Genuine Land Rover parts
Defender rear window activation.
Your hardtop came out of the factory with rear windows that do not open. We fit the looms, the switchgear and the software so they work exactly like a factory passenger Defender.
£1,500 inc VAT (£1,250 ex VAT), supplied and fitted at our Durham workshop.
★★★★★ 1,000+ five-star reviews · Parts direct from Stratstone Land Rover
What is involved
Four jobs, one price.
A commercial Defender leaves the factory without the wiring, the switches or the software to run the rear windows. All three go in, using genuine Land Rover parts, so the car ends up exactly where a factory passenger Defender starts.
Full new wiring looms
We run complete new looms through the car so every window works off its electric motor. This is the part the cheap conversions skip.
Switches in both rear doors
A genuine Land Rover switch and surround goes into each of the two rear doors, so rear passengers operate their own window the way they would in any passenger car.
Four-switch pack up front
The factory front switch pack comes out and a full set of four goes in with a new surround, so the driver's door controls the rear windows too. Fit and finish match the factory item because it is the factory item.
Coded at the ECU
We activate the software on the vehicle's ECU so the car recognises the windows as its own and behaves like a normal passenger Defender, rather than running them off a separate feed.
Most owners have this done alongside a rear seat conversion, so the car goes from commercial to genuine passenger spec in one visit.
Two ways to do this
The proper way, and the cheap way.
There is a cheaper version of this job that runs the windows off a permanent live feed instead of the car's own wiring. It is not what we do, and once you know what it actually means day to day, you will understand why.
Factory-style, genuine parts
- Full new wiring looms run through the car, so the windows work off their own electric motors.
- Genuine Land Rover switches and surrounds in both rear doors, direct from Stratstone.
- A full four-switch pack in the driver's door with a new surround, so the driver controls the rear windows.
- Wired into the car's own CAN bus and activated at the ECU, the way Land Rover designed it, so the driver keeps control of the rear windows.
- Fit and finish that matches the factory, because every part is the factory part.
A permanent live feed
- The windows sit on a permanent live rather than the car's CAN bus, so they are never wired the way Land Rover designed them to be used.
- Because that feed is always on, the windows go up and down at any point, whether the car is running or not.
- No child lock. You cannot stop the rear windows being used by children in the back, because the driver has no control over them.
- A way into your car. Get something through the top of the door and the glass can be forced straight down, because the motor is live all the time.
- Switchgear that rarely matches the factory fit and finish, and is usually cheap eBay switchgear.
We only offer it one way, and that is on purpose. On a car this good, the rear windows should work the way Land Rover intended or they should stay as they are. If the budget is not there today, our honest advice is to leave them. Put the money into the Defender somewhere it will show, and come back to the windows when you are ready to have them done properly. They will still be waiting.
Window activation FAQs
Worth asking before you book.
Straight answers from the workshop. Anything not covered here, message Mitchell and he will come back personally.
What do I get for £1,250 plus VAT?
Full new wiring looms so every window runs off its electric motor, a genuine Land Rover switch and surround in each of the two rear doors, a four-switch pack and new surround in the driver's door so the front controls the rear, and the software activated at the vehicle's ECU.
Every part comes direct from Stratstone Land Rover. Supplied and fitted at our Durham workshop for £1,500 inc VAT.
Which Defenders is this for?
The Defender 110 Hardtop, which has the two rear doors this conversion works on.
The 90 cannot have its rear windows activated. They are fixed windows, and on a commercial 90 they are left as a panel you cannot see out of. Making that glass transparent is a separate job we can look at if you want it, so ask.
If you have a 130 and want to know what is possible on yours, send your registration over and we will tell you straight.
How is this different from the cheaper versions?
The cheap version puts the windows on a permanent live feed instead of the car's CAN bus. That means they work at any time whether the car is running or not, there is no child lock so you cannot stop them being used from the back, and because the motor is always live the glass can be forced down by anyone who gets something through the top of the door.
Ours runs full new looms into the car's own wiring, uses genuine Land Rover switchgear front and rear, and activates the software at the ECU, so the windows behave exactly as Land Rover intended and the driver keeps control of the rear ones.
Are the parts genuine Land Rover?
Yes. The switches, the surrounds and the loom components all come direct from Stratstone Land Rover.
That is why the fit and finish matches the rest of the interior. It is the factory part, fitted in the factory location.
Can this be done at the same time as a rear seat conversion?
Yes, and most owners do exactly that. The two jobs together take a commercial Defender to genuine passenger spec: seats, belts, trim and working rear windows.
Booking them together means the car only comes in once. Tell us you want both when you send your registration over and we will plan it as one visit.
Will this affect my Land Rover factory warranty?
Under UK Block Exemption rules, the manufacturer can only refuse a warranty claim if they can demonstrate a modification directly caused the specific fault.
If you're under factory warranty and want to check first, a quick word with your Land Rover dealer is worth doing. Our 12 month workmanship guarantee covers everything we fit.
Do I need to declare it to my insurer?
Most modifications need declaring to your insurer. Some can affect your premium, others won't. We'd always recommend a quick call to your insurer before booking so you know exactly where you stand on cover and cost.
We supply itemised invoices that make it straightforward to declare what's been fitted.
Where is your workshop and do I need to come to Durham?
Unit 1, Dragonville Industrial Park, Dragon Lane, Durham, DH1 2XJ. We're five minutes from the A1 and easy reach of the A19.
Customers travel from Newcastle, Sunderland, Middlesbrough, Darlington, Yorkshire and beyond. Easy off-street parking on site.
What warranty do I get on the work?
12 month workmanship guarantee on the install, on top of the manufacturer warranty carried by the genuine Land Rover parts themselves.
If anything we fitted stops behaving as it should within that time, bring the car back and we'll sort it.
Or call 0191 367 0011, Mon to Sat, 9:00am to 4:30pm.
Send your reg over
Commercial in. Passenger out.
Send Mitchell your registration and he will confirm what your Defender needs, a firm price and a workshop slot. Usually the same working day.
Most owners pair this with a rear seat conversion, which takes the Defender the rest of the way to passenger spec in the same visit. Having other work done too? See the full Defender range.