73 Dart Rear Lighting troubleshooting

[SputnikOne]

Hey all, again.

I was informed a day or so ago by someone else my brake light was out, and decided to check tonight when it was darker.

I wanted to also check some other lights (Speedometer backlight and the rear left parking light) that now seem to work suddenly when they didn't a few days ago.

Anyways yes, only the left brake light appears to be functional, and the strange part is it only works with the light switch for the rest of the lights turned off, so I have one brake light but none with headlights or running lights turned on.

In the video I tapped the brakes a few times with no lights, with parking lights, and with headlights.

Also, shouldn't the taillights be on with the headlights?

I wanted to "check grounds" as all the threads seem to say, but I don't really know how to access the taillights from the trunk.

 

[SputnikOne]

Rewatching the video again, I'm pretty sure when the light was on for a good few seconds I had actually pressed the brake multiple times and it just didn't go out for that time, not exactly sure what the implication there is either.

 

[Mr. Sinister]

Make sure your ground wires are attached to the body and the taillight housings I think there is a body ground for each side - left and right.

 

[SputnikOne]

Where are these wires? I see connectors that go down around the inner taillights, and cables for the rear parking lights, but I don't really see the individual light wires.

 

[Jeff Seighman]

I went crazy for months with my driver's side brake/taillight being dim and sometimes not working, cleaned grounds checked wires they were fine, for some reason I rotated the socket in the housing, and they work fine now. I guess corrosion and road grime was the problem, I'm going to solder the sockets to the housings soon. 1970 Dart.

 

[Heywodja]

The metal sockets are part of the grounding circuits. Sometimes as simple as cleaning/rotating the bulb housing, I usually put a little dielectric grease on the connections too.

 

[SputnikOne]

But how do I actually access these components? Do I have to remove the bumper they're built into? Or can it be fixed from unscrewing the screws in the taillights themselves

 

[67Dart273]

But how do I actually access these components? Do I have to remove the bumper they're built into? Or can it be fixed from unscrewing the screws in the taillights themselves

Sometimes they are not detailed very well, but do you have a factory service manual? Most of these can be downloaded for free from MyMopar.com, along with parts manuals. Sometimes you have to be happy with Plymouth vs Dodge, as they don't have "every" issue.

There are many issues with stop/ tail lamps over the years.

Some do not have the sockets well grounded and can benefit with an added ground wire soldered to the shell and bolted to a clean ground. The pigtail assy, spring, insulator, etc, can get all rusted/ jammed and not make good contact, and the interior of the shell can be rusted and not contact the lamp bulb itself. A dremel/ other stainless/ brass brushes is sometimes a help, along with various shapes of small knife blades for scraping.

When you find and fix it, use a deox product, if nothing automotive, just use the kind the electricians use for aluminum wire connections.

 

[SputnikOne]

I'm looking at the manual, not too helpful especially with all the different taillights it talks about, but I got the diagram for my lights, just doesn't really say how to access them

 

[Jeff Seighman]

It looks like you will have to remove the bumper or at least take the bolts off one side so the bumper can be pulled outward some. In the diagram where it shows the bumper it shows a screw and washer, two of them go into the housing, and it pulls out from the back. Maybe with one side of the bumper unbolted you can reach up from underneath and twist the light housing.

 

[SputnikOne]

Did some more extensive testing, I have only the left Brake light, the right taillight (sometimes), the left blinker, and both reverse lights. I cleaned where the wire grounds to the inside of the trunk, but I think I have to also clean the grounds on the bolts that mount the light enclosures to the metal frame behind the bumper, which I can't really access without removing the bumper.

 

[SputnikOne]

Well, you can access the bulbs by unscrewing the lens parts themselves, and I'm starting to think I found the issue here, atleast a decent part of the issue.

One of these things is not like the other.

 

[Mattax]

Yes and the page before says the whole electrical eassembly can be pulled through, but you don't need to for a bulb change.
1157 bulbs are still available without looking too hard.
When you put them in, notice the bayonet lugs on the side of the bulb's base are different depths. There is only one correct orientation when installed.

 

[missing linc]

The bulbs are not accessible from inside the trunk, the wiring will be passed through from the trunk to the inside of the bumper. You may be able to remove the light housing from the bumper without removing the bumper itself, I can't remember.
Keep in mind that the car and it's components are over 50 years old and pretty much guaranteed to have corrosion/oxidation issues, as well as the harness and it's connectors.

 

[SputnikOne]

I think I should be able to replace the bulbs with the lenses removed like I showed, they should just come out right? Or do they need to be like unplugged?

 

[Mattax]

1157 is bayonet base, like a musket bayonet (not a 1903 Springfield or M1 Garand)

 

[Mattax]

This one is dimensionally the same but for earlier cars. See the two nubs?

Its spring loaded. Push in a little, make a 1/8 turn and it should slide out.

Same idea on with the signle filament bayonet bulbs. Here's a socket from one of those. Arrow point to the slot for upper tit.

 

[missing linc]

I think I should be able to replace the bulbs with the lenses removed like I showed, they should just come out right? Or do they need to be like unplugged?

Slight turn and the bulb should come out, unless it is severely corroded into the socket.

 

[michiganpat]

FWIW, I was having issues with my duster's taillights, with the right rear brake and flasher not working. turned out to be the turn signal switch, the hot for the brake/4way flasher goes through the turn signal switch.