I have just bought a 2013 Freelander and there is a leak from the top brake light on the tail gate any ideas how to sort

Best idea is to use the SEARCH button on the top blue bar.

This problem has been covered many time.

Try ...
https://www.freel2.com/forum/topic13589.ht...brake+lamp

....... and several others....

Good Luck
.

Had this on a LR Approved Used FL2 HSE we bought last year. Problem is the foam rubber seal loses its 'spring' and no longer seals properly. Next problem is the seal is stuck to the light unit & LR don't sell the seal as a separate part...

While I was following this up with the dealer, who 'fixed' it 3 times before accepting it was still leaking and fitted a new unit, I managed to find replacement seals on eBay. Not sure if they are still there or not?

If you bought the car from a dealer I'd suggest going back and getting them to replace the complete unit.

Whatever you do, don't seal it with silicon or other sealant as you need to be able to take it out to replace blown bulbs...

Hope you found this helpful

Last edited by VVS210 on 23rd Feb 2020 2:29 pm. Edited 2 times in total

I had the same problem so I brought a new foam gasket from ebay, it's been fitted for six months and still no leaks.  94 Disco 300 TDI Gone
96 Defender 300 TDI Gone...Should have kept it.
2003 Freelander ES TD4 Gone
2002 Defender TD5 Gone
2005 Freelander HSE TD4 Gone
2015 Freelander 2 Metropolis Keeping for now!

Just checked on eBay & they're available form about £5 posted

I have the same problem but only in torrential rain. I have an eBay seal waiting to be fitted in better weather.

Once you fit the new seal, use a bead of heavy waterproof silicone grease along the new seal b4 refitting light module and you will likely never have the water intrusion from that light module again.

MotionInc wrote:

Once you fit the new seal, use a bead of heavy waterproof silicone grease along the new seal b4 refitting light module and you will likely never have the water intrusion from that light module again.

Or any other access to it for that matter!

@Sperly

Heavy wash out resistant silicone grease not sealant, something like this:
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B007G2KW6...&psc=1

Ah, I see......I stand corrected 👍🏻

Have tried replacement seals ( eBay) with no luck, have just fitted a complete unit today and the rain is coming tonight so fingers crossed.

I replaced the complete unit on mine, and it comes with a new bulb also.

The only problem I had was water getting into the original light.

Why they did not make this a sealed LED unit, I have no idea.

This problem featured recently. I did the obvious thing initially and bought a seal from EBay - which promptly leaked again.

I wasn't happy about replacing the whole light fitting for the sake of a seal so I followed the advice of another member which consisted of replacing the original seal with some rubber draught excluder (with a "W" cross section) from Lidl's, who had some in stock just last week so might still have some left.

I bought my draught excluder from B&Q - there are various thicknesses and it needs to be the thinnest You have to buy metres of it whilst on ly needing less than a foot but it's cheap enough.

Take time and care to thoroughly clean the old seal and its adhesive from the fitting.

I cut a "V" on the inside radius at each corner as the sealsnt strip won't bend sufficiently to get around the corners and still make a seal. It is best to do this before removing the backing from the sticky side of the excluder - it's a pig to manage it otherwise.

There is a fine raised ridge around the outside edge of the face of the fitting where you fit the seal, it is worth taking care to get the strip stuck inside this raised edge - it can leak again otherwise.

When you have replaced the seal you might want to replace the bulb to avoid having to do so in the near future!

Use a good smear of vaseline (don't know where I read that but it's what I did and so far its working fine) or a bead of silicone grease on the bodywork around the hole before refitting the light.

Hope all that makes some sort of sense. If I can do it anyone can. My one regret is that I didn't have the correct bulb in my collection so was unab le to replace that myself and I just know the thing will fail any time now!

Good luck

The easy repair is to put Celotape to the car where the gasket fits, then apply clear silicone to the gasket and refit . Next day remove light, it will not have stuck to the sellotape but you'll have a thicker gasket.Remove Cellotape apply Vasoline to the cured silicone and refit.It will not leak again. i have also used the new gaskets, used Vasoline and not had a leak again .

I got the gasket off eBay and refitted the existing 2010 clear lamp unit after a very arduous time cleaning off all the old gasket.

I found the best way was to roll it off with hard pressure from my thumb which left it pretty clean and then hit it with some APC to get the remaining glue residue off. I guess not getting all the old gasket off can cause leaks. Some recommend putting 2 gaskets in place, one on the car and one on the lamp unit but I didn’t have to do that.

New gasket applied, lamp refitted and no leaks so far through the 3 recent U.K. storms. Hopefully it will stay that way.