Thread: PUMA Rear Window / High Level Brake Light

Originally Posted by Drover

Well I just got the phone with the dealer, after enquiring as to when the PUMA might be ready for collection.

He informed me that they had noticed the high level rear brake light was out and needed replacement, He went on say that the brake light is not available as a separate part and only comes with an entire new rear window……WHAT THE ! ! !

Unbelievable but true……..Only at Land Rover hey ?

Hi Drover

A cheap fix to replaced the bulb, is just begging to be found for this.
Is it that the wiring is adheared to the glass being damaged, the issue here?
If Mr Rover does replace the glass, please please, pretty please, can I have the old glass ?

Cheers Arthur

I've had my rear window glass replaced for a non working high mount stop light. The service manager knew all about it when I said the light was not working

Regards

John D - Defender 110 2.4

My Puma was just serviced the week prior to last. I picked the car up and the service technician said the high level brake light light was not working. The comment on the documents was that the rear high level brake light was not working due to a probable broken wire in glass which means the whole glass needs replacing.

As I was leaveing on holiday the next day I could not do anything about it.

In the mean time I have put a test light on the wires connected to the glass and found no power was getting to the test light when the brakes were applied which made me think the problem was in the wiring loom in my case and not the glass. The main brake lights (glow worms enclosed in red plastic) work fine. After a bit of a fiddle with the wiring power was returned. Don't know why no power but it is back which is the main thing. Still no HL brake light operation. Have found that the left hand wiring secttion encased in the glass seems to be faulty. No connection from the earth side to the light although the heated glass section and earth work fine. Must be a manufacturing fault/ poor manufacturing as there is no sign of damage. I will have to replace the glass and get the glass re-tinted. Not happy. Will be getting cost tomorrow.

If you have not done so already, I would suggest checking the wiring to the window first before replacing the glass just in case there is a wiring fault which the dealer might not have checked.

I mounted my rear vision camera under my rear mounted stop light (note: bad idea). Anyway I went to run the wires and noticed this brake power supply ribbon through the glass. Who was the goose that came up with that idea? Getting around to the point of this post. If you have to replace a perfectly good glass because of a ‘high mounted stop light’ problem and it’s going to come out of your own pocket. I would be inclined to drill a hole in the top of the door frame, install a grommet or gland and run new wires internally through the door. I looked at the same thing for my camera cable, good thing I didn’t do it because I need to move the camera now.
Cheers
Craig

Had a fiddle with the light assembly yesterday. I have found that the window tinter had probably cut through the wire ribbon when cutting the tint around the light body with the blade. Used a flat blade to "blend" the cut metal ribbon where the cut line was which has "repaired" the wire and the brake light now functions.

Got a cost for a second hand glass which was around $250.00.

If you get the glass tinted, tell the tinter not to cut the ribbon which is obviously very thin material as I could not even see a cut line in the metal but was still faulty.

Originally Posted by Nera Donna

Who was the goose that came up with that idea?

I know this is an old thread - applying to PUMA back windows, but the TD5 Defender is similar in that the high level brake light is supplied via copper film stuck to the glass.

In my case the bulb is OK but the light won't work, but I have yet to determine where the break in the circuit is. I will have to rig up a test lamp to check, as a digital multimeter is giving me rather misleading results - too sensitive. With 12V stuff one needs something like a test lamp to check whether current can be passed. (NOTE: we are talking lighting circuits here; NOT ECU's or other delicate electronics!!!)

The solution will probably be running as thin a wire as possible in parallel with the copper film - stuck to it as neatly as possible with thin black tape. I object to having to replace the whole glass - at this stage anyway.

The whole design of this is a PITA.

Cheers,

Lionel

You can use tin foil to bridge the gap in the elements fused to the glass. These fray where the light surround rests on the glass. I did it as a temporary fix that stayed in place for months. Just put the tin foil (I found a chocolate wrapping in the car) against the elements and put the light surround over it and you'll be back working again.
To fix this permanently (mine was out of warranty) I ran wires directly from the bottom of the window where the element in the glass is connected to two metal prongs and recessed the wires into the sealing rubber. I just connected the top of the wires to the prongs up at the bulb. If you dismantle the unit this will become clearer. Another (temporary fix that will last as long as your Land Rover).
The light surround needs a very small Torx type head to remove the screws.
A patient wife with good eyesight to locate the little screws when you inevitably drop them is a bonus.

Originally Posted by spudfan

You can use tin foil to bridge the gap in the elements fused to the glass. These fray where the light surround rests on the glass. I did it as a temporary fix that stayed in place for months. Just put the tin foil (I found a chocolate wrapping in the car) against the elements and put the light surround over it and you'll be back working again.
To fix this permanently (mine was out of warranty) I ran wires directly from the bottom of the window where the element in the glass is connected to two metal prongs and recessed the wires into the sealing rubber. I just connected the top of the wires to the prongs up at the bulb. If you dismantle the unit this will become clearer. Another (temporary fix that will last as long as your Land Rover).
The light surround needs a very small Torx type head to remove the screws.
A patient wife with good eyesight to locate the little screws when you inevitably drop them is a bonus.

You stole my thought. I was just thinking it must be possible to pick up the power in the door and run a fresh wire around the edge of the window to the light, and you proved that's correct. Why wouldn't they do that from the factory instead of embedding the wiring in the glass? Seriously...