Tell me about 4x4 rear lights.

[heathy12]

don't know if its just me but ive always wondered why on earth the magority of say 80's to current 4x4's have the only lights on the end in the bumper BUT have proper tail light and indicator pods fitted to the body of the vehicles.

Why tiny lights in the bumper and no lights in the proper pods??

I'm guessing legalities and legistation. But why go to bother of fitting nice looking tail lights when their not used for anything!

I'm talking freelanders, Surfs, Landcruisers etc.

Anyone know or noticed this also?
Migth have to put it on my list of the grat unexplained along with why do all toilet doors open inwards but are put to go out.

[hamps]

pain in the ! you look at em at a junction and they don't work! the lower ones come on! doh!

[jrevillug]

AFAIK, it's due to side-opening tailgate - our lighting regulations mean that the rear lights have to be visible with the door wide open. This means either separate light units where they won't be obscured, or shorter check straps on the door (as on Mk1 Rav4 rear doors - grey import rear doors open wider).

[scoobypete]

I was wonderin this the other day when my mates disco failed the mot on the upper left stop lamp not working..
apart from the fact it had three others working fine i also had to develop jeremy beadle hands to get in there to change the bulb or spend ages faffing about trying to get the fold-up rear seat out the way to get my huge shovel like hands in there to do it

[Fiat Daft]

isn't it to due with the lights relative to height /width of the vehicle and constructions and use legalities?

[Dez]

ive noticed this too, and couldnt come up with any logical explanation for having the signals and brakes up in the body and the tail light down in the bumper. even with the tailgate reason, youll end up obscuring at least some of your lights with it open.

and as has been said, i see it as a hazard more than anything as you end up watching the wrong set of lights!!!

[surprisingskoda]

The Shogun is like this too, but other countries aren't. I had a Pajero and a Shogun at the same time during the summer and IIRC the Pajero (import) didn't have bumper lights.

[popuptoaster]

My Vitara has low level lights,



two years later they had them higher up, its a straight plug in swop to change them apparently, i'll be doing it as my bumper is knackered so its being removed.

[Lawsy]

surfs don't have lights in the bumpers

only the red fog light fitted to meet uk regs is there

but yes i know what you mean, been saying it myself for years, followed a freelander tonight and made me think the same..

annoying isnt it..

[RobinJI]

I always think it's an estate towing a trailer whenever I see a freelander/similar 4x4 from a distance.

[BiAS]

I'm fairly sure it's a 'construction and use' due to the height of the lights and the law was changed at some stage hence the later vits having the lights in the right place.

[bigalan]

Pretty sure it was the tailgate reason. The high up lights were kept as the bumper lights weren't required in other countries. Cheaper to stick dummy lights in than change the bodywork.

This legislation must still be in place I think- the Insignia estate and new Audi A1 both have their rear lights mounted on the tailgate but need to have a second set inside for when the boot is open!

On a similar note the foglights on the bumper of Mk2 Astras weren't there on Opel versions IIRC. Was this because Euro spec ones only required one fog on the wrong side for the UK?

[Rusted Pistons]

Yeah my Shogun is the same, I was only wondering this myself when I was following my girlfriend driving it the other day!

[Ads 19]

it is the tailgate reason, you don't get the issue with rangerovers for example.
Surf wa never a uk market car so thats why doesn't have it. You find early fourtracks have a short check strap. where as later ones have lights in bumper and just fiberglass covers in pods.

[V-Force]

I've always wondered this

JDM spec Pajero:



UKDM Shogun:



All of the other Pajeros other than JDM ones have the Shogun spec for some reason. Such as European ones.

Same story with JDM spec Isuzu Bighorns and UK Troopers:

Bighorn:



Trooper:

[alfazer]

Tailgate reason sounds convincing. Can't be the height thing, can it? Look how many cars have lights up high like Focuses (Foci?), Punto and so on.

[robinmasters]

A quick Google seems to confirm the tailgate theory (well it brought me straight back here initially! ). Got to have all your lights visible when loading/unloading.

Doesn't seem to apply to vans though?