Disco 4 - LED driving lights install

[JonosDisco4]

Hi guys, first time poster long time advice seeker. I own a 2010 Disco 4 3.0 TDV6 HSE. I love the car and so does my wife (who mostly drives it).

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200108/b064c3ed8114f12bc1aa0fd60487b2a7.jpg

I just thought I’d post on my recent set up with some driving lights that I installed. My wife was concerned it would look like she’s driving a truck so I tried to come up with a way to make them a little less conspicuous.

So let me step it out:
1. 3 x 5inch Super Single Row LED Work Driving Lights Bar Flood Spot 4WD & 1 x Plug and Play High Beam Driving Light Wiring Harness Kit LED bar Loom H4 HB3 4WD - all from eBay and cost about $140

2. Install wiring harness - in the end this was really simple however I attempted to be as factory finish as possible and attempted to piggy back off the fog light switch instead of use the supplied switch - the Disco just didn’t like it for whatever reason and I couldn’t get it to work (could also be inexperience and my very basic knowledge in auto-elecs) - in the end I used the supplied switch, removed an existing bracket that houses the trailer brake and made a new bracket that fits the brake controls and the driving light switch, which is mounted down and to the left of the steering wheel.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200108/bdfa524efdf2b0d3d7c8f64f47bb76b8.jpg
I fed the wire for the switch through a spare grommet in the firewall located up and to the left of the steering column (inside cab) and approximately to the right of the brake booster assembly (engine bay).
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200108/d72266c32141e087410919859b220b9d.jpg
The only other modification I had to make to the car itself was to splice and solder into the Blue/Slate (Highbeam) wire on the back of the passenger side quick disconnect combination headlight plug.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200108/6aa304f55ee80a37458319019edbbf84.jpg
Then mounted the relay to an existing mounting/earth bolt near the battery.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200108/a81f58faf2d7e030fd9167226a6d6881.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200108/64258c838fb9c6451d49c03325d27fc0.jpg

3. Wired the driving lights into a quick disconnect Deutsch plug.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200108/004c0733883ac2a9650b7ba9c095ccbb.jpg

4. Fabricated a bracket to mount the lights so that they would sit behind the grill but light through the larger of the grill openings (hard to explain but the pictures show what I mean). It took a bit of adjusting and modification but I managed to get them mounted without and modification to the grill or the car.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200108/15ee0fdf0ce2e6cffd640504282a0ef8.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200108/e1e21a0ae24c2303a75401b7a97c6cba.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200108/10dcd894ce696f7e49116394f25e9702.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200108/64656f335c322efc5c8af8e64cce92c9.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200108/6a2922757a39dd8785f159a9616ab33e.jpg

In the end I’m really happy with how it looks, I’m really happy with the how factory the wiring seems, and with how hidden everything is.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200108/defea55453e1ed6793deed64d11f63ce.jpg
I’m not sold on the lights - it definitely gives off a lot of extra light but not as long distance and I’d hoped although my impression is that distance lighting isn’t generally a strength of light bars anyway and you’d be better off with actually spotlight/driving lights for that.

I hope that helps some others out there thinking of doing a similar thing. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask.

Cheers,

Jono

[Tombie]

Neat install and nice write up.

One very serious suggestion - lose that bracket and other gear above your/your wife’s left leg.
In a prang there’s your leg severed or worse.

[JonosDisco4]

Thanks mate.

It’s a good point. I’ll definitely be trying to move stuff around eventually - was just trying not make any new mods to the inside for now - not a big fan of lots of holes in my dash etc. but you make a good point.

[Tombie]

No worries.

Using the removable panel as a mounting point isn’t a bad one.

Once you’re done with the vehicle you can pick one up from a wreckers cheaply and just replace it [emoji41]

[Barraman]

Hard to imagine how lights that you can't see are going to help you see! [bigsmile]

157004

[JonosDisco4]

Haha this is true - it’s really just an idea I had and a bit of an experiment.

When go and do our round Aus trip I’ll definitely be putting a roo bar on and proper driving lights - unfortunately for my wife then it will be like a truck (to her anyway) - I’ll like it.

[LRD414]

That is a very neat install and I like the hidden look. I wonder if you loose much of the light reflecting off parts of the grill. Almost seems like they're partially obscured. The facelift grill 2014+ has reduced that gap I think and so I resorted to external mounts.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49280394447_0e599981e4_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2i5JUne)

Cheers,
Scott

[Jimmie77]

Hi Jono,

When you went through that spare grommit, did you also have to poke a hole through the insulation on the other side of the fire wall?

2. Install wiring harness - in the end this was really simple however I attempted to be as factory finish as possible and attempted to piggy back off the fog light switch instead of use the supplied switch - the Disco just didn’t like it for whatever reason and I couldn’t get it to work (could also be inexperience and my very basic knowledge in auto-elecs) - in the end I used the supplied switch, removed an existing bracket that houses the trailer brake and made a new bracket that fits the brake controls and the driving light switch, which is mounted down and to the left of the steering wheel.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200108/bdfa524efdf2b0d3d7c8f64f47bb76b8.jpg
I fed the wire for the switch through a spare grommet in the firewall located up and to the left of the steering column (inside cab) and approximately to the right of the brake booster assembly (engine bay).
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200108/d72266c32141e087410919859b220b9d.jpg
The only other modification I had to make to the car itself was to splice and solder into the Blue/Slate (Highbeam) wire on the back of the passenger side quick disconnect combination headlight plug.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200108/6aa304f55ee80a37458319019edbbf84.jpg
Then mounted the relay to an existing mounting/earth bolt near the battery.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200108/a81f58faf2d7e030fd9167226a6d6881.jpg
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200108/64258c838fb9c6451d49c03325d27fc0.jpg

[Jimmie77]

Hi Jono, when you went through the spare grommot, did you also have to make a new hole through the insulation on the cabin side of the fire wall?