WARNING - Land Rover Driving Lamp Kit for LR3

Hello everyone - - I picked up my new LR3 SE fully loaded yesterday. So far I have put 350 miles on it. - - - One of the accessory items I ordered from Land Rover was their 'driving lamp kit' for over $500. - - Turns out this was the first one they had installed (not sure if that means the first set of lights of this particular type or the first one by the installer who did the work.) - - We were running late and needed to pick up the car and immediately head out of town, so after going through the various car systems with the salesman we hit the road. - - - Today I had the opportunity to look at things in more detail and I'm not pleased. The installation work looks like a hack job. It literally looks like the installer cut out the bumper to install the lights using a pair of dull tin snips - - - there are very uneven and jagged edges where the installer cut. I think he should have used a power saw with an appropriate blade and cleaned up the edges with a dremel tool. In addition, the installer scratched the bumper in an obvious place - likely when he installed the lights. My salesman noticed this and said that I should come in so they could buff out the scratch. (LR should have put together a lighting system that is much easier for the dealers to install). WARNING: - Find out before hand if your actual installer/mechanic has actually installed any of the accessories requiring such labor. This is my first experience with LR service/labor and I had expected them to be highly competent. - - - The amateurish work on the light installation is something not noticed unless one gets down close and looks at the bumper. The biggest problem with these lights is that they flop all over the place. One of the lights is worse than the other - but neither light will stay where I position them when driving gently on the freeway during the current break-in period. There is No Way they would stay put if off-road where they would actually be used. I didnt receive an owners manual or instruction pamphlet with the lamp kit so don't know if there is some way of tightening down the lights. There are no nuts, screws, or locking rings that I can see. - - - I ordered the LR driving lamp kit when I purchased the LR3 because I thought they would be a high quality product designed to work especially well on the LR3. - - WARNING: At this point I wish I had gone to an aftermarket installer experienced in doing off-road type installation work, and wish I had purchased high quality after-market lights. - - - I will go into my dealer next week and let you know how they deal with this. The real test isn't the mistakes people make, but how they go about fixing them. - - - Regards

That really stinks.
If you're interested in looking at the installation instructions, you can find them here- http://www.ownerinfo.landrover.com

I went with PIAA lights that I self-installed. $200 off Ebay and indepentently wired so I can turn them on when I want them... not by the whim of DOT laws.

Pix are in my gallery- 2nd page-

http://www.landroverworld.org/pictures/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/816

FreeflyTim - thanks for the info, I'll check out those links you posted with installation info. I like the look of the set-up on your car ! - - I used to be the Operations Manager for a small manufacturer that built heavy cranes. We did machining, metal fabrication, welding, etc. - - And when I was a kid going through school, I worked for a company that sold and installed custom car stereo equipment. - - So, I know what good work looks like and what poor work looks like. This installation job is absolutely terrible, like it was done by an amateur hack (or maybe the kid that normally washes the cars on the lot?). - - I just got back from another freeway road trip. All smooth highway miles and when I arrived the lights (again) were flopped all over the place. Absolutely useless. They kinda look like off road driving lights, but as far as I can tell they are useless junk. (Yes Land Rover, some of us actually buy this gear to Use not just to look at. These things don't even qualify the 'look at' test.)- - I'll talk to my dealer's service dept this week. I want them to restore my LR3 to the condition it was in when it rolled off the transport truck a few days ago, before the 'installer' got ahold of it. That means a new bumper properly installed. I'll go to a real 4x4 equipment dealer and have them properly install good durable off-road lighting.- - - - On a positive note, I Absolutely Love this vehicle ! It drives great and the Nav system is a valuable tool. - - Thanks for your comments, - -

What I can't stand about dealer installed driving lights is the FED DOT law that only allows only 4 beams at a time, low beams with 'fogs' or highs without. High beams alone count as 4- 2 low, 2 high.. thats why you're driving lights shut off when you hit the highs.

On my driving lamps, I used the LR mounts, I just put my lamps on them! I kinda expected that LR’s lamps would be junk and they were completely over priced.

I will say that the LR brush guard and winch is NOT junk. A bit pricey, but absolutely not junk. Very solid and strong. Aftermarket will come up with something $1000 cheaper but this setup is the bomb.

Honestly , the DS/LR3 has really, really good headlights and does not *really* need anything more. I found this out after putting my driving lamps on. But, what I have started doing is using the driving lamps as 'daytime running lights.' I had DRLs on my last truck and I like how they wake up the ******* in front of me when I close behind them at a high rate of speed. heh heh hehh. I have now purposely aimed my driving lamps so that they hit the rear view mirror of the person in front of me! Its funny watching the person in front of me 'click' their rear view mirror as Im approaching... in the DAYLIGHT! heh heh heh.

The truck is awesome. I went on a trail ride last weekend with the Southern Land Rover Society and after kicking butt on the trails, all the nay-sayers agreed...
"It is a Land Rover!"

FreeflyTim - - Just an update - I checked out the accessories installation links you provided. I didn't get any owners manual or materials with the light kit, but from the installation instructions I was able to figure out how to tighten down the lights. (In the installation instructions there is no text, just diagrams so you have to look things over abit.) - - - In the installation instructions the diagrams include those needed for the mechanic/installer to do the job and they picture a course tooth hacksaw ! I couldn't believe it ! Looks like the installer took that diagram literally. Well, at least I can use these d#$*n lights. If I had known they were as rinky **** as they are and the installation job was so terrible I would have gone to a 4x4 installation shop and put on the kind of set up that you have. Unfortunately this current set-up has cut up and made a terrible mess of my front bumper. WARNING to anyone considering the Land Rover bumper mounted light set-up USE SOMETHING ELSE. - - - I don't know how the light set-up looks like when using the LR "A-frame", but at this point I'm a bit skeptical. I'm going into the shop this week to complain about the workmanship on the installation & will let you all know if and how they remedy this situation.- - - Thanks again for your input - - -

So, you like those installation pic-o-grams!! Heh heh heh. That’s what ALL the instructions look like. Multi-cultural!

Yeah, you just got screwed. Raise hell.

My brush guard with winch also needed the bumper cover to be cut and a LOT more modifications for the install. The mechanics, err, techs, at my dealer did a bang up job. They spent 2 full days putting it on. It was their first install and they didn’t wanna screw it up…. So said the mechanics to me. They were pretty proud of it actually! And Im know known as 'the dude with the winch!'
-TIM

I took my LR3 into the shop and showed them the terrible installation job on the driving lights and the scratch they put into the bumper during the install. - - - These guys went right to work ! The Service Director (Rick Schott) has background as an experienced fabricator and he agreed that the work was sub-par. - - This fellow (who usually is in suit and tie) actually went out and fixed everything personally - - while showing the guys in the shop how to do the job right and what the high standards are that he expects. The installation job is now Absolutely Beautiful ! - - In addition, they took off the bumper and had the paint shop repair the scratch and repaint it. It now looks like the day it came off the assembly line. - - - Of course, these vehicles are machines. Things happen. It's how people respond to such challenges that is the test - - - and the folks at Bellevue Land Rover - Jaguar (in Washington state) have done so with flying colors. - - - Given the state of 'customer service' in general nowadays, I hadn't expected much and dreaded taking my vehicle in. But now I can give my highest recommendation. - - - They have me as a loyal customer !