Rear light cluster

[ReggieK]

It's been suggested that instead of getting a fog lamp cut into my rear bumper I change the rear light cluster to a UK one and have it there.

OK. I like this idea. Questions, questions.....

** By UK light cluster do I assume this to mean off a standard galant, ie not a VR-4

** If so does it look the same as the VR-4's. Can someone post a pic?

** Will the light cluster swap like for like?

Thanks for info..

[Jimbo]

Damn, if I had a digital camera handy I'd show you pics of mine. :( Might be able to borrow one tomorrow if nobody else has given you the info you need by then.

You could try ringing Xtreme in Dudley - 01384 216101 - I'm assuming they (when they were Ralliart UK) did the custom job on mine, but I have to say the switch is a bit ugly looking, I'll try to get some pics of this too.

[Nick Mann]

Do you have 5 brake lights? (i.e. one in the middle and two each side?)

[ReggieK]

Do you have 5 brake lights? (i.e. one in the middle and two each side?)

Hmm, now there's a question. D'you know, I have absolutely no idea. I'll have to wait until I can get someone to put their foot on the brake pedal for me, bit difficult to see rear and do it myself :-D

[ReggieK]

Damn, if I had a digital camera handy I'd show you pics of mine. :( Might be able to borrow one tomorrow if nobody else has given you the info you need by then.

You could try ringing Xtreme in Dudley - 01384 216101 - I'm assuming they (when they were Ralliart UK) did the custom job on mine, but I have to say the switch is a bit ugly looking, I'll try to get some pics of this too.

Would appreciate pics if you can get them mate. Thanks.

Ralliart did mine too, but they put it in the bumper. Take it you are referring to the switch on dashboard. Huge init. :)

[RED]

Mines a ralliart too and has 5 brake lights. Marcus reckons he can put the fog light thro' the 2 "round" brake lights as I didn't cut a hole in my new bumper for the old fog light :-D let us know how you get on with it.

How's it going with the pics for the rear bumper damage - can anyone repair it for you yet or is it a definate no go?

[Jimbo]

Would appreciate pics if you can get them mate. Thanks.

Ralliart did mine too, but they put it in the bumper. Take it you are referring to the switch on dashboard. Huge init. :)

Couldn't get the digi-cam today, Reggie, but maybe somebody will be taking theirs down to Nick's tomorrow...

Just had a quick look (bouncing them off the garage door :) ), and can see that the rear fog bulbs are the ones in the red circles on the inside of the cluster, whilst the rear beam and the break lights are coming from the outside strips.

Strange that Ralliart did some with the fog in the bumper and others in the cluster :rolleyes5

[Jimbo]

Courtesy of Mr Vee (thanks mate :thumbsup: )....

http://www.clubvr4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4507

From the "guys in the know" at the meet, it would appear that my clusters are those from the facelift GLS's and V6-24's (2000+), but I'm still unsure as to whether this was an official Ralliart thing, or whether the previous owner of mine had it done (Kieran's view is that it's deffo "different", especially the switch for turning them on).

Mine's proof that it's do-able, though!

[ReggieK]

Courtesy of Mr Vee (thanks mate :thumbsup: )....

http://www.clubvr4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4507

From the "guys in the know" at the meet, it would appear that my clusters are those from the facelift GLS's and V6-24's (2000+), but I'm still unsure as to whether this was an official Ralliart thing, or whether the previous owner of mine had it done (Kieran's view is that it's deffo "different", especially the switch for turning them on).

Mine's proof that it's do-able, though!

Thanks Jimbo. Cluster looks exactly the same as mine? What's so special about your switch then? I've attached a pic of mine, assuming you are talking about the on/off one :-D . I think I'll have a word with Mitsubishi when I'm next there.

RED - Sorry, haven't had a chance to get the camera out yet. If weather holds off tonight I'll do it then.

[Nick Mann]

Reggie - the cluster is fine, the switch is fine. Just have a look at the wiring on the rear lights. It should be relatively straight forward to run you fog-light feed to the lights and replace the brake feed with the fog light feed on the appropriate bulbs. Thus fog lights in your cluster and three brakelights.

It may be even easier than that, but without looking, I can't say.

[ReggieK]

Reggie - the cluster is fine, the switch is fine. Just have a look at the wiring on the rear lights. It should be relatively straight forward to run you fog-light feed to the lights and replace the brake feed with the fog light feed on the appropriate bulbs. Thus fog lights in your cluster and three brakelights.

It may be even easier than that, but without looking, I can't say.


Cool. Thanks for that, I'll have a look at weekend.

Sounds/looks like your do went OK at weekend. Sorry for being rude and not even replying to post, but didn't notice it until Sunday night!!! Doh.

[Nick Mann]

Cool. Thanks for that, I'll have a look at weekend.

Sounds/looks like your do went OK at weekend. Sorry for being rude and not even replying to post, but didn't notice it until Sunday night!!! Doh.


Good luck! Hope it works.

It did, thanks. Spaces for more volunteers shall be appearing soon, so don't worry!

[Jimbo]

Thanks Jimbo. Cluster looks exactly the same as mine? What's so special about your switch then? I've attached a pic of mine, assuming you are talking about the on/off one :-D .

My switch for the rear fogs is the middle one in that bank of three you've circled, however a mod that has been made to it means a big ugly orange LED (which sits on a blanking plate where the third, looking Left-to-Right, button should be) lights up when the fogs are engaged. It just seems rather messy to me :rolleyes5 furthermore, Kieran confidently pointed out that it isn't likely to be a Ralliart mod, so I guess the previous owner had it done.

Hmm, this worries me more. Why would he have it done? Did he prang the rear bumper and have it replaced, less the original fog light?!? :dozey:

[Kieran]

furthermore, Kieran confidently pointed out that it isn't likely to be a Ralliart mod, so I guess the previous owner

Yeah, I'm sure Nick, Simon and Brind's cars have different switches. And they certainly had the fogs recessed into the bumper and not into the light cluster. :shifty:

[Nick Mann]

I had a big horrible orange lamp by the switch. But all UK supplied cars I've seen have the same rear fog light in the bumper.

[Nick Mann]

In fact I have doctored a photo to show you exactly what my switch was. (Probably still is, but it's not mine any more :sad3: )

[Brind]

I don't like the light in the bumper either.

You can get twin element bulbs like those used on Ford Sierra's for example but you'll need to alter the bulb holder in the clusters, it wouldn't be difficult and it would be far cheaper, but then you've got to fill that gaping hole in the bumper after, unless done properly it will keep cracking I'm sure which is the main reason why I haven't attempted it.

Looking to stop the front directional driving lights coming on with the indicators too and switch them seperately..

Here's my fog in my bumper if you're interested.
It's the reflectors that are lighting up because of the flash by the way.

[Pete M]

One thing I did for my cars while living in the UK was to link up the brake and rear fog lights. I used a fairly big diode to bridge between the brake light feed and the fog light. The end with the line/ring/paint goes to the fog light. Then when you put your brakes on all the lights light up. When you just have your tail lights on and put the fogs on, only the fogs light up. The best place for this is inside one of the light clusters. Ther are usually bits of plated metal to hold the bulbs, so just solder the diode between the relevant ones. Note that you only have to add the diode on one side, as both sides are in parallel.

If you are worried about MOT time, they occasionally noticed it, but it was never failed on it. If so, just snip the leg of the diode and all returns to normal. Solder it back together later. ;) If you ask your local Maplin droid for something to handle about 2 amps then you should be OK...

After being run into the back of (twice) in my Mazda 626 4wd, I determined that the brake lights were pathetic. There were a couple of extra places for bulbs in the housing that weren't used, so I got some sockets from a breaker, wired them all up and woo-hoo. Couldn't miss it after that. Dazzle someone behind? Hey, at least they could see I was stopping. Did the same on the Rover 214.:D

My Legnum here has all four as brake lights plus the centre one. We don't have any legal requirement here for fog lights as serious fog is reasonably rare.

My Jag is also ex middle-east, so has the U.S bumpers with no holes for fog lights either.:(

[Jimbo]

In fact I have doctored a photo to show you exactly what my switch was. (Probably still is, but it's not mine any more :sad3: )

Yay, commonality! "I'm not the only one". :laugh:

Bu88er me, though - all that engineering know-how from the Ralliart team and they put the biggest, ugliest looking cockpit light they could find, and then manage to find a button that sticks out twice as much as every other in the cockpit... nayyyice!

But we don't care about that do we boys, and girls? Not very often do I dare take one hand of the steering wheel, let alone find my eyes wandering lazely about the cabin! :D

[ReggieK]

Yay, commonality! "I'm not the only one". :laugh:

Bu88er me, though - all that engineering know-how from the Ralliart team and they put the biggest, ugliest looking cockpit light they could find, and then manage to find a button that sticks out twice as much as every other in the cockpit... nayyyice!

You certainly ain't mate. If you see the pic I posted mine is the same (I've drawn over it so it doesn't stand out so much). But like you, usually going too fast to look anywhere else other than at the road anyway. :-D

Brind - as my bumper needs replacing anyway, moving the fog lamp will actually be a money saving option.