Member Since: 07 Dec 2004
Location: Bramhall
Posts: 26779
Fitting front Spot Lamps with bumper mountings
The Land Rover supplied spot lamp kit and the optional Bumper mounting kit is of generally good quality. The spot lamps come with the necessary wiring loom to connect the lamps to the fuse box, and the switch and loom to connect the lamps to the light switch. This give the driver an extra switch to the left of the instruments, which is the spot lamps master on/off. When the master is on, the spots come on with main beam, and flash with the main beam also. With the master off, they are isolated.
The car’s ecu will need the spot lamps feature enabling before they will work.
The lamps seem to be well made, and do give a good beam. They also in my opinion enhance the front end styling of the car.
The instructions are reasonably clear, but they do refer to a left hand drive car, so a few things need reversing.
1. Remove front mud flaps
2. Remove the scrivets holding the outer wheel arch trim to the inner wheel arch
3. Start at the rear, and pull the wheel arch trim off its clips, and release from the car. Retain any clips that fly off.
4. Release the clips and remove the grill
5. Releases the 2 clips each side by pulling them upwards (they are stiff) and remove the headlamp units.
6. Remove the front bumper. Screws are along top edge, bottom edge (behind the tow hoop cover) and under each headlamp, and at each corner; you also have to remove the Phillips screw from in the wheel arch.
7. Unclip the washer bottle to headlamp washer’s connector, and the wiring plug under the right hand headlamp before lifting away.
8. Remove the battery (take care that the ignition key has been out for at least 2 minutes before disconnecting the battery) The car must be asleep!
9. Release the clips and lift the fuse tray to expose the wires underneath. Locate the grey plug.
The Kit comes with full instructions and templates to connect the lamps up, and mount them to the mounting kit. The bumper mounting kit comes with its own instructions and templates.
10. Place the templates where indicated in the instructions, and drill the 8 mounting holes for the plinths (4 each side)
11. Fit the Rivnuts. The instructions say use a rivnut expander, but I just wound the bolts in and tightened them up to secure the rivnut.
12. Fit the plinths.
13. You need to cut away the front bumper rear structure to clear the plinths; I used a Swiss army knife saw blade to cut the plastic. There are templates in the kit
14. Refit the bumper and wheel arches and mud flaps.
15. You need to drill 2 x 52mm holes in the top of the bumper to align with the top of the plinths. There are templates in the kit, but please check the position carefully. An off line hole here will seriously damage the bumper! I would measure from 2 fixed points on the car, to the centre of the plinth before fitting the bumper, and then you can mark the top face of the bumper to line up the plinth accurately.
16. Fit the lamps as per instructions.
17. The kit includes 2 plastic shields to hide the hole, and the mounting bolts. I had to shave a fair amount off the shields to make them fit properly.
18. The wiring is easy. The loom from the lamps goes to the fuse box, and plugs into the spare grey plug.
19. From there it has an earth connection to fit to the –VE (Negative) terminal. There is a relay to plug into the socket in the loom.
20. Refit the fuse tray taking care not to trap any wires. Push the relay down the back of the fuse box to hide.
21. Clip the cable around the side of the inner wing. There is not much to clip it to on right hand drive, but a couple of cable ties should be secure.
22. In the car, you need to pull down the driver’s lower dash panel – just pull from the top it will release.
23. Remove the light switch panel- pull from the bottom.
24. Remove the black trim piece with the small air vent in it, to the left of the steering wheel (rh drive)
25. Place the template on the soft trim to the left of the instruments (rh drive)
26. Drill the holes as indicated, and cut the trim out. Cut the foam back, and then cut out the plastic to the template. Be careful here, do not cut the underlying plastic out further than necessary. Look at the switch mounting and familiarise yourself with the method of mounting before cutting, it is easy to misinterpret this template!
27. Run the wires as indicated in the instructions.
28. You will need to remove some pins from the headlamp switch plug; you need a very small blade to press the release clip in the plug. This is very fiddly, and it is easy to damage a plug so take care.
29. You need to remove a green plug from the bottom of the fuse box behind the lower glove box (rh drive) this is very tricky to remove. There is a retaining clip on the forward edge that you cannot get your fingers onto to release. I made a tool out of an old pair of tweezers to release the clip. GOOD LUCK this bit took me ages! There is a wire to insert into this plug.
30. Connect the loom to the switch and secure the switch and the facia plate.
31. Replace all the trim panels etc.
32. Use T4 to enable the ECU – or get your dealer to do it.
Useful tip for routing the cables is to have a long flexible rod to attach wires to. I used the fibreglass rod from my sons kite to draw wires through.
The earthing points are on the driver’s side behind the lower A post trim.
The interior panels are held by small metal spring clips, which will come off. It may be a good idea to buy some replacements in advance!
I am sure there is more to this, but add to this as necessary.
It took me 1.5 days to do the work.
2nd Feb 2006 1:48 pm
Dan
Member Since: 09 Aug 2005
Location: Oxfordshire
Posts: 96
Gareth - have you got any photos of the car with the lamps fitted? I have a set that Yosser sold me but I can't decide if I'm going to fit them or not...
Ta
Dan
2nd Feb 2006 1:51 pm
Gareth Site Moderator
Member Since: 07 Dec 2004
Location: Bramhall
Posts: 26779
Hang on
2nd Feb 2006 1:55 pm
Gareth Site Moderator
Member Since: 07 Dec 2004
Location: Bramhall
Posts: 26779
2nd Feb 2006 2:04 pm
Dan
Member Since: 09 Aug 2005
Location: Oxfordshire
Posts: 96
Thanks Gareth! I wasn't sure about the spots with grilles and the main lights without and I'm not too keen on the headlight grilles. You've convinced me that it looks good though.
2nd Feb 2006 2:10 pm
Penguin
Member Since: 02 Dec 2005
Location: A fun place
Posts: 485
Why don't you simply take power from the existing headlights (Left or right)
Stay under the hood, and connect to a relais (the spool pinout)
One cable from relais to dashboard with switch (Optional if you don't want them go on all the time with your big lights)
From switch to a mass
(if you don't want the switch, just take a mass under the hood)
Connect one side of the lamps to the mass
(ooh by the way, with mass I mean earth )
Connect the other side of the lamps (PLUS) to the relais (the switch pinout)
Go from the relais to a fuse holder
Go from the fuse holder to the PLUS of the battery
DONE
Relais and fuse holder can easly fit in the box where the battery sits in.In a time of chimpanzees, I was a penguin.
Member Since: 07 Dec 2004
Location: Bramhall
Posts: 26779
Not here. If they go wrong, I will take it to the dealer and ask them to fix. They are installed correctly as per Land Rovers own instructions.
The dealer insisted on charging me to switch the ECU on, by doing so, and the fact that they are working now.
If Land Rover did not warrant DIY installation, they would have to say so on the box surely.
2nd Feb 2006 4:33 pm
Coffeecup
Member Since: 15 Jul 2005
Location: Middleton, Manchester
Posts: 1084
Any idea Gareth whether the Spot light sets you've got will fit with the Rubber A-frame (non winch version), or is there yet another version of the A-frame that has spot-light mounted on them? Coffeecup
March 2005 TDV6 S - Tonga Green - Manual May 2008 TDV6 SE - Stornoway Grey - Auto
Dec 2010 SDV6 XS - Galway Green - Auto
2nd Feb 2006 4:34 pm
Penguin
Member Since: 02 Dec 2005
Location: A fun place
Posts: 485
Gareth wrote:
Not here. If they go wrong, I will take it to the dealer and ask them to fix. They are installed correctly as per Land Rovers own instructions.
The dealer insisted on charging me to switch the ECU on, by doing so, and the fact that they are working now.
If Land Rover did not warrant DIY installation, they would have to say so on the box surely.
Wait until you got an electrical problem, and they find it comes from the DIY installed lights...
Not that I'm against DIY, not at all, just look out in case something goes wrong.
As you say, it's not written that DIY is not warranty, but neighter that it is
(I'm not talking about the lights them selves, but what might they can cause, same counts for lifted air-intake, roofrack, etc etc)In a time of chimpanzees, I was a penguin.
Member Since: 07 Dec 2004
Location: Bramhall
Posts: 26779
Penguin, they are approved accesories fitted with an approved fitting kit, by a competent fitter (ME). I don't forsee a problem.
CC, the mountings for the rubber A frame come with the lamp kit. You only need to buy the extra mounting kit if you have no A bar.
2nd Feb 2006 4:50 pm
whoknows8722
Member Since: 02 Feb 2006
Location: Washington State, USA
Posts: 2
Can you post a picture of what the dash switch looks like?
I (and a few others from other forums, I gather) would like to see what the dash switch looks like, as well as any other interesting installation pictures. How much did the dealer charge to activate the function in the ECU?
Thanks!
2nd Feb 2006 5:04 pm
GLY 2N
Member Since: 07 Jan 2006
Location: North Wales
Posts: 40
Great stuff, shame you didnt take pic as you did it.
I was thinking for getting some HUGE Hella 3000's but that sounds like loads of work and as your say no warrenty unless using the Land Rover Lamps. How much does the dealer charge to supply and fit, have you fitted uprated bulbs, e.g. 100w or even 130w ?
7th Feb 2006 9:26 am
Gareth Site Moderator
Member Since: 07 Dec 2004
Location: Bramhall
Posts: 26779
Yes, sorry but no installation pics, I was concentrating too much on cutting holes in the right place.
Dealer charged £49 to switch the the ecu on.
Will take a pic of the dash switch when when I get home at the weekend.
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum