Freelander 1 Tailgate window stuck open.... Kind of inconvenient.

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C

Craig_mate

Active Member
Posts
118
Location
Suffolk
Hi all,

I've just rewired my rear lights so the higher clusters now take cafe of the signals, sides and brake lights and the bumper clusters now show fogs and reverse lights. This way around makes more sense to me.

While I was in the i must have dislodged something because now i can't get the tailgate window up.

I don't have access to a test-light, multimeter or endless supply of fuses right now and desperately need to get the tailgate window back up. I don't mind if it's frozen shut but stuck open is REALLY inconvenient (it's about 4c and pooring with rain).

PLEASE can someone tell me which wire to power up in order to force the window back up!?
Many thanks.
C.

P.S. The rear lights look great and work beautifully. Why didn't they come like this in the first place....?
 
5 door or 3 door?
if 3 door, check out wiring to/from micro switch under edge of detachable roof. (it prevents the tailgate window raising when the roof is removed)
 
The back window is up!
As previously mentioned, i haven't touched any of the wiring that operates the tailgate window, i only altered the light wiring. I went out to the Freelander this morning, started at the window motor and gently wiggled the wires all the way back to the relay. I then closed the tailgate and hit the switch. The window went straight up, no problem.
I know i should be happy but i haven't actually diagnosed or fixed anything. My not having diagnosed or fixed anything means the fault may reoccur.
I believe the issue to be a break in the wiring somewhere twixt the relay and motor. I'm not going to start checking each wire for continuity while it's 6c outside.

So anyway, problem solved - for now at least. I've just got to remember not to use the tailgate window until the spring, haha!
 
Skinny Mike said:
It'll wait til it's -8 and snowing like you've never seen, then it will gently drop down and get stuck:rolleyes:
Mike
Click to expand...
That wouldn't surprise me, haha! On a positive note, the newly reconfigured tail-lights are fantastic! This layout just makes so much more sense! I've just been to my local motor factors and bought a rear wiper blade and a not unattractive young lady asked me how i'd done it! Between that and the HIDs up front she's certainly more visible now!
 
You was not trying to get it to close with the door open or even not closed properly as it will not , the same goes if you try to stop it when it is going up, you have to stop it on the way down
 
teddywood1 said:
You was not trying to get it to close with the door open or even not closed properly as it will not , the same goes if you try to stop it when it is going up, you have to stop it on the way down
Click to expand...
Nope, i was sat in the driver's seat with all the doors closed, just doing a final check. All the wires that run through the rear door shut into the boot were nipped/worn through, so i've taped them up and made sure they have enough slack. I think something either shorted or broke while i was wiggling wires around. The sheathing on all the wires is getting pretty hard so there's bound to be more fun yet!
 
I believe the lights were on the bumper because of the side opening boot door. If the lights are blocked with the boot door open you could fail MOT. If you had both sets on it would probably be fine.
Re the window issue, were the interior lights out? Dodgy lock mechanisms are pretty common so the car thinks the boot door is still open.
 
Alibro said:
I believe the lights were on the bumper because of the side opening boot door. If the lights are blocked with the boot door open you could fail MOT. If you had both sets on it would probably be fine.
Re the window issue, were the interior lights out? Dodgy lock mechanisms are pretty common so the car thinks the boot door is still open.
Click to expand...
Erm.... I'll be honest, i don't remember the state of the interior lights at the time. If it's a dodgy door switch i don't mind, at least they're easily replaced. The tailgate window has been fine since.... I've been checking it every time i take her out - for better or worse, haha!
 
Alibro said:
I believe the lights were on the bumper because of the side opening boot door. If the lights are blocked with the boot door open you could fail MOT. If you had both sets on it would probably be fine.
Click to expand...

How could this be so? Most if not all vans have rear doors that open out and block all the rear lights!
 
Tonyj66 said:
How could this be so? Most if not all vans have rear doors that open out and block all the rear lights!
Click to expand...

I'm out of the loop regarding car MOTs these days but i know there are some stupid stipulations in there. There may also be differences between light commercial and private passenger cars....? I don't remember.
Either way, if i take it to my usual guy and he decides to be an arse about it i'll just put the spare wheel and carrier in the boot for an hour. I'd rather that than drive around the corner and have VOSA tug me then fine my MOT guy for not knowing the regs about obstructing tail lights. It's all gravy baby ;)
 
It's probably cause of the spare tyre on the boot door. The van doors wouldn't block the lights in normal use where the Freelander spare wheel would
 
Craig_mate said:
That wouldn't surprise me, haha! On a positive note, the newly reconfigured tail-lights are fantastic! This layout just makes so much more sense! I've just been to my local motor factors and bought a rear wiper blade and a not unattractive young lady asked me how i'd done it! Between that and the HIDs up front she's certainly more visible now!
Click to expand...
HIDs are an MOT failure;) They don't actually put more light on the road either as the light is far too diffused to be of any use. Vehicle's coming towards you won't be happy with HIDs either. Oh an you can get 3 points a £60 fixed penalty and or a prohibition order placed on the car too.
So be careful going down the HID route. It's actually less illegal to fit 80/100 Watt bulbs to the head lights. These would be less obvious to PC Plod and put much more light on the road ;)
 
I had a 2009 Mini with HIDs from the factory. I'm pretty sure it was the Police's Volvos that had the first HIDs in Britain too. Maybe you're thinking of the crummy chinese kits they sell on eBay? The HIDs I've fitted have always made a marked improvement. I've also removed some ****ty, cheap blue ones from customer's cars too.... I always go for the white ones (don't remember the frequency), they're loads better than the standard fitment halogens. When there isn't room for HID ballasts i just install Osram Nightbreakers, these seem to be the next best thing.
 
Craig_mate said:
I had a 2009 Mini with HIDs from the factory. I'm pretty sure it was the Police's Volvos that had the first HIDs in Britain too. Maybe you're thinking of the crummy chinese kits they sell on eBay? The HIDs I've fitted have always made a marked improvement. I've also removed some ****ty, cheap blue ones from customer's cars too.... I always go for the white ones (don't remember the frequency), they're loads better than the standard fitment halogens. When there isn't room for HID ballasts i just install Osram Nightbreakers, these seem to be the next best thing.
Click to expand...

Factory HIDs are completely different to fitting an HID burner in an H4 or H7 base plate. All factory HID lights are mandated to have a reflection plate, a shutter and a focus lens. Additionally an HID equipped vehicle must have auto levelling beam correction and a lens cleaning system.
If any of those parts are missing, the vehicle will fail an MOT as it's non complaint.
You can't get the FL1 within the vehicle lighting and use regulations, simply by putting a so "legal" HID kit in it. There's no such thing. Regardless of what the supplier said, they are illegal. They don't even make a decent light on the road. They simply throws 3000+ Lumens of uncontrolled light forward. Very little actually hits the road. The rest simply blinds on coming traffic.
The cops are hot on them down this way. I know many local "modders" that have had the vehicle impounded, with prohibition orders, with hefty fines and points for the driver.

It's much better to fit a decent set of filament bulbs to the lamps.
You can't get a tug or fail an MOT for being legal;)
 
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