Lights in car doors...

[wildcat45]

Are they against the rules these days?

In the past, posher cars used to have red marker lights in their doors. The first one I remember was the Rover SD1 back when I was a kid. Volvo used to have them, and a host of other cars.

My 2004 MGZT-T - which was a pretty high spec car back in the day - only has red reflectors.

My new Freelander - which has silly lights in the door mirrors for some reason, doesn't have them.

Is it a fashion thing, or did some legislation ban them?

[Essel]

61 plate Skoda Octavia. Red door lights, with clear inset downlighting, as well as puddle lights in the door mirrors. Dead posh, me.

[wildcat45]

Indeed! I've yet to work out what the lights to in the mirrors....just dimly light up the dirty side of the car.

I really want red lights in my doors!

[Dr Interceptor]

1974 Triumph Stag... great big red lights in both doors.

[AdeTuono]

Dr Interceptor said:

1974 Triumph Stag... great big red lights in both doors.

Not exactly a current model though...

[Dr Interceptor]

AdeTuono said:

Dr Interceptor said:

1974 Triumph Stag... great big red lights in both doors.

Not exactly a current model though...

True... I can't see why they would be deleted at any point though, they're obviously quite sensible!

The 2011 Fiesta I run around in has no lights or reflectors in the doors.

[Vaggingquick]

Essel said:

61 plate Skoda Octavia. Red door lights, with clear inset downlighting, as well as puddle lights in the door mirrors. Dead posh, me.

Yes indeed my '01 golf has a light in the door, red above a white puddle light.
Class.

[CAPP0]

wildcat45 said:

Indeed! I've yet to work out what the lights to in the mirrors.

Puddle lights. You'll be glad of them when you park somewhere dark at night and can't see what's on the ground when you return to the car!

[wildcat45]

I'm off out now to park it somewhere dark, just to have a look.

[TheTurbonator]

Funny, I was thinking the same thing earlier, as I saw a naughties Beetle with them.

Seemed to be quite a big thing in the 90s and early 00s but they seem to have just disappeared.

[007 VXR]

these come on in mine when i open the door

[XDA]

My brother has white puddle lights on his 2011 Renault Megane estate.

[Loose Chippings]

My 2002 Laguna had door lights and also lighting in the foot wells linked to the courtesy light. (Yes I was daft enough to buy a Laguna, but mine was one of the few that never went wrong!) My 2006 Astra has no door lights but puddle lights which are actually the rear number plate lights which come on when you use the remote locking. Useful if you want the ground illuminated when you go to the boot, sod all use if you are just getting into the car. Presume the reason most cars don't have door lights now is purely manufacturers trying to save costs?

[Jakg]

wildcat45 said:

My 2004 MGZT-T - which was a pretty high spec car back in the day - only has red reflectors.

It's something you can fix if you want to...



I've put some LED strips under each door & one in each footwell, along with replacing all interior lights with LED. Makes the interior MUCH brighter and nicer to be in at night and didn't cost much at all.

I've also got some very small LED's in the door cards that make the interior have a very subtle glow at night - an idea stolen off the E39 BMW.

[wildcat45]

Loose Chippings said:

My 2002 Laguna had door lights and also lighting in the foot wells linked to the courtesy light. (Yes I was daft enough to buy a Laguna, but mine was one of the few that never went wrong!) My 2006 Astra has no door lights but puddle lights which are actually the rear number plate lights which come on when you use the remote locking. Useful if you want the ground illuminated when you go to the boot, sod all use if you are just getting into the car. Presume the reason most cars don't have door lights now is purely manufacturers trying to save costs?

My Astra did that. I didn't realise it was a feature.

[wildcat45]

Jakg said:

It's something you can fix if you want to...



I've put some LED strips under each door & one in each footwell, along with replacing all interior lights with LED. Makes the interior MUCH brighter and nicer to be in at night and didn't cost much at all.

I've also got some very small LED's in the door cards that make the interior have a very subtle glow at night - an idea stolen off the E39 BMW.

I actually like that - it would match the Typhoon Monogram paint.

Apparently the new Range Rover projects the script "Range Rover" from its door mirrors oneo the floor - although the one I was in a few weeks ago didn't appear to.

Red lights in doors just seem to be an ovious and not very expensive safety thing.

I had a look round an Insignia VXR estate a while back. That had clever tail lights inside the door shut on the tailgate, so it could be seen when the boot was open.

It must be fashion. My Freelander also has lights in the bottom of the doors.

[krissharm]

my jetta has lights in the footwell, oddly no puddle lights like the golfs seem to.. red reflectors in the doors but not lights

[Triumph Man]

I have puddle lighting on the Passat, as does my GF in her Mini. I'm a bit of a sucker for in car lighting, I like soft lighting.

[wildcat45]

I miss my Volvos that had the orange US-Style marker lights on them. I can see where they would go on my Freelander but its all clear rather than orange.

[RicksAlfas]

My exterior door handles have white downlighters. Oh yes.
I believe it's part of the honed at the Nurburgring "Extending Lighting Package".