Rear light configuration on Discos

[Texaninmass]

I have had nothing but problems on every disco I have ever had with the tail light config. The mounting method specifically the way the sockets make contact with the lenses case looks like a recipe for problems.
The latest incident was I got ready to leave from dropping my daughter off at the mall last Sunday and I could not get the truck out of park. I had needed to re-attach the center console shifter plate anyway, as I had not had very good luck riveting it back in place and there was hot air blowing up from the transfer case.
So I pulled the whole center console out, disconnected the top end from the shifter and manually pushed in the gear lock cylinder to release the shifter.
When I got home I pulled the whole shifter assembly and permanently disabled the safety cylinder lock. (A Texas way of saying it will never happen again) This time I used heavy duty foam sealer on the steel plate and installed nuts and bolts in place of the rivets.

I noticed the day it occurred that the signal lights where not working and the brake lights as well.

I read on a LR forum that possible causes could be:

[Daniel]

Everything back there seems to be integrated with each other on Discos. It is a safety aspect. You don't just go driving off, if you have no brakelights. It's supposed to make you do a walk-around of the vehicle and start checking everything out. But it does get rather annoying after a while when one thing always seems to lead to another. Welcome to Lucas-World. It's a dark, dark place.

[Texaninmass]

A dark world indeed...I'm sure the engineers thought that would be a good safety feature, the problem is that everytime I have had no brake lights, with the exception of this fuse blowing out, it has been because of corroded connection on the third wire (Or flat metal connectors in LR's case) for the brake light.
I get pulled over or someone flags me down and says hey idiot not brake lights. It has happened on both my D1s and on my D2.
What is the lower bulb in the light assembly for? It is a two wire configuration but, I'm not sure when it supposed to operate.

[Lordwinslow]

I have a rear bumper with the lights in it that is in good shape.  (You will need the side lights)  If you think that will help?

As for the bumper lights, on the 94-95 discos, I don't think you have a proper blinker in your upper lights.  So that is why you have them in your bumper.  Then in 96 on you got them in both.  Glad the LR3 has just all the lights (brake, blinker, night, rear fog and reverse) all in one assemb.

Winslow

[Texaninmass]

Hi Chris,
Thank you for the offer but, the light assembly with the light issue is not in the bumper, it's in the rear quarter panels. i might have mis-spoken on the location. I am thinking of modifying the bumper running lights to act as secondary brake lights but the current config is just running lights and signal lights...in the bumper.

[the colonel]

my backup light and brake light is out on the disco.  hope this isnt the start of something crappy....

[Lordwinslow]

Do either of you have a wiring harness for a trailer hooked up?  They could be wired up wrong to the vehicles tail lights...

Winslow

[Texaninmass]

Christopher...nothing on mine is wired incorrectly, as I said before I have had this problem on three LR's in a row.
The engineering that they used in the bumper is not deployed with the main assembly. Instead of the sockets being connected to the harness with a plug, it is connected with flat metal compression fittings. This creates a weak link that when aged, corroded or poorly fitted fails.
As far as putting in the wrong bulbs, I guess it might be possible to do that but you would really have to force the alignment tabs in hard to get it wrong. The brake lights have off set tabs as apposed to the running light that are set at the depth. Good thought though..

Tom: The lights are a pain in the ass to get out , if you have either jumper seats or rear air. I would check all the fuses first before doing anything with the rear lights. If you do find that you have a bad bulb take the time to replace all of the bulbs on both sides.
I have seen the contacts at the bottom of the bulbs be worn away and cause intermittent  
contact with the socket leads. If one is that way, I would guess there is a good chance the others are the same. Bulbs are way cheaper than a ticket or accident for burnt out bulb.

Follow up post:

"Set at the same depth"

[Lordwinslow]

Just checking, I have had grounding issues on other electronics in my Disco, and have had to run new grounds.  So far my tail end has been good to me, also one of the owners before me made access to the rear tail lights (upper) easier from the cargo area.  So I wonder if this hit him before as well...

Christopher

[the colonel]

LOL....my left brake light works WHEN the driving lights are not on.   BUT... when the driving lights are on, the left brake light does not work.   I'me sure its a short, but damn, does it have to be so comical??  Back up light was just a urned out bulb.

[Daniel]

Tear out anything on the truck that says LUCAS; and replace all parts with BOSCH equipment out of something German. I am making my own wiring harness for the Hybrid at the factory; using all boat wiring and marine Deutsch connectors.

[Texaninmass]

So after many months of thought on this and once again another failure that thank goodness this month was pointed out by my friend driving behind me and not like last month when the SP happily point out the left tail light failure with a ticket...

This is what I have decided to do:
•   I am going to replace the brake/tail lights with universal weather proof sockets that will hold the 1157 bulbs.
•   I will be tripling up both sides of the truck,
o   Use the original hole that the brake lights fit in (Removing the horrible metal contact configuration)
o   Use the dummy hole that sits below the brake line as the second hole to mount the second weather proof socket with an 1157 bulb.
o   Replace the running lights in the lower bumper with a weather proof socket with an 1157 bulb.

•   All bulbs will be replaced with LED bulbs (Red)
o   http://dealerstore-inc.amazonwebstore.com/L.E.D.-BULBS-Universal-Red-LED-Bulb/M/B001LVUGI8.htm?traffic_src=froogle&utm_medium=organic&utm_source=froogle

•   All wires will be installed with the "Tap Soldering" method described below:
o   http://www.mmxpress.com/technical/connections.htm

•   In addition to this I am going to run a individual circuits to each new brake/running light that will go inside the truck to individual single LEDS that will be mounted on the dash (Where yet to be determined) for monitoring of light/circuit failure. (I used to have this set up in an Cadillac Sedan Deville and I really liked it)

•   This spring I plan on re-routing the rear light wiring harness from under the car, instead through the interior for the rear lights. (I had wire damage this winter that took out the tail lights)

My days of dealing with something that should have been such an easy thing is over.

Any thoughts on parts or set-up is appreciated and welcomed. I will be implementing this, this weekend.

Tex

[Texaninmass]

I did quite some time ago run sockets with LED bulbs as well as monitoring capability in the truck. Thank God no more being pulled over by Ma State Troopers for not having running/parking lights

Tex