Tail Light Help

[YeOldeTruck]

Total noob, just getting started on my truck. I feel like an idiot but I can’t get the tail light and reverse light bulbs out. The glass was loose on one and pulled out so now just the base is stuck. On the other I shattered the glass trying to pull it out. What am I doing wrong? How are these supposed to come out?

 

[Snoots]

That's normal.
Push in, turn ccw, pull.

 

[AuroraGirl]

If they arent coming out its probably corrosion! You can buy a new tail light harness with the sockets if they are badly conditioned. Otherwise, you can buy replacement sockets. The reverse and tail lamp sockets are identical except the tail lamp socket utilizes an extra wire and a dual filament bulb for braking/turning. They sell the sockets in both 2 and 3 wire, the third wire could be eliminated if you buy all of the 3 wire. Also, if you can keep your current ones you might try, with bttery disconnected, hitting it with some electrical contact cleaner and a small file, clean up the contacts but not break them. Use dielectric grease when putting new bulbs in. I vote new sockets. I found a used one in my shed that was in mint condition, its what I used.

 

[Backfoot100]

I vote corrosion too but you clean them up.
My license plate bulb socket was corroded bad. The base of the bulb broke off and was stuck in it.
I completely removed it from the truck and with a little bit of diligence, some WD40 and a dremel tool, it cleaned up very nice. Put it back in and has worked perfectly for two years so far.
Dielectric grease is definitely your friend when putting the new bulb in.

 

[Snoots]

The reverse and tail lamp sockets are identical except the tail lamp socket utilizes an extra wire and a dual filament bulb for braking/turning.

Wrong.
The reverse has locator pins that are 180 degrees from each other AT THE SAME LEVEL.
The dual filament has locator pins 180 degrees from each other but at DIFFERENT LEVELS.

 

[AuroraGirl]

Wrong.
The reverse has locator pins that are 180 degrees from each other AT THE SAME LEVEL.
The dual filament has locator pins 180 degrees from each other but at DIFFERENT LEVELS.

Oh. For the different bulb. You could use the dual filament bulb for the reverse then, just not utilizing it's full capacity

 

[YeOldeTruck]

That's normal.
Push in, turn ccw, pull.

Thank you so much! I knew there had to be a trick...swear I tried that but it’s working now.

 

[Snoots]

Oh. For the different bulb. You could use the dual filament bulb for the reverse then, just not utilizing it's full capacity

The location of the pins make it hard to seat the bulb properly and you can damage the connector. Dual filament bulbs also have 2 contacts. They won't always seat on the 1 contact in a reverse socket.

 

[AuroraGirl]

The location of the pins make it hard to seat the bulb properly and you can damage the connector. Dual filament bulbs also have 2 contacts. They won't always seat on the 1 contact in a reverse socket

What im saying is to use the same socket and bulb as the brake/turn/tail socket for the reverse if you wanted to keep it simple. It would work but would be unecessary complex. But I vote using the right socket with right bulb, and it sounds like he was able to clean up his contacts.

 

[Snoots]

Don't get me wrong @AuroraGirl. I was only trying to help, not chastising.

 

[Bextreme04]

one of the biggest issues I've found on cars I've bought is people putting those dang duel filament bulbs in backwards. The different height pins means you can only put them in one way, except that the metal gives enough that you can force it to rotate if you try hard enough. That makes it super hard to take out though.

 

[WesN]

Use snapping pliers (flat ones are the best) that push out as you squeeze in the part that is stuck in the socket. Squeeze push in slightly turn counter clockwise and pull.

 

[YeOldeTruck]

Use snapping pliers (flat ones are the best) that push out as you squeeze in the part that is stuck in the socket. Squeeze push in slightly turn counter clockwise and pull.

Thanks, that sounds like a tool I need to get. I was able to get it out by mangling the base and grabbing with pliers but I think I damaged one of the contacts in the housing (it was pressed in too far). I bent it back out but we’ll see if it stays.

 

[olnick]

Once again my "handi blaster" to the rescue! do what you need to in removing the old bulbs. Load up your handi blaster with "baking soda" You now have a soda blaster. This WILL remove all the crud and rust from the lamp sockets without ruining the the sockets like sand or glass beads or beauty will do. after blasting use the garden hose to remove any left over soda then blow dry, use the dielectric grease and install the new bulbs. Problem solved!!
One other thing to check on a 40 year old vehicle are the ground connections INSIDE the rear taillight side to side harness. There are two soldered connections inside the harness AND both directional wires have M/F push connectors in the same harness. Replace/solder as needed!!


Olnick

 

[82sbshortbed]

If you hit enter after the quote then type your reply it will look like this and we don't have to click on the quote to see what you said. Just a little tip you didn't know.

LMFAO that tip didn't seem to work. Disregard sense it looks as tho I'm full of ****.

I don't know why it did that. Lol

I can't see her quote. Maybe it's just on mine