question Land Rover Series stop/tail light quality

[scruffyHerrbert]

recently fitted some Wipac lamps to my vehicle and have had some issues with the quality of the plastic moulding where the lugs on the bulb lock in - the plastic doesn't seem tough enough to hold the bulb and sprung pressure as the bulb warms up the plastic melts allowing the bulb to pop out (last night creating a short and blowing the fuse - rear number plate lamps only was a bit too stealth)

 

googling didn't throw up any similar reports - am I the only one or has this problem occurred before? (bulbs are of correct type with one 'high' lug and one 'low')

 

thought the Wipac units were an improvement on the Britpart lamps i'd bought previously but still a bit disappointed

[ruxy]

Why will this Wipac fitting never work LoL

 

 

I suppose a set of 8 qty. off eBay are quite / very cheap , annoying when 1 of the 8 is useless. I decided not to go chasing after period Lucas fittings for my 1961 S2A (at the time they would have been 49 years old). I don't know if these Wipac fittings will go another 47 years but they are holding up OK

[bonnierocker]

Ive had this problem at work on several series 111's and early defenders. Some were cured with extra earth wires and others were cured by fitting a new lamp assembly.

also had a customer who had managed to put the bulb in the wrong way and this even melted the lens!

 

hope this helps

 

Chris

[Rangie]

HA HA HA, brilliant! :clap:

 

May I respectfully suggest smashing the life out of it it with a hammer to relieve the pent up tension of receiving poor quality crap, and getting a suitable replacement? :rofl:

 

It's a cracker, I suppose you could run the risk of jamming the bulb in but the chances of arcing/melting the holder is high, don't chance it dude. S##tpart ones are only about £2.50 from paddocks.......... you could do it all again then

 

Alec.

[Ivor Ramsden]

You are not alone! The quality of many aftermarket light units is very poor. In the past we've had many problems with similar S**tpart lights and also with premature corrosion of the reflectors on headlamp units. It's not hard to put stop/tail bulbs in wrongly because the mouldings are crap.

 

I've started re-using old side/tail/indicator lamp units from Land-Rovers that we've broken, but using new lenses where needed. If they are working after 20+ years the chances are thay will continue to work.

[scruffyHerrbert]

sounds like I need to get down the local LR parts dept. before i've used up my last spare (unless someone here has some surplus used/new original bulb holders or recommend a cheaper source of genuine parts? - can collect if local and you don't fancy queing in the post office)

might be taking a gander round Bridges yard on Saturday - they occasionally have an old series lurking in a corner somewhere

 

alright for lenses but getting thru these Wipac holders, even after requesting extra reds in place of indicators in the last batch (not the first time it's happened but first time the bulb has managed to short out the circuit on it's way out)

 

not sure I should be glad i'm not the only one suffering this problem (but will take some comfort from the knowledge - cheers chaps)

[scruffyHerrbert]

a trip to Pease Pottage proved reasonably successful - a Defender in the pound yielded 1.5 rear lights (£fiver) with a much more robust looking holder moulding and a detour to Gumtree Ditchling Common on way back produced the missing bulbholder and loom plug-in (£15 NIB - used would have done but at least it's done) - hoping to get my monies worth out of this pair ...