Tail Light Electrical Problem

[EclpzLvr97]

Okay, so I did a search and found no one with a similar story to mine.

Basically my driver side tail-light has an electrical problem of some sort. I replaced the sockets because the 2 metal pieces inside the socket that make the connection to the bulb had melted down a bit. Therefore it didn't make good connection and my turn signals would hyper flash.

So I replaced the sockets...rewired new ones in from a parted out 2G. All worked great for several months until last night. Seems like the same problem. The bulb is not burnted out. Both filiments are there. Sometimes it works, sometimes it hyper flashes.

I'm afraid the socket pieces are melting down again. It was dark when I tried to check last night, but it seems like the 2 "nipples" on the bulb itself were a slightly melted.

I don't understand why this happens as I am no electrician. Is there somehow too much power/voltage going to it or something?

Also, I've noticed there are 2 different bulbs that "work" (notice I put it in quotes) for these tail lights. There is the bulb number given on this site somewhere, and then the manuals in the auto store give another number. Both will work, so I don't know that that is the problem...not to mention the bulbs look exactly the same from what I remember. Is there maybe a watts difference between the bulbs?

I really hope someone has some insight for me. It's quite an annoying problem. Maybe I should just have the whole damn car re-wired since some interior lights don't want to work sometimes either (seperate problem).

 

[Defiant]

1157, 380, 1034 and 2057 are all the same bulb. Note that they can only go into the socket one way, because the tits on the side aren't at the same height. They're indexed to keep the right filament on the right circuit. Whoever replaced them the first time (probably a body shop ape, they have no clue at all about lighting) tried to force it in backward, made a poor connection that melted the solder, and was running the signal and brake filaments backward.
Have someone follow you to make sure the bulbs are the same brightness side-to-side.
I told you about this a year and a half ago:
http://www.dsmtuners.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30029

 

[EclpzLvr97]

Yes, and I checked for that. A bit after making this thread, I found again the one you just referenced.

I don't know much about electrical stuff, but even I can tell that bulb goes in one way cuz of the staggered "tits"....cuz if it goes in wrong, it won't even go all the way down into the socket, so you *have* to put it in right.

I have the right bulb and it's in the right way.

What else could be my problem. As you know this has been going on for some time and now even with the new sockets I wired in, it's happening.

Maybe it is something to do with relay or grounding or something?

 

[EclpzLvr97]

It looks like the same thing is happening again as what happened with my original sockets on the left tail-light. It starts with the bulbs though. The 2 tips on the bulbs were melting down and that's why it wouldn't make good connection with the 2 metal pieces inside the sockets....next to come will be the sockets themselves.

A friend of mine is knows an electrician that hopefully can help. I asked one random technician yesterday....showed him the damaged bulbs and he told me it was NORMAL and "happens all the time". Right...

I will update again if I find a solution once talking to the electrician incase any others out there have this weird problem too.

 

[Defiant]

Has this car been rear-ended or modified? The only way to chase this down is to start at the socket and trace the wiring. What's the condition of the taillight grounding point?

 

[dsmhurley]

hey i'm having the exact same problem... i think... my passenger side rear is the one that is not working... i HAVE found the problem though... there is 3 wires going into the harness that holds the bulb... the ground wire on mine is the faulty one... for some reason it will not keep its contact with the harness... i can't fix it either... the harness is all plastic and i can't get it apart... i had it working fine, but i hit a few bumps and it came loose again... i have to wiggle/tug/push on the black wire to get it to come in contact again... if i were YOu i would try swapping the left side harness with the right side harness and see if the problem occurs... if you still have the problem on the driver side its probably not the harness... it could be a short further down the line... now if the driver side works fine and the passenger side does not, try wiggling the wires and see if you have a faulty wire as well... i'm not sure if your problem is like mine, but give it a try...

 

[viperbenz1]

i my car is having similar problem , the fuse for my taillight burned the wire so i replaced it , but everytime i put a fuse it blows right after... help please