Busted a light on the trail this weekend... since I re-wired my reverse lights and use an amber bulb in the tail light instead, I thought I might as well look into replacing the lights with the 03-04 version so I can use standard white bulbs.

Do they fit? Connectors the same?

 

Different connections, and honestly the 03-04 tail lights are nothing but delicate leaky things. They crack on the upper brake light/parking light area, then water gets into them and they fill up like LR fish bowls. The 99-02 tail lights are superior IMHO and I've hardly ever seen a set of them filled up like a fish tank or cracked from bulb heat. The plastic on the newer 03-04 unit's is either cheaper or much much thinner material.


I'd personally stick with the 99-02's IMHO.

 

X2 the 99-02 tail lights are way better than the 03-04. Speaking from experience here.

 

Thanks for the tip. I'll stick with the 99-02

 

Yep on my 04 I'd much rather have 99-02 tail lights!


I have a decent set, but I always remove em ASAP on any 03-04 and drill a dang hole in the back bottom so "if" any water gets into it, the water quickly runs out. I dunno how many 03-04's I work on that won't pass inspection due to lights being INOP. I get around to the tail lights and the orange part has turned dark black and normally the water level is 3-4 inches inside the tail light.


I am a firm believer in the earlier D2's being of a much better quality. 03-04 look nice, but the quality is **** poor as LR was already bailing and getting ready for the LR3.

 

 

yep..

 

Funny, I think the 03-04 looks better with the amber but yesterday I noticed the driver's side was all dark in the lower 2" of the lens. Yup, filled with water. I took it out and drilled a hole in the bottom on the inside. I'm far too cheap to buy a "new" replacement, but I won't waste my time on the amber units at the junkyard.

 

If you drill the hole on the outside of the lens the water won't end up in some dark crevice of your inner rear quarter panel.

 

I checked that ahead of time. If you pull a tail light yourself you'll see that "giant crevasse through which you can see the ground" is a better way to describe where the water will end up.