'96 P38 2.5 DSE - Fitting Front Fog Lights

where does it say that? i was looking but couldnt find it!

gemsdad said:

according to l/rover and the workshop manual no it isnt ok to fit them,something to do with cooling the auto box.

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And it's true, the atf cooler is sited behind the bumper where the fog lights would go on a v8 thats why the bumper blank is a mesh type, it allows air flow through the atf cooler. If you do fit them you need to duct air in through the centre section of bumper via a flexipipe ie intercooler or silicone pipe. You will deffo overheat the atf when under load if you block this vent with fogs.

thats a silly design then!! LR should hang thier head in shame, even further than it already should be hung!!!

they should be hung but not in shame.

I removed the blanks in my bumper, but these original fittings were solid plastic, not mesh as has been suggested....Therefore, the installation of the light units make no difference to airflow I would say???
Anyway chaps, you have really impressed me with your knowledge and good advice, and I thank you all for pointing me in the right direction....BECM reset it seems to be!
Cheers!

Try selecting main beam with the fog light switch on, I may be mistaken but the BECM can be set-up for using the fog lights as driving lights to come on with main beam only.

So you have a diesel auto but the blanking plate is solid not vented? Is there an oil cooler in front of the near side front wheel?

@lanmjdun....I'm not near the beast at the moment, as I'm away from home, but I don't recall seeing an oil cooler where you suggest!!??....but I could be wrong...I'll get back to you on that one. All I will say is that the solid fog-light blanking plates in the bumper where definately original to the car. I have seen many 2.5 DSEs of similar vintage with the solid bumper blanks though!
Thanks for your suggestion re the main-beam....I'll try that before proceeding to the garage.

just had a look at mine, the n/s has a mesh type grill in front of the atf cooler and the o/s is just a solid blank. desertrover when you next have a look put your head under the front bumper and on the n/s where the fog should go you should see a small radiator looking object, this is the atf cooler.

If it has a solid blank and your RR is an auto then the bumper is off another. All the auto DSE's have the ATF oil cooler in front (stupidly!) of the left front wheel. A lot of cars badged as DSE and dHSE are not what they claim to be by accident or design (my 98MY DSE is badged as a dHSE but this model did not come out until later). I'm almost certain that a manual DSE spec car should have foglights and not blanks and that all autos should have the mesh on the passenger side.
Check it out on Rave under 26 Cooling System - BMW Diesel. It doesn't show it clearly under the gearbox section.

Thanks for the advice...I'll check it out soon as...

desertrover said:

Thanks for the advice...I'll check it out soon as...

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if you look in the rimmer bros p38 catalogue,it states in there that spotlights are not to be fitted to the p38 diesel auto.

Thanks for that interesting bit of info gemsdad!....seems like I'll have to do some more research before I proceed.
I'll say one thing though, I've had the car now for 12 months, done about 12,000 miles, and that was with the solid blanks in the bumper....I have not had any real problems except for an intermittent (but rare) "Gearbox Overheat" warning. This beeps then disappears after a second or two. Its happened every couple of months, about 5 or 6 times altogether. I checked gearbox oil and found perfect. My local independent LR garage was asked about it, and said something about a possible sensor malfunction. They have had the car in for service and pre-mot recently, and never commented on the blanks. They just commented on what a nice car she was for her age!
Would that "gearbox overheat" warning have anything to do with what you are suggesting??

Did you check to confirm the oil cooler is there?

If so I'd say they are certainly related.

No I didn't spudH....I'm away on business at the moment....I'll look as soon as I get home in 2 weeks time.
cheers

hi,i would say that if the g/box oil cooler was not there you would have big overheat issuse,i would not be duly worried about the message you occasionaly get,its probably just a dodgy sensor or loose connection,imho that is.

desertrover said:

Hi! Fellas,
I just bought a s/hand set of front fog lights for my p38 off ebay, along with a new switch. I removed the blanks in the bumper, found the plugs and fitted the lights. I then went and removed the blank switch cover, fiddled around in the loom and found the plug...I connected new switch.... NOW....when I went to switch on, the green indicator light on the switch came on...BUT the fog lights didn't!!!
.....any suggestions please??
Before anyone asks....yes! there are bulbs in the light units!!

Cheers,
Ian....(new member)

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the becm needs reseting but as far as i know its only the steelers that can do it !!
you could try retro fiting them.
remove the wireing from the switch and the fogs them selfs and wire them in as a seperate circuit useing a relay linked to the ignition.

its by far the cheeper option!

i did it with my last r/r but had someone else (guy at maplins) get me the right relay and told me what wire goes were.

The BECM might throw a hissy fit if you do that with the way it watchs the current draw for blown bulbs. The original plugs are almost always there and the plug for the switch also. Its the best way of doing it.
I fitted LED flashers for work this way no problem. Got an original switch off ebay and fitted them. As said previously you need to get the option turned on in the BECM.
My LED's throw up a blown bulb fault everytime I turn them on as they draw a different current to what its expecting but other than that no problem.

gemsdad said:

according to l/rover and the workshop manual no it isnt ok to fit them,something to do with cooling the auto box.

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hi, i fitted front fogs on my 1998 rangie 2.5 auto 12 months ago, ive had no problems at all with the cooler

Hi fitted front fogs to my dse manual but didn't need to get anything done with the becm just plugged the lights and switch in and they worked.

BUT i did have to replace the original plugs on the loom because they were corroded from nothing being plugged into them for 10 years and the terminals were open to the weather.

bubba2 said:

hi, i fitted front fogs on my 1998 rangie 2.5 auto 12 months ago, ive had no problems at all with the cooler

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But you will if you tow or go to a hot country with a full load, or try climbing through the Alps