Tail lamps won't go out

Weirdest thing, my tail lights are stuck on!

95' GMC Sierra XLT. Removed parking lamp fuse and lights are still on. Fronts are o.k. Right turn signal stopped working. Left still works. Hazards stopped working. When you turn on right turn signal, left parking lamp goes out!?!??? Haven't done a thing, just started out of the blue. Thank for any suggestions, Mike
Reply to
Mike
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There are boards in the back that the lights plug into. These fail due to the heat of the bulb. Change 'em out and you should be fine. Only problem is there about $50.00

Personally if it was me, I think I'd try to find a way to remotely mount those boards so the heat from the lamp couldn't hurt 'em.

~KJ~

Reply to
KJ

Only problem is, the boards aren't "always hot." They are only powered when the brake light switch, turn signal switch, etc. completes the circuit. If they are remaining on all the time, it's likely a problem further upstream.

Doc

Reply to
"Doc"

Check your trailer wiring.

Les

Mike wrote:

Reply to
les

brake light switch sounds most reasonable to me?

Snowman

Reply to
Snowman

I could have sworn that lights that didn't go out were the symptom of these boards? Again for my $0.02 if I knew I had these boards I'd try to relocate the board and just have the bulb back there. I've never seen them but I'd guess even 3 inches between the bulb and the board would be more than enough.

~TLGM

Reply to
Lonely G-Monkey

the board is nothing more than a bunch of traces from a wiring connector to the bulb sockets. moving it won't help anything. what GM should have done in the first place was to use twist in bulb holders like everyone else on the frigging planet.

-Bret

Reply to
Bret Chase

Heat isn't what kills them; it's corrosion. Seperating the bulbs from the boards won't solve anything.

Doc

Reply to
"Doc"

Maybe the headlight switch itself?

Doc

Reply to
"Doc"

So desolder their connector, or their bulb, and solder on wires. Relocate it somewhere else in the fender. Few things that you can't make happen. I mean, if the board has NOTHING but traces, f*ck the board and make your own that is just a socket. Use a piece of sheet metal to mount the socket in. Mayhaps LED lights? Cool running, very bright, and much faster to light.

~KJ~

Reply to
KJ

Ah, I was always under the impression that it was a heat thing. Thanks for the info!

~KJ~

Reply to
KJ

I don't think many car manufacturers used twist in bulbs since 87!

Chrysler, Ford nor GM!

That plastic push in type is here to stay!

Reply to
Refinish King

I'm not talking about twist in bulbs, I'm talking about the bulb

*HOLDERS* that twist into the light housing. somewhere along the line GM changed the bulb type in the 88-98 trucks to the push in type, unfortunately it didn't help with the corrosion problem.

-Bret

Reply to
Bret Chase

you really need to go to a junkyard and take a look at the taillights in a 88-98 truck. it's just not a good design, unless you're going to use gold plated wiring, the corrosion problem will continue.

-Bret

Reply to
Bret Chase

I have an 88 S10 that uses lamps just like any other truck.....

~KJ~

Reply to
KJ

go look at the 88-98 C/K tail lights and you'll see the infamous bulb mount board.

-Bret

Reply to
Bret Chase

I've been meaning to get into the local yard just to scope out the 73-91 blazer/burbs for any toys, etc....

~KJ~

Reply to
KJ

What I don't understand is, because it's the running lights that are on, where are they getting power with the headlamp switch off? I know it's not the switch because the front parking lamps turn off with the switch and when you pull the fuse, but the rears stay on! It's like a power wire to the rear lights is shorted to another power wire that's always hot?

The only one I can think of is the orange wire in the trailer plug that's always hot to charge the auxiliary battery in the trailer to power the electric brakes in the event of a disconnect.

As someone mentioned, it must be in the trailer plug. I'll let you all know what I find out.

Thanks for all the replies, Mike

Reply to
Mike

FYI, These are always on EBAY. Need to get some myself soon.

Reply to
Chris

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