Strange lighting design

"Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen" (distraxi) 08/24/2018 at 02:03 • Filed to: Mitsubishi Pajero

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See that big light cluster beside the tailgate where it’s nice and visible? That contains....a reversing light and a vast swathe of red plastic

See the small cluster down in the bumper where it’s below sight lines, hidden if you’re towing anything, going to get wet if you wade, and vulnerable to knocks ? That contains tail light, brake light, fog light, indicator and reflector.

Whatever you were smoking in the late 90s Mitsubishi;  I don’t want any.

Just Jeepin' > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen 08/24/2018 at 03:04

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I recently had to explain to someone as we were driving down the road that he had 5 brake lights, 3 of which were out. He still had one functional light on each side, fortunately, but it wasn’t as easy as “hey you have two brake lights out” which is my more usual fare.

pip bip - choose Corrour > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen 08/24/2018 at 03:35

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upper section had fog light (if fitted) i think, lower was stop/tail indica tor only

later ones again had the fog  lamp in the spare wheel housing

duurtlang > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen 08/24/2018 at 04:05

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Probably some kind of cost saving for the US market. I’m seeing two tail light assemblies for the EU spec of this car:

So, a 2 bulb and a 3 bulb one. All the bulbs seem to be 12V 21W, except the red part of the bottom cluster, which is a 12V-21/5W so a dual function one = taillight + brakelight combination. MY point being; apparently the old cluster with the reverse light in the middle probably only houses an additional rear fog light, while the later one with the reverse light on top apparently has another function (brake?) as well.

Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen > duurtlang 08/24/2018 at 04:08

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Interesting. Mine’ s NZ market, and while the three  reflector shapes are all present in the cluster there’s no holes in the back to put a bulb in, except for the top one which is the reversing light.

duurtlang > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen 08/24/2018 at 04:39

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I’m looking at the local Ebay, and I see this. Weird.

Cé hé sin > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen 08/24/2018 at 04:46

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Landcruisers used to have the same. It’s because of EU lighting regulations.

Certain lights ( I think indicators and tail lights) have to be visible when the boot or tailgate is open. The car shown has an external spare wheel which will obscure the lights beside it when you open the right hand side of the tailgate so the “essential” lights have to go somewhere else.

BvdV - The Dutch Engineer > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen 08/24/2018 at 04:47

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I think i t has to do with regulations regarding the swing open tailgate. I once heard y ou need to be able to see both taillights, even when the boot is opened. This same rule lead to the presence of two sets of indicators and taillights  on the rear of cars like the Mini Clubman (due to barndoors) and BMW i3 (due to the main taillights lifting with the boot).

Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen > Cé hé sin 08/24/2018 at 05:38

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Makes sense

BigBlock440 > Cé hé sin 08/24/2018 at 07:48

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I can buy that, but I’m wondering what Kia’s excuse was.

Cé hé sin > BigBlock440 08/24/2018 at 12:46

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That would be more lighting regulations in the EU and probably elsewhere. Tail lights and indicators may only be mounted on moveable surfaces if they meet visibility requirements when the surface is in all of its fixed positions, so open and closed . Kia, Hyundai and Audi choose to mount the indicators on a fixed surface, the bumper in this case, rather than squeeze them into the fixed element of the main lighting cluster. Other choices (if you want to maximise the width of the opening panel) are supplementary internal lights:

Or more commonly vertical lights:

BigBlock440 > Cé hé sin 08/24/2018 at 13:12

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The ones higher up, where most signals are, wouldn’t be blocked by a spare tire and would have made more sense to put them there. In the bumper is dangerous and you can’t see them. I don’t think regulations are the reason, since they could have easily put them in the same taillights that are already there, like almost every other car on the road.

/turnsignalsdon’tbelonginbumpers

Cé hé sin > BigBlock440 08/24/2018 at 17:28

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I can’t see why anybody would choose to put lights down in the bumper unless they were compelled to, but who knows? I saw this Tucson this evening which manages to fit nearly all of the required lights into the small fixed element, leaving only the rear fogs to go on the bumper.

BigBlock440 > Cé hé sin 08/24/2018 at 23:36

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I think in the US they use the bumper lights as the turn signals too, but I’m not 100% sure on that.  As your picture shows, turn signals in the bumper are a horrible idea.  I think there’s even a Lexus with them now too.