Inner rear lights not functioning, because Italian design!?

I purchased a Land Rover Discovery 2018 model last year in the Netherlands, and it was noted by the garage at its last service that the inner rear lights do not work. After some investigation, they determined that this is its original specification as the vehicle was imported from Italy. They checked the computer system and wiring, and they found there is no capability for these lights to have ever worked.

I've attached a video (zipped) of the rear lights with the indicators and brakes being used. Is there any truth in the above?

It's possible.

Here in NZ, a lot of 4x4's didn't have the body mounted lights working, only the bumper mounted ones - the body ones didn't have the correct viewing angle, as rear mounted spare wheel obstructed them... so they were blanks. Seems stupid, but that's the rules.

Used imports from Japan didn't have to comply with the same rules though

Don't know about the Disco' 5, but on the Sport both Tailgate and body tail lights work on all models.
The only difference being Rest of World or North American Spec'.
The NAS having a side marker light.
Unsure if it of any help, but again on the Sport, it is the same feed from the BCM splicing off at a connection before the Tailgate.

The video shows the correct specification for EU lighting on that vehicle, you're not the first to assume they're function over form...

Graculus said:

The video shows the correct specification for EU lighting on that vehicle, you're not the first to assume they're function over form...

Click to expand...

Are you sure, because the dealership in the Netherlands said otherwise, and they showed me other vehicles in their showroom with all the inner rear lights working. And many of the Discoveries on the Dutch car market website show their inner rear lights working (for example, this one). See picture 11:



The dealership has done some research for me, and they found the spec sheet for my car (Italy), and also the spec sheet for a similar model Dutch car. I've attached them. The difference as highlighted is that the Dutch spec shows TAIL LAMPS LED SIGNATURE while the Italy spec shows only TAIL LAMPS LED. They think this spec difference is what explains the difference in the lights. I'm not an expert, so I don't know, but it would be useful to get a opinion from someone from Land Rover themselves on this.

Yes, I'm sure - as you pointed out, they are a different build specification. I worked at a dealership when these vehicles were first released and your question was quite a common one. The problem at the time was that all the demonstrators were 'fully loaded' and buyers assumed that the additional 'signature' lighting was in fact the default minimum specification, not an upgrade.

My comment of 'the correct specification for EU lighting on that vehicle' is borne out by the build sheet you posted.

NeoX said:

Are you sure, because the dealership in the Netherlands said otherwise, and they showed me other vehicles in their showroom with all the inner rear lights working. And many of the Discoveries on the Dutch car market website show their inner rear lights working (for example, this one). See picture 11:

View attachment 316021

The dealership has done some research for me, and they found the spec sheet for my car (Italy), and also the spec sheet for a similar model Dutch car. I've attached them. The difference as highlighted is that the Dutch spec shows TAIL LAMPS LED SIGNATURE while the Italy spec shows only TAIL LAMPS LED. They think this spec difference is what explains the difference in the lights. I'm not an expert, so I don't know, but it would be useful to get a opinion from someone from Land Rover themselves on this.

Click to expand...

In my eyes if @Graculus says thats how it is, then that is how it is, he is the closest you will get to LR themselves on this forum for the newer stuff.

That does look like an option, but I thought 'Signature' was the flickering effect where the light starts at one end ?

At the front yes, and indicators are allowed to do that but IIRC brake lights & side lights have to be 'solid'.
JLR will not allow dealers to upgrade cars after sale with factory only options, for a start, the parts dept. will only look at parts filtered by VIN to get the correct ones according to the build specification, and the required changes to the CCF will not be authorised nor will an engineering access code be granted,

Friend of mine 'upgraded' his Audi using dealer spec' software.
He was an Auto Elec at the time.

I'm not saying there aren't ways to achieve it, but banging on the dealers door isn't one of them.

Graculus said:

Yes, I'm sure - as you pointed out, they are a different build specification. I worked at a dealership when these vehicles were first released and your question was quite a common one. The problem at the time was that all the demonstrators were 'fully loaded' and buyers assumed that the additional 'signature' lighting was in fact the default minimum specification, not an upgrade.

My comment of 'the correct specification for EU lighting on that vehicle' is borne out by the build sheet you posted.

Click to expand...

lynall said:

In my eyes if @Graculus says thats how it is, then that is how it is, he is the closest you will get to LR themselves on this forum for the newer stuff.

Click to expand...

Yes, I was thrown by the mention of 'EU' because if my vehicle has the correct lighting configuration at the back per EU, then this is at odds with the Netherlands which is also in the EU.

Also, this seems to be a very edge case scenario, so I wouldn't be surprised if the knowledge on this situation is sparse, especially as @Graculus is UK-based and not EU-based. I say that with all respect, because even the numerous managers, engineers and even the directors of Romijn Den Haag were not able to come to a definitive conclusion after much research and discussion. They said that my car's rear lights are "most likely" Italy spec because the onboard computer in my car that controls the lights is different to the one supplied in the Netherlands and doesn't have the data cable port that would normally go to the rear inner lights. They found the spec sheets I attached in my previous post, but I think they are just assuming that "SIGNATURE" refers to the inner rear lights. While this is plausible, I would really just like an official confirmation or from someone who definitively knows. But I'm also entertaining the idea that I may never get there, and that's fine, too. I can live with it.

At the time, UK was nominally part of EU and in fact, there is still no difference in general UK/EU specifications save the obvious LHD/RHD. I referred to it as 'EU' to differentiate it from RoW or US/CAN/Nordic lighting specifications, some of which are legal requirements, some are marketing decisions. There are also market specific build configurations which means things like 'signature' lighting is standard is some sub-markets and not others - mainly based around tax bands, competitor vehicle market share etc. etc.
All you will get from JLR is a response along the lines of 'the car was built to the correct specification for the intended sales market & customer ordered options'.
The definitive answer is the one you already have in terms of the build specification and the hardware & software build engineering codes / CCF coding for your vehicle.

That is the last comment I'll be making as this is becoming an increasingly pointless endeavour, you either accept it 'as is' or look for aftermarket / third party workarounds. JLR nor it's dealer network will be able to change it for you.

Graculus said:

At the time, UK was nominally part of EU and in fact, there is still no difference in UK/EU specifications save the obvious LHD/RHD. I referred to it as 'EU' to differentiate it from RoW or US/CAN/Nordic lighting specifications, some of which are legal requirements, some are marketing decisions. There are also market specific build configurations which means things like 'signature' lighting is standard is some sub-markets and not others - mainly based around tax bands, competitor vehicle market share etc. etc.
All you will get from JLR is a response along the lines of 'the car was built to the correct specification for the intended sales market & customer ordered options'.
The definitive answer is the one you already have in terms of the build specification and the hardware & software build engineering codes / CCF coding for your vehicle.

Click to expand...

Yes, that's true (UK being in the EU in 2018). But even so, I'm aware that the UK and continental Europe often have different specs, not to mention differences between individual countries. I mean, the UK has three-prong plugs and drives on the left while the rest of Europe doesn't. (Btw, I'm a British expat in NL )

Yes, I have a definitive answer in terms of the spec sheet not saying 'SIGNATURE', but no one has confirmed what this means, and even the dealership has speculated on it. I don't want anything to be changed from original - I just wanted to confirm that it is indeed already original and not faulty.

You could pop the tailboard off and have a look and see if wiring is present ?
Probably LED rather than a bulb but you should be able to see if that part of the light 'could' illuminate.
To be honest the dealer appears to have gone through a lot of trouble to find an answer. If it was possible it would probably been easier to activate the 'signature' lights if they where there.
Animation is the word I was looking for, where the indicators flash in sequence.
As has been pointed out the UK would generally follow EU spec' for motor vehicles, much the same as Mexico, Canada, being North American Spec'.