Taillight swap???

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Doug Chahoy

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On my 79 Elco I'm putting 67 Firebird taillights in the tailgate. What's with the two side marker type lights for the one light? There are 4 wires for the 2 lights, I want to switch to a regular 1157 socket with 2wires. What do I do?
 

1evilregal

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Apr 23, 2009
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an 1157 socket will need 3 wires... 1 for running light, 1 for brake/turn, and 1 for ground... side marker lights are just that, single element, either on or off....

an 1156 bulb is a single element bulb that looks like the 1157, but works like the marker light
 

Doug Chahoy

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Nov 21, 2016
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an 1157 socket will need 3 wires... 1 for running light, 1 for brake/turn, and 1 for ground... side marker lights are just that, single element, either on or off....

an 1156 bulb is a single element bulb that looks like the 1157, but works like the marker light
So I can use an 1156 socket, and delete 2 wires from one of the side marker lights??
 

1evilregal

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So I can use an 1156 socket, and delete 2 wires from one of the side marker lights??
if you don't want turn signals or brake lights, sure....


you should be able to run your existing wiring to new sockets in the new taillights, and not have to worry about killing the side markers for the wires... maybe I'm completely misunderstanding what you're doing, but I can't get my head wrapped around why you want to use only a 2 wire setup, and not use the existing wiring for the tails...
 
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1evilregal

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this is your 1157 taillight/brakelight bulb... 3 wires: 1 runs your taillight at low wattage and powers 1 of the filaments, wire #2 runs your brake/turn and powers the second filament, wire #3 is your ground
13557.jpg
images

this is what your an 1156 bulb/socket looks like: 1 wire runs the only filament, fixed wattage, bulb will only glow at a single brightness

images
images

your side marker is just a minature version of the 1156 bulb with a flat base, and only has a single brightness...
images
upload_2017-8-11_18-50-36.jpeg
 
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Doug Chahoy

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Nov 21, 2016
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this is your 1157 taillight/brakelight bulb... 3 wires: 1 runs your taillight at low wattage and powers 1 of the filaments, wire #2 runs your brake/turn and powers the second filaOn
if you don't want turn signals or brake lights, sure....
On my Elcy I have the 3 wire 1157 socket then the 2 wire 1156 back up light, then there 2 side marker type lights with 2 wires each that are the third taillight, that stays on as long as the lights are on

you should be able to run your existing wiring to new sockets in the new taillights, and not have to worry about killing the side markers for the wires... maybe I'm completely misunderstanding what you're doing, but I can't get my head wrapped around why you want to use only a 2 wire setup, and not use the existing wiring for the tails...

ment, wire #3 is your ground
13557.jpg
images

this is what your an 1156 bulb/socket looks like: 1 wire runs the only filament, fixed wattage, bulb will only glow at a single brightness

images
images

your side marker is just a minature version of the 1156 bulb with a flat base, and only has a single brightness...
images
View attachment 71902
this is your 1157 taillight/brakelight bulb... 3 wires: 1 runs your taillight at low wattage and powers 1 of the filaments, wire #2 runs your brake/turn and powers the second filament, wire #3 is your ground
13557.jpg
images

this is what your an 1156 bulb/socket looks like: 1 wire runs the only filament, fixed wattage, bulb will only glow at a single brightness

images
images

your side marker is just a minature version of the 1156 bulb with a flat base, and only has a single brightness...
images
View attachment 71902
if you don't want turn signals or brake lights, sure....


you should be able to run your existing wiring to new sockets in the new taillights, and not have to worry about killing the side markers for the wires... maybe I'm completely misunderstanding what you're doing, but I can't get my head wrapped around why you want to use only a 2 wire setup, and not use the existing wiring for the tails...
 

Doug Chahoy

Comic Book Super Hero
Nov 21, 2016
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My Elky has a 3 wire 1157, then a 1156 2 wire back up light, then 2 side marker 2 wires each that are the 3rd taillight
 

1evilregal

Comic Book Super Hero
Apr 23, 2009
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Greensboro, NC
are you planning on deleting your existing taillights and running all functions on the firebird tails? or are you just going to hook up running lights as a showpiece? I guess that may be where my wires are getting crossed, so to speak...
 

Doug Chahoy

Comic Book Super Hero
Nov 21, 2016
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are you planning on deleting your existing taillights and running all functions on the firebird tails? or are you just going to hook up running lights as a showpiece? I guess that may be where my wires are getting crossed, so to speak...
I want to run regular taillights. I just need to know how to change the 2 small lights for a regular socket
 

1evilregal

Comic Book Super Hero
Apr 23, 2009
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Greensboro, NC
I'm still not understanding why you are dead set on using the side marker lights instead of the taillight/brakelight existing wiring... if you use the side markers, you'd still have to run a wire from the brakelight somehow, along with the wiring for the individual turn signals, and wiring for the reverse lights (if you still intend to use them...)
 
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