Hi everyone,

I know this is quite a trivial issue, but when something doesn't work when it should.. it grinds a bit.

My 2011 FL2 XS has the door-mirror puddle lights. I am certain that I saw them working when I bought the car (about 6 months ago) but now I am not able to get them to come on - I would have thought they should come on when a front door is opened and the vehicle lights are on. (??) Neither side is working, so I haven't checked the bulbs - surely they don't both fail at the same time... do they? Urmmm - maybe I should check the bulbs... Do the light units just prise-out of their mountings?

Everything else on the car is working fine. I can't find anything in the handbook to help me. Is it possible that I have turned them off somehow? Anyone have any other suggestions as to why they don't come on?

Many thanks in anticipation of your helpful responses... Currently enjoying:
2011 Freelander 2 TD4 XS (SOLD)
2013 BMW X3 20D M-Sport Auto
2007 Jaguar XK 4.2 Coupe

Mirror puddle lamps work as follows (on mine anyway!) Lamps illuminate when you press the fob button to unlock the car. Lamps stay on for a couple of minutes then fade out or go off when you press the start button. The door puddle lamps illuminate when you open the door to get out the car but the mirror lamps do not light. Having the vehicle sidelights on or off does not alter how they work in any way. If you need to check bulbs then the lamp unit does just prize out from the mirror housing with the aid of a thin bladed screwdriver.

Thanks dondiddy - I hadn't thought about locking/unlocking. I live quite remotely on the Isle of Skye, and we seldom lock anything here...(cars, garage, house...) though with the numbers of visitors now turning up, maybe I need to try to revise my habits.

Are you saying that the puddle lights should come on every time a front door is opened - just like the interior lights? Currently enjoying:
2011 Freelander 2 TD4 XS (SOLD)
2013 BMW X3 20D M-Sport Auto
2007 Jaguar XK 4.2 Coupe

Not exactly . The DOOR puddle lamps will come on whenever you open a door to get in or out but the MIRROR puddle lamps will only come on when you unlock the car. They will remain on when you open the door ,get in and close the door and will stay on for a minute or two then fade out or will go off as soon as you start the engine. If you don`t lock the car then you will never see them come on. (when you unlock it) Good chance that they are working ok!

I don't think the XS has puddle lights under the door, just mirror puddle lamps. FL2 XS SD4 Auto 2010 2012-2017 (21k - 91k miles) (MY2011)
FL2 Metropolis SD4 Auto 2014 2017- (16k - 77k+ miles) (MY2015)
Metro in its 11th Year of (Extended) LR Warranty / Full LR Service History
(Expensive, but Trouble/Worry free - hopefully?)

Oops! Sorry if I am confusing things! I have an HSE which has both mirror and door puddle lamps. I did not consider that the XS does not have door lamps!

All is well! Thank you for your help, chaps. As you have said, the mirror puddle lights do indeed come on when the car is unlocked - and the mirrors do a little 'welcome back' wave as well, which is a nice touch.

You are also correct that the XS does not have door puddle lights.

Now the next question - the mirror folding mechanism sounds a bit creaky. Is it worthwhile trying to lubricate anything thereabouts? Currently enjoying:
2011 Freelander 2 TD4 XS (SOLD)
2013 BMW X3 20D M-Sport Auto
2007 Jaguar XK 4.2 Coupe

Creaking mirrors: Just get hold of it and work backwards and forwards with vigour. Thats all the Main Dealers did with mine under warranty but feel free to spray as well as it wont harm. FL2 MY10 TD4 GS traded in at 2 years
FL2 MY13 TD4 GS Current

I was told not to spray WD40 or similar to stop my mirrors creaking, as the mechanism sits in grease, and by the simple fold back/forward remedy as stated by Yorky Bob, it spreads the grease onto the motor mechanism. Updated- Waiting for a Scotland v England 6 Nations home win. 24th Feb 2018
Gone-1972 88 SWB Soft top
Gone-1981 24v FFR Lightweight
Gone-2009 Freelander 2 TD4 GS manual
Gone before it bankrupted me- 2008 Discovery 3 TDV6 Auto
2013 Freelander 2 SD4 GS Auto

I retract the spray as good point made.  FL2 MY10 TD4 GS traded in at 2 years
FL2 MY13 TD4 GS Current

I guess I just need to lock my car more often...

Thanks again for the help.  Currently enjoying:
2011 Freelander 2 TD4 XS (SOLD)
2013 BMW X3 20D M-Sport Auto
2007 Jaguar XK 4.2 Coupe

My XS has door puddle lights (bottom of the door card) and mirror lights

As always there seems to be a mix when making these cars. MY06 FL1 TD4 2 door red (gone)
MY07 FL2 SE TD4 black (gone)
MY13 FL2 GS TD4 Santorini black

I think they also all creak pretty badly when temperatures are low, mine certainly have done through the winter when I unlock it first thing in the morning. 2005 D3 2.7 Auto
Previously:
2010 MY FL2 TD4e GS - Now gone at 199,500 miles, about 135,000 of them mine.
‘93 Defender 110 200TDi CSW
‘87 Defender 90 4 cyl Petrol
‘83 110 CSW V8 - best ever!
Range Rover 2-door V8 (not sure of year - 4-speed box and vacuum diff switch)
Series III SWB Diesel

it's not only the mirrors that creak when cold - you should hear my knees Tangiers Orange - gone, missing her
Replaced by Ewok what a mistake - now a happy Disco Sport owner

When I open my doors, the puddle lights (on the bottom of the door card) flash briefly then go off. No amount of thumping, wire jiggling or WD40-ing can persuade them to stay on. Any ideas?