Wiring up your Welcome (Puddle) Lights

[Alexander Holmes]

How to wire up your Welcome (Puddle) lights, by Mark Bennett

Freelander 1 Pre & Facelift Models

Puddle Light Fitting Instructions.

These instructions hopefully will help guide you through fitting and wiring up puddle light to you Freelander 1.

1. Start by removing the door card from and placing carefully to one side.
2. Next remove fuse No. 14 (10A) or No. 16 on facelift models this isolates the interior lights circuit making it easier to work on.
3. Remove gently the interior front light unit, and unplug from the vehicle.

You will now have to decide whether to solder the new connections required or to use another method of your choosing. I personally would use the solder technique so the new joint is both secure and also neat. Thread a piece of twin 12v cable through the light unit from the back into the central light compartment (the largest one). Split the two cables and bare both ends by ½ a cm, it is these ends you are going to solder to either end of the central bulb fitment. Make sure you do not use excessive heat in this area as it will melt the plastic and possibly damage the bulb mounts.

1. Now remove the bayonet bulb and place to one side to be refitted later, now solder one of the wires to each end of the bulb mount,
2. Once cooled gently pull the wires back through the hole and put a cable tie on it to stop it going back inside.
3. Feed the wire along the headlining ( gently remove about an inch of it from the windscreen area in the direction you are going to the door being worked on). This can be reaffixed with a spray glue very easily later.
4. When you reach the A Pillar feed it down behind the plastics into the foot well area. You will now need to remove the panel in the foot well to expose the other end of the conduit that leads from the door to inside the car.
5. Feed the wires inside the conduit and pull through gently until you have a piece of wire that reaches the door lock area. (This is so you have enough wire to work with and will be trimmed to fit).
6. Using the drill bit provided drill a hole where you want the light to be. I positioned it approximately 5” from the outer door edge.
7. Take off the two locking rings on the puddle light and insert it in the hole you have just made, then slide the locking rings down the wire attached to the lights – but do not over tighten at this stage.
8. Now you need to join your wires from the puddle lights to the wire feeder you have just installed, this can be done by either connector or solder if you have a gas soldering iron. It does not matter which way round the wires go.
9. Now making sure the new wires do not foul any moving parts, fasten them to the door using cable ties or to the door casing using gaffer tape.
10. Repeat for the other door. You will be able at this point to use scotch lock connectors to attach the wires to the previous ones you inserted at the rear of the unit.
11. Now replace the bayonet bulb and put the central light unit back in place.
12. Insert fuse number 14 (10A) – [preface lift versions], or number 16 [-facelift versions] to put power back to the circuit being worked on.
13. You should now be able to adjust the logo which is projected on the floor from your Puddle Light. Once happy with the position tighten both locking rings fully.
14. Re attach the door cards.
15. Enjoy your new Mod you made to your Freelander.

I hope this is not too boring a read, and that it will help you, as it did me to install the 12v Puddle Lights, so no batteries to worry about changing and they look great when on.

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