Series 3 Lights

[sven]

Ok, just got this 73 S3 and Im trying to sort the lights.
In the front, what are the top white lights supposed to do and what are the lower amber ones supposed to do? :confused:

[oscar]

OK, I'm still new at this, and don't have a vehicle outside to verify, but based on pictures I see elsewhere, I think the amber ones belong on top and would be your "indicator lights", or what we call directional signals, and the white ones should be on the bottom and would be your "side lights" or as some civilizations say "city lights"..... On mine they are side by side, with the amber ones outboard.

For parking on narrow lanes, where half your vehicle sticks out in the road, many of the European vehicles I've owned had the ability to light either the port or starboard side lights, back and front, so you would have the part sticking out in the road lit to warn oncomers of the vehicular obstruction you present. I don't know if any Landies are so equipped. The wiring diagram in my Haynes series II, IIA & III manual does not show a way to light either, just both.

[superpowerdave]

My 73 Series III has white lights on top, amber on bottom. I don't know if mine is original wiring or not (haven't gotten that far just yet) but my white lights turn on when I turn the parking lights on (toggle the switch just one click.) The amber are my turn signals. When I toggle the light switch to turn the headlights on the white lights remain on as well.

There is a floating Green Bible that lives on the internet somewhere in PDF form and when I find the link I'll forward it to you ... the wiring diagram, while it appears evil, is actually pretty straight-forward.

Anybody know what that link is?

[crazyfish]

white lights - running lights
amber - turn signals

lol, two days after purchase and asking questions, you make me proud!

[oscar]

Now that I look at the cover of the Haynes manual, it depicts the ambers down and the side lights up........

Looking through the classifieds in LRM I see both ways, although mostly as described above......

Guess it's a matter of personal expression as they are easily mounted in either hole......or did LR do it one way or the other at specific points in history?......Could be a tournament winning quiz question. :D

[sven]

Yeah I think the wrong bulbs are in the white (running) lights. They are stupid bright, almost like fog lights.

Now the side marker lights (mine's a NA spec) are just for running lights, right? Or are they blinkers as well?

[solihull109]

Running, I believe...I've only had euro trash.....WHERE are the PICS....MAN!

[oscar]

Aaaahhhhhhh......

I think there MAY be a combination (bulb) there. I believe that NA specs required side lights AND directional signal on the side.......(sort of like the combo tail/brake light you find on many US vehicles.) How many wires go to the side light? How many to the ones in front?

Having said that, I didn't think the factory made any NA spec'd vehicles prior to the Disco in 86-ish? or thereabouts.

So, it could be an aftermarket "Americanization"...(which year?????)..to have brought the thing in prior to it's 25th birthday, and then ALL wiring diagrams will not be applicable......

If the above is the case they may have done a RH-LH drive conversion, or they may have started with a "continental" European version....... Many of the aftermarket americanizations started in Holland, Belgium etc. Of course, as the emissions requirements became increasingly stringent over the years this got harder and harder and eventually became inpossible.

Today the vehicle needs to have a FACTORY installed plaque that states "This vehicle meets all federal standards applicable as of the date of manufacture" or somthing along those lines or they (the DOT) will send you to a (very expensive) federally approved "compliance" contractor upon you presenting the vehicle for importation.

[galen211]

Aaaahhhhhhh......

I think there MAY be a combination (bulb) there. I believe that NA specs required side lights AND directional signal on the side.......(sort of like the combo tail/brake light you find on many US vehicles.) How many wires go to the side light? How many to the ones in front?

Having said that, I didn't think the factory made any NA spec'd vehicles prior to the Disco in 86-ish? or thereabouts.

So, it could be an aftermarket "Americanization"...(which year?????)..to have brought the thing in prior to it's 25th birthday, and then ALL wiring diagrams will not be applicable......

If the above is the case they may have done a RH-LH drive conversion, or they may have started with a "continental" European version....... Many of the aftermarket americanizations started in Holland, Belgium etc. Of course, as the emissions requirements became increasingly stringent over the years this got harder and harder and eventually became inpossible.

Today the vehicle needs to have a FACTORY installed plaque that states "This vehicle meets all federal standards applicable as of the date of manufacture" or somthing along those lines or they (the DOT) will send you to a (very expensive) federally approved "compliance" contractor upon you presenting the vehicle for importation.


The Series III and all Rovers that came to the US and Canada were specifically built for the market. The side marker lights were added by Rover specifically for North America. There are many subtles differences. For instance all Rovers that came to the U.S. after 1968 have a dual brake system with a booster, but UK versions do not, they still have a single curcuit with no booster. The NA versions also have larger blinkers compared to the UK trucks. Even back then these vehicles had to meet the DOT standards.

[oscar]

OK, so you're saying they were imported into the US by the factory all along? This contradicts what I have read elsewhere, but is more likely.

After further reasearch I sit corrected, again.

http://www.lrfaq.org/FAQ.3.LR_sales_US.html

Bet they were classified as trucks though, which got them around quite a few issues for a long time.....(dashboard padding, 5 mph bumpers, airbags etc.)

[galen211]

OK, so you're saying they were imported into the US by the factory all along? This contradicts what I have read elsewhere, but is more likely.

After further reasearch I sit corrected, again.

http://www.lrfaq.org/FAQ.3.LR_sales_US.html

Bet they were classified as trucks though, which got them around quite a few issues for a long time.....(dashboard padding, 5 mph bumpers, airbags etc.)
The Series were imported until I believe 1974 (88's). 109's stop importation much earlier.

After that the US did not see another LR until 1987 when the new Range Rovers, now Range Rover Classics, came here. These were the only LR's here until 1994 when the Discoveries and Defenders came over. The Defender only came in '94, '95 and '97, with 500 '93 Defender 110's also being imported. The discovery kept coming till 2004 and then became the LR3.

Many people think the Defender left the US because it could not pass the airbag rules for '98, which it couldn't. But I don't think LR ever had plans to import it for anything other than a marketing ploy to sell Discoveries.

[oscar]

OK, that jives now. Learning every day.

Back to the original question, is the side marker a running light only, or also a directional signal. I believe it's the latter.

The answer is somewhere in here:

http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/12feb20041500/edocket.access.gpo.gov/cfr_2004/octqtr/49cfr571.108.htm

[Evan]

Rover was notorious for using up old stock parts .. ie marker lights from a 60' on a 63 from the factory... I also think the dealers on occasion received non-NA stock ...ie non dot marker lights fitted as replacments by the US dealer ..