Last Electrical Woe

[matt63]

I finally got all of the signals and back-up lights working.  The only thing I can't resolve is the front left parking light won't work.  It flashes okay for signaling.  Any ideas?

[GoodysGotaCuda]

I finally got all of the signals and back-up lights working.  The only thing I can't resolve is the front left parking light won't work.  It flashes okay for signaling.  Any ideas?

I'd start off seeing if it has power when its supposed to (headlight switch on) using a test light. If it does, then its a simple ground issue, if not you have to trace the wire thats supposed to be hot

[Chryco Psycho]

are the contact buttons free in the plastic spring loaded base in the socket ?
 Try a new bulb even  if the bulb tests good

[MEK-Dangerfield]

The flash filament, and the parking light filament are on different circuits. If your side marker light works, then I can only guess you need a new bulb, or you need to clean out the socket a little if there is crud in there.


  Mike

[ShelbyDogg]

Take a little file and file the outside edge of the bulb socket. Solder a wire to it and run it to ground. as long as your wire has power, it is usually a bad ground.    The side marker is working, right?

I had to ground each of my 70 challenger tailights years ago and haven't had to touch them since.

[matt63]

Thanks guys.  It seems to be a grounding problem.  Does one of the wires run to ground?  Where does it run to?

[MEK-Dangerfield]

The light gets it's ground from the body of the car. Is the light socket assembly firmly attached to the car? On my Challenger, I once upon a time had 2 of three screws stripped, so I had an iffy ground too.

  Mike

[JS27N0B]

The turn signal housing grounds to the car usually, but Challenger probably different than a Cuda.

[ShelbyDogg]

That's why I said to add a ground wire, then you'll never have to touch it again except to change the bulbs. Ground the other side and the tailights too.

Rob

[matt63]

That's why I said to add a ground wire, then you'll never have to touch it again except to change the bulbs. Ground the other side and the tailights too.

Rob

Yes. Thanks.  Do you solder the wire to the backside?  Everything else is inside the housing.

[ShelbyDogg]

You really just need to ground the housing really well, but sometimes paint and dirty housings cause the bad grounds. I was able to solder that wire to any part of that socket because my rubber piece had to be peeled back when I replaced the socket's bakelite disc and bulb contacts.  Just remember the closer you get to the socket's base, the bigger soldering iron you'll need. AND the point that you're soldering to has to be sanded or filed clean or it wont stick. (like soldering copper pipes)

[Belltone85]

does anyone have a picture of this?