Brake/Tail Light Socket Replacement

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Tynan918

Royal Smart Person
Aug 2, 2021
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1984 Monte Carlo..

My drivers side pair of brake/tail light sockets are bad.

The top socket doesn't work at all, and has 4 wires running from it...

The bottom socket works with some adjusting but not long, and has only 3 wires...

I bought a new 3 wire socket, and I'm looking for another but can't find one...

What is the difference between the two different socket wiring ?
 

g0thiac

G-Body Guru
Sep 6, 2020
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I need a replacement though, are you saying to buy another 3 wire socket and wire it in place of the 4 wire socket ?
Yes, if the 4th wire is an extra ground.

The other option, is to clean the current plugs and see if that fixed or changed the situation lol.
 
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ELCAM

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Jun 19, 2021
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You won't find a 4 wire replacement. The 4 wire in your pic has 2 yellow wires they are for the turn signal on that side the fourth wire just goes to the other 3 wire socket. You will need to splice the two yellow wires together when you use a 3 wire socket to replace it.

From the pic the three wire socket looks good it is the tabs that break off. See the arrows in the picture.
TL SOCKET.jpg


Those seem ok on that socket, if you are having problems with it staying in it looks like it might be in the tail light housing not the socket,

The 4 wire socket looks like it might be damaged and with the bulb in you cannot see the 3rd tab, It might need replacing.

Take a picture of the back of the tail light housing and one of the other socket without the bulb.

If they don't have the dorman socket on the display ask for a standard motor products S-502 or S-507 make sure it is the right one I don't know what the difference is in the two part numbers.

OR handypak HP-4120 or HP-4140. Again don't know why there are 2 part numbers.

OR BWD PT-108 or PT-120.
Again don't know why there are 2 part numbers.
 
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Tynan918

Royal Smart Person
Aug 2, 2021
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The 4 wire in your pic has 2 yellow wires they are for the turn signal on that side the fourth wire just goes to the other 3 wire socket.
That being said, this lamp is the turn signal lamp and won't come on unless the turn signals are activated by the column switch ?

Turn signals work, brake lights work, but only the passenger side parking lamp doesn't glow when I drive at night, but glow when I press the brake pedal...

Should this 4 wire lamp be on when I use my "LIGHTS" knob to turn on my headlights and parking lamps ?
 

ELCAM

Royal Smart Person
Jun 19, 2021
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Both of the sockets you have removed are two filament bulbs they do two functions.

Wire colors are supposed to be.
Dark green is the TS Pass side and is over rode by the brake light.
Yellow is the TS drivers side and is over rode by the brake light.
Brown is the tail light,
Light green is the back up light. (the socket still in the taillight housing, it is only a one filament bulb.)

One filament of each of the removed sockets is the tail light. and the other is the turn signal and is the brake light when the brakes are applied.

SO on those sockets you have black for ground, brown for taillights, and yellow for the TS and brake light.

Take pictures of the pass side when you want to work on the problem there.
 
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Tynan918

Royal Smart Person
Aug 2, 2021
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Both of the sockets you have removed are two filament bulbs they do two functions.

Wire colors are supposed to be.
Dark green is the TS Pass side and is over rode by the brake light.
Yellow is the TS drivers side and is over rode by the brake light.
Brown is the tail light,
Light green is the back up light. (the socket still in the taillight housing, it is only a one filament bulb.)

One filament of each of the removed sockets is the tail light. and the other is the turn signal and is the brake light when the brakes are applied.

SO on those sockets you have black for ground, brown for taillights, and yellow for the TS and brake light.

Take pictures of the pass side when you want to work on the problem there.
2 minute video...

 

Tynan918

Royal Smart Person
Aug 2, 2021
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The 4 wire socket needs to be cleaned and the 3 wire socket needs replaced 👍🏾😎...

How do I properly clean it ?
 

g0thiac

G-Body Guru
Sep 6, 2020
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The 4 wire socket needs to be cleaned and the 3 wire socket needs replaced 👍🏾😎...

How do I properly clean it ?
There is no proper way, it’s either clean or it’s not. If you can make a timing chain replacement work, I think you can figure this out lol.
 
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ELCAM

Royal Smart Person
Jun 19, 2021
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The four wire is likely worn out from someone putting the wrong bulb in it or forcing a bulb in it backwards. Look down the grooves (RED ARROW) in it and compare the the new socket you have if those are worn the contacts on the bottom of the bulb wont press hard enough on the two metal contacts in the bottom of the socket, Those contacts also act like springs to keep it all tight might bend those up some.

Also make sure the ground terminal is not bent back where it is not solidly against the brass ring around the base of the bulb. (BLUE ARROW)
121_CON-65_putaway_3__ra_p.jpg


I would test the 3 wire socket out with a meter and make sure it is getting grounded, has voltage etc. before changing it, might have wire issues not socket issues.
 
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Tynan918

Royal Smart Person
Aug 2, 2021
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Replaced the 3 wire socket and took a multimeter to the wires...all get voltage as they should...

Turned on the lights but the new socket wasn't lighting up, so I switched bulbs and it worked but the other bulb wasn't working as good as the other, even if I moved it around...and when it would light up, it was brief and dim...

Bulb is bad...👍🏾😎
 
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