If a light ain't broke...

[Ducked]

My rear running lights were out after the car sat in torrential rain for three months while I was back in the UK.

Started on the LHS, and cleaned the corrosion off the bulb and bulb holder. No joy.

Probing with a test light suggested an earth wire wasn't quite making contact inside the bulb holder, probably due to unreachable corrosion.

Didn't look like I'd be able to take it apart without destroying it so I put a screw in it to make the circuit. We'll see if it holds.

Meanwhile the other side started working. Common circuit, thinks I, but I'd better clean it up anyway.

Mistako. Turns out the corrosion was all that was holding the bulb in. It is cleaner, though.

 

[dishdude]

That bulb and socket look like they're for a 1903 model year car. I don't think the screw is going to hold.

 

[Ducked]

Originally Posted by dishdude
That bulb and socket look like they're for a 1903 model year car. I don't think the screw is going to hold.


Yeh, Screws only started working in the early 1970's, as spin-off from the Apollo programme.

 

[edwardh1]

look like UK whitworth threads to me

 

[Ducked]

Continuing the titular theme, fiddling around with foil to get the bulb to stay in and on, I seem to have managed to short and fry ALL my other previously working sidelights.

Fuzes all seem intact so I'd guess melting somewhere may be involved.


I'll probably have to try and find, then follow, a Japanese (or worse, a Chinese, THE HORROR) circuit diagram, which seems unlikely to be fruitful or fun.

Rather wish I hadn't done that.

 

[Ducked]

Headlights too. Could be fatal.

 

[Ducked]

Put a multimeter in continuity test mode on the fuses and a 15 amp one had in fact blown. Couldn't see the break with the naked eye.

Didn't have a spare 15 amp so I put a 10 amp one on (which should be fail safe) and it looks like everything (apart from the sidelight I was fiddling with when I shorted it) is OK.

Phew! Wasn't looking forward to remaking the wiring loom, and may not have been able to.

I don't understand why this (running) light is so elaborate. Its got two filaments, with two base contacts (one of which is live relative to earth when on) and a side contact (with corresponding contacts in the holder) yet AFAIK its only got two modes, on and off. I must be missing something.

I broke down and bought some spare bulbs ("Car Lighting Revolution" brand, presumably a trendy marketing reference to the contemporary Bolshevik Revolution of 1917) but they're simple centre-contact bulbs, which'll do for the brake, indicator and reversing lights but not for this sidelight.

The live-when-on internal sprung-loaded contact on the RHS seems to be eroded so maybe a blob of solder will fix it.

 

[Ducked]

Ah. I guess its "so elaborate" because it doubles as a brake light.

DUH!

 

[mk378]

Yes the large filament is for brake and / or turn signal, and the small one is for tail / running light.

The double filament bulbs are known in the US as #1157, and the single ones #1156.

I had the ground wire lose contact with the socket on a similar model Honda. The wire is just laying alongside the socket shell inside the plastic. From the back, you should be able to use a flat screwdriver, etc. to engage the metal part through the hole in the back where the two live wires come out, and push the metal part out of the plastic. Then clean up the corrosion and solder the ground wire to the metal shell and push it back into the plastic.

 

[RayCJ]

Originally Posted by Ducked
My rear running lights were out after the car sat in torrential rain for three months while I was back in the UK.

Started on the LHS, and cleaned the corrosion off the bulb and bulb holder. No joy.

Probing with a test light suggested an earth wire wasn't quite making contact inside the bulb holder, probably due to unreachable corrosion.

Didn't look like I'd be able to take it apart without destroying it so I put a screw in it to make the circuit. We'll see if it holds.

Meanwhile the other side started working. Common circuit, thinks I, but I'd better clean it up anyway.

Mistako. Turns out the corrosion was all that was holding the bulb in. It is cleaner, though.




Somebody really pulled one over on you when they taught you how to screw in a light bulb!