The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Taillight Socket

I bought after market tail lights for the truck. I can not get the bulb to stay tight in the socket. I put blue painters tape around the bulb to make it fatter to lock in place but the vibrations of the truck cause the connection from the socket to the bulb go bad again. Any ideas on how to correct this? The bulb is really lose in the socket.
Thanks

Jon

I assume its an 1157 bulb. The pins on the side of the bulb should fit into grooves on the side of the socket. The pins rotate into sideways parts of the grooves as you twist the bulb into place. Theyy are at different heights from the base so the bulb can't be put in backwards. A spring under the contact plate should push it tight against the bottom of the bulb. This tension holds the bulb pins tight against the sideways part at the top of the groove in the socket. Which part of this isn't happening in your setup?

regards,
Leon

You might try putting a slight crimp in the socket where the bulb's pins go. Painters tape isn't a good idea anyway since the bulb has to touch the side of the socket to ground the circuit. Don't you love these Chinese crap parts.

Hi Leon,
Yes, the two little "prongs" or "nipples" are off set on the bulb. One is lower than the other. The tail light part of the bulb works, but not the left turn or brake light. When I have the red lens of I can get everything to work. But the bulb just sits to loose in the socket. I will have to look at the spring set up. I think its cause I bough a cheap tail light! Bring back American made I say.

if you can get the wire to push in with the bulb out, check that little spring under the contact button plate - could be missing or weak, can be stretched out a bit so it pushes harder .... another possibility is the bayonets on the bulb might not be long enough, try another bulb .... then you could also do as Tiny suggests, take a pair of slip joint pliers and 'crush' the socket slightly

Bill

Thanks guys! Will give it a whirl.

OK,
Yup, crimp the socket and the bulb no longer moves. Now my license plate light is doing the same thing....will fix that as well...

Jon