Zlow28

iTrader: (11)

I was reading through the forums, but i couldnt find an answer to my problem. Ive got a 98 trans am and the drivers side blinkers dont work. The rear stays lit when i signal left and the front wont turn on at all. On the dash, the left arrow stays lit aswell when i signal left.

The passenger side works perfectly fine both front and back

I replaced the front drivers side signal bulb and it didnt change anything.
However, when i turn on the hazards, everything works fine except for the drivers side front bulb which wont turn on at all. But both rears work fine.
Also, when i turn on my headlights, all 4 lights come on including the drivers side signal.

Cops stop you for every reason where i live, so any help would be appreciated.

cliff notes: (brand new front signal bulb)
1-front drivers side signal wont turn on when signaling
2-rear drivers side signal stays lit when signaling
3-rear drivers side signal works fine when hazards on
4-front drivers side signal turns on with headlights on

The front drivers side turn signal was pretty burnt. Heres a pic of the bulb... you can imagine how the housing was.



I was palnning on replacing it, but as mentioned before, the light works when i turn the headlights on.

Any ideas?

t_raven

iTrader: (12)

Had the same problem with my TA. The bulb wasn't making good contact in the socket. I bought a new socket, cut the old one off, soldered the new one on, works fine now.

Zlow28

iTrader: (11)

Did yours also work when you had your headlights on?

I just didn't want to cut into the harness just to have it not work again.

WhiteBird00

iTrader: (4)

The front bulbs are dual filament - a bright filament for DRL and turn signal and a dim filament for the parking/running lights. The fact that you have light with the headlights on really has nothing to do with the turn signals.

It is obvious from the condition of the base of the bulb that you have serious corrosion in the socket which is probably causing the failure. You can try cleaning the socket but you may just have to replace it. Our cars are known for getting water in the front lamp housings causing corrosion.

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

^^^ Yes, unless you take care of the water problem, this will keep coming back. Your level of corrosion is not normal.

Do you have water in the bottom of the lens?

BTW - If your socket can't be saved, you can purchase a new socket insert so you won't have to splice in a new one.

Zlow28

iTrader: (11)

Thanks, ill go ahead and replace the socket. How can I avoid getting it corroded like the current one?

Zlow28

iTrader: (11)

When I replaced the bulb, the housing was completely dry. You can definitely tell there was water though but there's a crack on the lens and I'm guessing water escapes from there.

Do you have a part number of the piece you're talking about. I couldn't find it online

Thanks

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

See the post above. Do you have water in the lens??? What does your socket seal look like?

You don't want to splice a new socket. Check out this thread on the best method for repair and the links in the thread for others that contain the part numbers:

https://ls1tech.com/forums/general-m...-up-water.html

GodSmackit

Last time I had the front signal bulb go out, I drilled a hole on bottom just large enough for the water buildup to drain out. No problems.

Zlow28

iTrader: (11)

Thanks for the link.

I don't have any water on the lens. The seal looked pretty worn out but not torn or cracked

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

Sorry, I missed this...

The crack is the source of the problem, so the lens should also be replaced. If its in a place where water will escape, that's better than getting a fishbowl effect, but any water getting in there will corrode the socket like you are seeing and can also burn out the bulb. (When cold water splashes on a hot bulb, it can burn out the filament or explode the bulb.)

When I had this issue, I got some Amber lens repair tape to put over the crack while I waited for my new lens and it worked pretty well.

Zlow28

iTrader: (11)

I'm probably gonna end up buying these instead

http://www.ws6project.com/user_stor/...l-bulb-socket/

And

http://www.ws6project.com/user_stor/...se-housing-lh/

There's no picture of the second one, but does anyone know if it'll just bolt on? Or will I need to modify it to fit?

WhiteBird00

iTrader: (4)

Yes... those are in fact GM parts so they will bolt right on. The first one is the correct part number for the "pigtail" (the socket and wires): 12159662. The second one is the correct part number for the left lamp housing and lens: 10301405. The right side part number is 10301404.

However, $54 is a lot to pay just to get the GM pigtail when aftermarket ones that are just as good are available for under $15.

Zlow28

iTrader: (11)

So get this, i went to my local parts store to see if they had the bulb socket cheaper, and my turn signal started working again lol

Im still planning on buying them just in case it goes out later on which im sure it will. However autozone didnt have them, they only had universal ones and they were under 10 bucks.

The guy told me they should have them at the dealership and told me how to get a hook up on them. He was also into muscle cars

Ill see for how much i can get them at the dealership later on.

WhiteBird00

iTrader: (4)

The universal sockets are really no different from the GM ones - they just don't have the same wire colors. Suggested retail at the dealer is $80 each for the exact same part you can get from WS6 Store for $54. But why pay that much for GM parts when you can replace both sides with universal sockets and have enough left over for beer afterwards?

Zlow28

iTrader: (11)

Bump from the living dead. After 5 months or so, my "new" bulbs look like this...



And the "new" socket looks just as bad. My current turn signal housings are cracked, but i honestly thought they would last longer. Anyway, im gonna buy new housings to go along with new sockets and bulbs.

My new question is should i buy anything else to avoid my new housing lenses to crack? I heard that the housings get really hot, and that tends to crack the lens. Or, should i just drill escape holes on my current housings to avoid the sockets from corroding?

I hardly get rain, but i do wash my car every weekend.

thanks for the help so far

nitrodude

They rust so quick due to electrolysis notice only one side is rusted.
Drill a hole or seal the crack with silicone maybe?

Zlow28

iTrader: (11)

yeah, i just ordered 4 more bulb sockets, so im just gonna drill escape holes on the housing and try silicone.

WhiteBird00

iTrader: (4)

There are several things you can do but the one that will permanently solve the problem is to replace the housings and then change the bulbs to LEDs which produce substantially less heat (so the new housings don't crack). Also, liberally apply dielectric grease to the sockets to keep water out.

When changing to LED bulbs, you will have to add load resistors or change to an electronic flasher to avoid the "bulb out" non-flashing turn signals. Also, be careful about the LED bulbs you buy because many are not suitable for DRL use - especially the ones from V-LEDs who specifically disclaim warranty on bulbs used for DRLs. Have a look at superbrightleds.com or autolumination.com.

With a 15 year old car, you will be amazed at how much clearer and brighter new housings will make your lights look.

Zlow28

iTrader: (11)

Yeah I'm also saving to buy new headlights from blackbird lighting solutions. But until then I'm trynna fix the other lights. Would you happen to have a part number for the led lights that work for our cars?
And will the oem housing be sufficient, or is there a better option? I looked at ws6store, rock auto, gmpartsdirect and they all seem to be oem.