. Not
100% pretty, but quite effective.Chris.
Chris> The replacement mouldings are about £60, the light unit Chris> £50. I just cut the piece out of the existing trim, and Chris> made up a moulding to fit the lamp to out of Balsa Wood, Chris> and glued it in place. Not 100% pretty, but quite Chris> effective.
Chris
Was the pre-wiring there already, or did you have to do any electrical work as well? What model year?
AndyC
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+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ |Andy Cunningham aka AndyC the WB | andy -at- cunningham.me.uk | +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ |
MY97 the wiring was all there, as it was on an MY96 car I looked at. Plug and Play :-)
The high level tail light is on my Australian spec 1995 HSE
Part no. PRC7644
Ron
writes: Richard> Absent Friends!
Richard> glug glug glug glug glug glug glug glug glug glug Richard> glug glug glug glug glug glug
And present ones too!
Merry Christmas, one and all, and may Santa not get too many hernia's delivery bits of landy around the country.
AndyC
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+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ |Andy Cunningham aka AndyC the WB | andy -at- cunningham.me.uk | +-------------------------------------------------------------------------+ |
green/purple
The trouble is that cutting out the "likely looking oblong groove" still doesn't leave any way to mount the light unit.
In fact, to do the job properly, that entire section of trim must be replaced... Or, just get creative and make your own parts ..
Chris.
||| || The trouble is that cutting out the "likely looking oblong groove" || still doesn't leave any || way to mount the light unit. || || In fact, to do the job properly, that entire section of trim must be || replaced... Or, just get || creative and make your own parts .. || || Chris.
Strange, this. Why put a bulge and a "light-shaped" groove in a panel (thus telling the owner that he has paid a small fortune and still hasn't got the full kit) rather than leave it plain, if the panel isn't suitable and you need a different one? The guy in the parts department agrees with you, and wants to sell me the whole panel and light for 100's of beer tokens. The mechanic in the workshop, however, says the existing panel has all the fittings inside and just needs opening up. Time to whip it out again (oo-er) and have another look...
I'd love to make my own parts, but my skill is more in woodwork - I'm not sure the Rangie would look all that good with an oak trim to the rear screen. ;-) (Mind you, the solid ash bracket I made to hold the air horns on the 90 was still in place and doing its job when I dismantled it. Seriously.)
I suppose it could be a production engineering thing - the part may need to be a similar shape for the mechanical handling kit on the production line.
Sadly the mechanic is wrong.
Funny you mention woodwork ... That's exactly how I made up a bit to fit mine. Balsa painted black and stuck to the original panel with seam sealant. The lamp unit then just screws into the Balsa "wedge" with 4 small self tappers.
When you get it all to bits, and separate the two sides of the cover, just remember how easy it is to remove the rubber seal - it might make you feel better when you get around to trying to fit it back on again :-)
Chris.
||| || || Sadly the mechanic is wrong. || ||
Sadly, you're right and he is (wrong, that is). I checked today - the "bump" is an empty shell with no fittings, although the wiring is present and correct. Sod the rest ;-) I went and ordered the trim and light today. Well, I didn't get the RR a proper present on Xmas day...
|| I went and ordered the || trim and light today. Well, I didn't get the RR a proper present on || Xmas day... || ||
Got the unit earlier this week and fitted it this morning. Works fine, and on these rainy/foggy mornings and evenings, I'm glad it's there.
What I *can't* understand is why LR would build a vehicle with all the mod cons known to Man, sell it for close to 50 grand (1997), and then put in a trim panel with a moulding ready for a brake light, leave in all the wiring, but leave out the light itself. What did they save - about 30 quid? The HSE was at the time the top of the range - it was the later vehicles that got the H/L brake light. Were they reserving it as a treat for 1998 buyers?
FWIW, cost of bits was 97GBP + VAT, including the little plastic studs, and fitting time was about 10 minutes.
In terms of vehicle build cost 30 quid is a very big deal. Multiply it up by the number of Range Rovers built and you have quite a contribution to the bottom line.
I doubt if the saving would actually be anything like 30 quid, but still substantial. The cost of carrying multiple wiring looms and the associated aggro in the supply chain would mean that the loom would have all the connections present. But the 'trim and final' department simply wouldn't fit the lamp assembly, saving the money.
I can remember those third brake lights being illegal over here until a couple of years ago. The had to change the traffic laws to accomodate the manufacturers who no longer wanted to do 'with or without' options for different markets. Could it be there were countries out there RR's were exported to that didn't allow for the third light in '98 ?
Peter R.
My parents first Renault Scenic had a single (off side) rear fog light. The nearside had all the wiring, bulb socket, lens, etc etc but there was a thin plastic moulding across the hole in the back of the reflector. One pair of tin snips and a 21W bulb later they had a pair of rear fog lights.
Warming to my theme; why do so many manufacturers make 4 different rear light clusters? I mean the ones that have either a reversing light or fog light on one side and the opposite on the other side. Wouldn't it be cheaper to make one n/s rear light cluster with both fog and reversing lights and one o/s ditto??
Rgds Richard
Because it lets them come up to minimum specification in a number of countries with a single set of tooling but without having to spend the extra couple of pence to wire up the additional bulb. The loom is going to be there anyway, so you leave the connectors on it and have a single loom for all models, putting the bulb in place is a manual job and doesn't need done in all jurisdictions.
P.
|| snip
||| What I *can't* understand is why LR would build a vehicle with all ||| the mod cons known to Man, sell it for close to 50 grand (1997), ||| and then put in a trim panel with a moulding ready for a brake ||| light, leave in all the wiring, but leave out the light itself. ||| What did they save - about 30 quid? The HSE was at the time the ||| top of the range - it was the later vehicles that got the H/L brake ||| light. Were they reserving it as a treat for 1998 buyers?
|| In terms of vehicle build cost 30 quid is a very big deal. Multiply || it up by the number of Range Rovers built and you have quite a || contribution to the bottom line.
I was thinking they would have put it on the price rather than absorb it. At this level, who's going to quibble between £49160 and £49190? (Or whatever.)
|| || I doubt if the saving would actually be anything like 30 quid, but || still substantial. The cost of carrying multiple wiring looms and || the associated aggro in the supply chain would mean that the loom || would have all the connections present. But the 'trim and final' || department simply wouldn't fit the lamp assembly, saving the money.
I can see your point, but (I stand to be corrected) the HSE was the top of the range in 1997. It's not as if there were an even more expensive option that got *all* the toys. Why skimp on a safety-related feature like this for a few bob and piss off all your customers? If we were talking Ford Escorts, and the subtle differences between the L and LX model, I could understand. If they decided to leave out the RR's aircon (and save a *lot* more than £30) I could understand.
Anyway, I'm happy with it.
It's a fair point, but I suppose you could do that ad infinitum.
Hadn't realised it was the HSE. Seems odd that it doesn't have it. Actually, seems odd that any UK Range Rover doesn't have it.
BTW, BMW (who were in charge at the time IIRC) are very well skilled at packaging up 'accessories' in such a way as to get people to may mega money for 50 quids worth of stuff.
I've noticed a tendency to things like 'Safety Pack' - how could you not spend an extra grand for rear airbags plus a load of other stuff when your kiddies are in the back. And get the 'Winter Pack' - you get flashy fog lights, heated seats etc (the bits you really want) and sell it to the wife on the basis of the heated front screen, 'cos she hates scraping the screen on a morning.
My point exactly.
IMO, the days when a high-level brake light was an "accessory" on anything other than a poverty model are long gone. It should be (and in most cases is) standard fare on any mid-range car. I can see this applying to CD stackers, leccy windows and all that - but the *brake light*? My point is, why have the wiring in place, make a trim panel that can accept it - and then *not fit it*, even to the top of your range?
Anyway, no need for a row ;-) It fits, it works. And the tactics of motor manufacturers still baffle me.
Rich
RR 4.6 HSE Tiggrr 3.5 V8 trialler
Were we having one? I must pay more attention! :-)
And everyone else I should think. Marketing men don't think like people, 'cos largely they aren't.
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