Technical Rear lights wiring RHD to LHD

[euroben]

Moving to Spain in the next few months and taking my Panda 4x4 with me. I am going to change over the headlights to LHD headlights and that is pretty simple but I will also need to change over the reverse light and fog light on the rear. In Spain the fog light has to be on the left. I can get LHD lights to swap them over but anyone know what would be the best way to change the wiring over? Would there be enough length in the wiring to reroute them to the right side or would I be better putting in some wiring connectors? I’m not 100% sure where the wiring is routed for the lights so any advice welcome. Many thanks.

 

[the green vanper]

Hello,

Definitely there will be not enough wires.

Are you planning to register the car is Spain? Have you checked the local regulations? they might be different than in the UK. You will still have the steering wheel on the right hand side.

 

[euroben]

Hello,

Definitely there will be not enough wires.

Are you planning to register the car is Spain? Have you checked the local regulations? they might be different than in the UK. you will still have the steering wheel on the right hand side.

Hi,
Yes I will be registering it in Spain. Yes I have checked the regulations, that is why I’m looking to change the lights over. I could alternatively add an extra fog light to the left hand side but I’m not keen on doing that.

 

[the green vanper]

OK

I will share some docs regarding those 2 lights in a couple of minutes

 

[euroben]

OK

I will share some docs regarding those 2 lights in a couple of minutes

Great, thank you

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

All the wring between the front and back of the car runs along the left hand side of the car in (the passenger side in a UK car) and through to the boot. There are then wires connecting across to the right side tail lights along inside the edge of the boot by the bumper. I would not expect you to be able to make the reverse light and wires reach the other side without adding in some more wire in, but that could be done fairly simply either inside the boot or (if you removed the rear bumper) along the 'crash bar' behind the bumper, much in the way the wires are run when fitting a tow bar. It's probable that there's a short section of wiring loom connected to a plug inside the left side of the boot for the reverse and fog that can be replaced with a LHD version... or, if you're lucky, you might be able to extract the pins from that plug and swap over the rear fog and reverse wires at that point (would be a neat solution if you can)

 

[the green vanper]

As far as I can see on the component location diagrams the wiring run differently depending on the version, but it can just be theory...

Attached the eLearn docs on both RHD / LHD versions for comparison, with cable colours and pins description on both sides of the looms.

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

As far as I can see on the component location diagrams the wiring run differently depending on the version, but it can just be theory...

Attached the eLearn docs on both RHD / LHD versions for comparison, with cable colours and pins description on both sides of the looms.

those are for the older 169 model Panda (2004-2012 version), if that makes a difference...

 

[the green vanper]

those are for the older 169 model Panda (2004-2012 version), if that makes a difference...

Yes, that's what on OP's avatar... Or what I can see on it

 

[euroben]

Yes, that's what on OP's avatar... Or what I can see on it

I have a 312 Panda 4x4 not a 169. My avatar picture is my first panda

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

Just a thought - is it something than can be swapped via an ECU re-programming (MES etc), given its all CANbus controlled?

 

[euroben]

Just a thought - is it something than can be swapped via an ECU re-programming (MES etc), given its all CANbus controlled?

I wondered this. I did find a post about a 169 panda that was trying to do this but someone gave them some advice about a 312 by mistake and said you could swap it on MES. I replied to that post as it was not helpful to that poster but it would be for me with my 312 but it was from a few years back so not expecting a reply

 

[the green vanper]

Just a thought - is it something than can be swapped via an ECU re-programming (MES etc), given its all CANbus controlled?

Probably it would be possible, but not on the MES level. Rather some higher level 'coding'.

But the easiest way would in fact be swapping pins on the BCM side.

I will generate and upload the x312 files later.

 

[PuntoHowTo]

Wiring looms in car break down into sections

Normally you would have the floor loom which goes out to the doors for things like locks and electric windows.
uoj
You then have a seperate lighting loom which goes specifically to the back lights. If follow the wires from the light a back, they will originate from one place and are all routed down one side of the car.

Each rear light is earthed so you need to swap two wires over. So I would start by stripping out the carpets and maybe the back seat, if you go back far enough, you’ll find that the two wires you want are bundled together somewhere on on side of the back seat.

Where they are bundled together, just cut them and I would fit something such as a bullet connector so you can easily swap them back if needed.

 

[Panda IIs]

Moving to Spain in the next few months and taking my Panda 4x4 with me. I am going to change over the headlights to LHD headlights and that is pretty simple but I will also need to change over the reverse light and fog light on the rear. In Spain the fog light has to be on the left. I can get LHD lights to swap them over but anyone know what would be the best way to change the wiring over? Would there be enough length in the wiring to reroute them to the right side or would I be better putting in some wiring connectors? I’m not 100% sure where the wiring is routed for the lights so any advice welcome. Many thanks.

Hi there, having, fairly recently, exported a car (VW Golf) to Europe from the UK I would suggest the hardware is the least of your problems!

I'm sure you have done your research but I would strongly recommend obtaining the "certificate of originality" from FIAT before you leave these shores (A kind of homologation certificate that proves it was built to current standards - I know, FIAT Pandas are 10 a penny across Europe!). Also be sure that they will be happy with RHD (my Golf was actually LHD but the first question they asked was is it RHD? Which appeared to be a near showstopper in Slovakia!). Another experience I can offer is to get some kind of permanent export receipt which indicates the market value (as low as possible...) as there will likely be duty payable. Enjoy the sun!

P.S. The registration process was so onerous that I kept the car on UK plates for a couple of years which is fine provided you are prepared to maintain the UK tax and MOT status (which means driving to the UK for an MOT), obviously you need to ensure status with UK insurers too.

 

[euroben]

Hi there, having, fairly recently, exported a car (VW Golf) to Europe from the UK I would suggest the hardware is the least of your problems!

I'm sure you have done your research but I would strongly recommend obtaining the "certificate of originality" from FIAT before you leave these shores (A kind of homologation certificate that proves it was built to current standards - I know, FIAT Pandas are 10 a penny across Europe!). Also be sure that they will be happy with RHD (my Golf was actually LHD but the first question they asked was is it RHD? Which appeared to be a near showstopper in Slovakia!). Another experience I can offer is to get some kind of permanent export receipt which indicates the market value (as low as possible...) as there will likely be duty payable. Enjoy the sun!

P.S. The registration process was so onerous that I kept the car on UK plates for a couple of years which is fine provided you are prepared to maintain the UK tax and MOT status (which means driving to the UK for an MOT), obviously you need to ensure status with UK insurers too.

Thanks for the advice. I think it may be a bit more simple in Spain. My neighbour there has just brought his RHD car from the UK and registered it in Spain and it was pretty simple.

The reason I am doing it is because Panda 4x4 is really quite expensive in Spain. I have a 2013 and what cost me £4000 in the UK for the same car in Spain I would be looking at between 8-9,000. Also my UK panda has had a new clutch and propshaft and is also top. Spec.

 

[the green vanper]

OK, the x312/319 docs Pity, they are the same for RHD and LHD, they just put a short description that the light clusters switch places.

And as @Herts Hillhopper wrote earlier, the loom runs along the left hand side of the car. Looking at those docs, I'd personally cut the wires in the left back corner. Then connect the shorter (left) one to the longer (right) and the opposite. Under the condition the plugs for the light cluster are the same. You shall be able to see it once you'll have the 'European' ones.

Somewhere around here:

 

[euroben]

OK, the x312/319 docs Pity, they are the same for RHD and LHD, they just put a short description that the light clusters switch places.

And as @Herts Hillhopper wrote earlier, the loom runs along the left hand side of the car. Looking at those docs, I'd personally cut the wires in the left back corner. Then connect the shorter (left) one to the longer (right) and the opposite. Under the condition the plugs for the light cluster are the same. You shall be able to see it once you'll have the 'European' ones.

Thank you, that is helpful. I’m going to play around with MES and just see if it is possible to change before I cut any wires

 

[the green vanper]

Like this

Red line is the cutting line.

Then yellow and blue are the new connections to make. There are long here, but I assume they won't be longer than 10 - 15 cm.

 

[the green vanper]

This diagram is a RHD wiring, the entire loom (both fog + reverse) on one diagram.

Rear fog light:

Pin 1 is +12V, pin 2 (black) is earth.

Reversing light:

Pin 1 is +12 V, pin 2 (black) is earth.

Can't find the explanation of the HV and MH colours. I think the M stands for brown, but not sure. V could stand for Violet.

I saw somewhere on the forum those colour codings.

Both connectors should be the same.