'99 Disco II. The two top bulbs (12v,5w) in the LH (driver's side) rear taillight assembly, I guess you'd call them the running light and the side vision clearance light(?) will not light. I swapped the same two bulbs from theRT assembly (which work over there) and they still did not light up. I put those bulbs back into the RH assm and they DID light up. I bought new bulbs for the LH asm anyhow and they won't light up. I've cleaned the sockets. These bulbs do not have multiple elements as stated in a sort of similar probelm on page 10 (I went back a ways to see if there are any similar glitches before I start a new whining.) What I do to keep cops from giving me fixit ticket(s) is turn on the rear foggers as that gives me a running light on the left side but that's not a good answer. Since there is only one harness coming into the rear light module, I am assuming that there is only one fuse to cover all 4 bulbs (side view, running, brake, & reverse) within the asm. So why can'tI get those bulbs to fire up? I know this is long, but the more you know, the more likely someone will give me the Magic 8-ball answer. (yeah,I know: "Ask Again Later".) No, I did not put a meter on the sockets but it's cold out there today!
Thanks,
Kevin in very rural Arkansas

 

check ever single one of your fuses. twice.

 

Kevin,
Never assume, there are 2 fuses, read your manual and check them out.

 

I've checked my hardcopy manuals and I've checked RAVE CDand can't find anything about more fuses/relays that might really help me out. I'm not even sure where therelated fuse boxmight be. I've read all of the stuff on the one beneath the dash which seems to be the one that would affect the taillights but nothing shows me separate fuses for running/clearance lights vs. brake light vs. reverse light within that taillght assembly. Once the wiring harness hits the assembly, built in wiring tracks are laid out within the taillight module itself. Am I missing something too obvious?

Tomorrow, if it warms up a bit, I'll lay the meter to those sockets to see if there is juice. But I just can't see where or why they would fail at the light sockets since the downstream light tracks work fine. Also, the wiring diagram that I can pull up in RAVE doesn't seem to match the color coding that I have. Is there a possibility that I have a Disco I/Disco II salvage Frankenstein? Please say no. I can't find a Texas/Louisiana title (a sure sign of a hidden salvage) within Carfax but there are some wierd signs of a rebuild now that I am getting into this thing. Also, I've since found that the left (driver's side) "clearance" light up front will not light up. I've changed that bulb, too. I won't get started on theold problem of the front sunroof not opening and the rear sunroof leak nor will I bring up the cruise control problem (system lights up but nothing happens. Where does the vacuum tube go from the bottom of the module on the passenger side fender?). Seems like this vehicle was built by Morton's Salt: when it rains; it pours!

Kevin in the Arkansas Stix (3 hrs from any Rover tex)

 

Disco II lights are high on the pillars. Get a $5 test light and test the harness that feeds the lights, if you have power then check the connections of the light assembly. If no power and it is a Disco II the harness that feeds the left is behind the right tail light. That is where you tie into if you wanted to install a trailer plug.

 

Thanks, guys. I wasn't able to get to it today but will do so tomorrow (Sunday). You mentioned a connector for a trailer in the right-side pillar. I have a trailer hitch w/7-pin plug (that's operational) yet I noticed a female connector still just hanging around in beneath the right (passenger) taillight assembly. The taillights are back in place so I can't run out to count how many pins it has but I seem to think it was 7. What is making the trailer lights connector working? I wonder if it (the hitch and wiring) was aftermarket and it's spliced in somewhere else. Or is this an "unfulfilled" connector for perhaps something else that was not an option on my Disco, maybe?
Believe me, I appreciate advice from this forum asI have 2 small problems: 1) I live nearly 3 hours from any even halfway major city (Little Rock & Memphis are the closest big'uns).And 2) I have a small "budget", if you catch my drift. I retired from Las Vegas to move here and our incomes dropped75%.

Thank you all once again,
Stay tuned,
Kevin in the Stix

 

I have the same problem on mine, but I just go and tap the lens and they come on and stay on. I believe that it is my bulbs, but I haven't tried replacing them yet. I don't drive at night that often, so it doesn't really bother me.

 

Just because you have running lights at the trailer plug doesn't mean that you have power going to the other side tail light. Like mac25dm said tap the light, I have to do that on my right one from time to time to get the rear bulb to come on (too lazy to take the assembly off and tighten the bulb connection inside the socket). You mentioned a connector that is hanging around on the right side, that may be what is feeding the left side. If it has OEM style trailer connector installed (it plugs between a male and femaleconnector behind the right light)and will go down the cavityto the trailer hitch.

 

My same light was out the other night. I smacked it and it came back on. I'd check any connections that might be in there.

The only way to find out for sure is to get a tester as mentioned and start testing along the circuit from bulb to fuse.

 

I'm back. Ihavebeensomewhat "distracted" (haven't been on since 12/29). This is a long one but the more you know, the more the problemmight be pinpointed.
This is a taillight problem. Tapping on the lenses does not help & is not how I want to "fix" it. Let's review:Brake lights and reverse lightswork in both assemblies. The running lights (the two top bulbs) do not light upon the driver's side. Here's what I've done to troubleshoot: working lights (from the passenger side) will not light up in the driver's side. The new driver's side bulbs whichdid not work on the D-Side, DO light up on the passenger side. Putting the newbies back into the D-Side: they don't work again. The bulbs from P-S side (working on P-Side) tested on to D-Side (did not work) and went back to original place in P-Side where they again DO work. Now, to add insult to injury, I've found that neither license plate lights work. They have been replaced but they still do not work. Why would two bulbs (out of 4)in the D-Side not light up, the 2 bulbs in the license plate light not light up, but all 4 bulbs in P-Side work fine? Because of the way the rear light assemblies are manufactured I can't see why there would be separate fuses among these circuits. Once the juice hits the rear light assemblies, the internal circuitry built into the light units should track to the individual lights.Since the feed to the license plates lights and the D-Side unit comes a "Y" from the harness behind the P-Side area, why would there be a split(separate fuses) in feed to D-side running lights, license lights,vs. P-Side running lights?
Are the running lights and license lights somehow connected? Why wouldn't the P-Side running lights be affected then? That should be just an extension of the wiring harness. There are no fuses there. By the way, all the wiringI have been able to inspect show no signs of cuts, breaks,or pinches, etc.

I apologize for running on & on but I live waaaay away from the nearest LR (3hrs) technicians and I'd like to solve this here!

I have the RAVE CD but am unable to discern any specific info for this glitch. Oh, also, I do have a hitch w/the 7-pin trailer elctrics plug, but when I removed the P-Side tail light unit, it appears that the plug that should be the trailer plug source wiring is, in fact, not being used. Possible aftermarket, then.
Does any of this make sense or should I just open a damned beer & shut the heck up?

Thanks,
Kevin
NE Arkansas