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Rear tail lamp/turn signal bulb sockets for a '63?


JanZverina

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Does anyone have some pointers on how to refurbish the rear tail light/brake/turn signal sockets, or know of a good source to get a quality replacement? I've done the usual "make sure the ground surfaces are clean" thing and swapped bulbs, but one of mine seems to be OK on the tail lamp contact but sporadic on the blinker/brake light side.

Thanks!

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Does anyone have some pointers on how to refurbish the rear tail light/brake/turn signal sockets, or know of a good source to get a quality replacement? I've done the usual "make sure the ground surfaces are clean" thing and swapped bulbs, but one of mine seems to be OK on the tail lamp contact but sporadic on the blinker/brake light side.

Thanks!

Jan,

Just a suggestion, when the blinker/brake light acts up cycle the tilt wheel thru various positions (if you have tilt) to be sure the issue is not in the turn signal switch.

Tom Mooney

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Try the "Help" section at your local jobbers. There are some plastic ones out there (I know, you're already thinking 'how can I ground it') that have a dedicated ground wire as part of the socket. Easy enough to find a good ground and run a dedicated wire to the socket. I think they're actually a Shhhh! Ford item.

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Guest dwhiteside64

Hi Jan - You may already know all of this so please forgive me if this is the case :). On my '64, which I suspect is nearly identical to the '63, the bulb filaments share a single ground (chassis which is the hole the socket clips into) and they are lit by two separate positive signals, one for the brake/turn filament AND one for the tail lamp filament (dual filament bulbs). The signal that illuminates your parking lights (aka tail lights) go pretty much directly from the light switch connector in the dash to the bulb filaments and that part seems to work fine on your car. If the tail lights did not work as well then I would say it's probably a grounding issue but this is apparently not the case.

What you are describing sounds more like a problem with the turn signal switch (bad internal contacts, its connector, or alignment), or possibly a corroded pin on one or both tail lamp sockets (hard to believe both are bad though, but this could be the case). When the brake pedal is applied, the signal to illuminate the tail lamps go first to the turn signal switch then to the brake/turn filament in both tail light assemblies . If a turn signal is used the signal travels first through the flasher unit then the turn signal switch. The internal contact position of the turn signal switch decides which rear tail light bulb will get the signal to allow it to flash. As you can see, the turn signal switch effects BOTH the brake and turn signal indications, and is an area that can cause many intermittent problems with the brake/turn signals. I should know, as I have wrestled with the very same problem that you are experiencing.

Is the problem with one or both brake/turn signals?

Edited by dwhiteside64 (see edit history)
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Guest dwhiteside64

Oh I see they do look quite different. I used the Dorman brand, and while they look very similar to the one you pictured, they are made mostly of plastic and I feel the all metal housings might improve the ground connection and also hold tighter in the chassis hole.

http://www.partsgeek.com/zg4cbvs-buick-riviera-tail-light-bulb-holder.html?utm_source=pricegrabber&utm_medium=pf&utm_content=mc&utm_campaign=PartsGeek+Pricegrabber&fp=pp&utm_term=Buick+Tail+Light+Bulb+Holder

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Guest dwhiteside64

Also, if you are concerned whether the socket pins are making a good connection with the base of the bulb, use an Ohm meter and look for a very low resistance (maybe 5-15 Ohms) with one lead to the mounting clip of the socket that snaps inside the chassis hole and the other lead of the meter to each wire separately (with the bulb mounted in the socket of course). This will tell you that the base of the bulb is making contact with each pin in the housing. Just a thought.

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Oh I see they do look quite different. I used the Dorman brand, and while they look very similar to the one you pictured, they are made mostly of plastic and I feel the all metal housings might improve the ground connection and also hold tighter in the chassis hole.

http://www.partsgeek.com/zg4cbvs-buick-riviera-tail-light-bulb-holder.html?utm_source=pricegrabber&utm_medium=pf&utm_content=mc&utm_campaign=PartsGeek+Pricegrabber&fp=pp&utm_term=Buick+Tail+Light+Bulb+Holder

I also bought this dorman version for my '63. However, one problem is that the metal clip that grounds to the housing is not bent into the correct shape. If used from the package, it will wiggle out of the housing eventually. The dorman version has only 1 bend at the top, which makes a tent shape or upside-down V. The original has 2 bends, making it function also like a retainer clip as well as a ground. You can see this clearly in Jan's photo.

A pair of needlenose pliars and a few minutes took care of that problem.

Edited by CheezeMan (see edit history)
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  • 2 weeks later...

Thanks, Darren and Chuck. I ordered the Dormans and did exactly what you said, Chuck, about the bending the metal tabs into the correct shape. This socket does not look or feel quite as robust as the OEM ones, but it did the trick so I'll keep an eye on it. Thanks again for the advice, guys!

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Guest dwhiteside64

I'm glad to hear your tail lights are working correctly now. Mine gave me fits for a while until I changed the sockets, cleaned corrosion from the mounting holes, and adjusted the turn signal switch. :o

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