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Just need some help with a problem I've been having lately. One of my side markers are brighter then the other. My drivers bulb is more dim then the other. So, I thought the bulbs needed to be replaced. (Changed both of them) Once I changed it, it didn't solve the problem. The next day I went to the junkyard thinking it would be the actual little sensor on which the bulb connects to was faulting. I changed it, fused the wires put the bulb on & it didn't solve the problem. Like, the actual drivers side bulb is lighting just a little bit but its no were near as bright as the passenger side? I don't know what else it can be. Any help or solutions are welcomed. (99 T/A A4.)
Check the voltage for both and see if they're the same. But I'd say its either corrosion and/or deformed plastic in the DRL sockets.
I got like 5 DRL sockets, off of different Firebird's and Camaro's from different years from the junkyard. Before I took off mine old DRL it wouldn't make the flashing the light for turn signaling. It seems like the socket I had before I took it off were burnt bad off of my car. The ones I got from the junkyard mostly all of them have had this gel inside of the actual socket after removing the old bulb.(all of the 5 old sockets looked in good condition, but I only used 1 of them instead of all 5.) Would it make a difference if I just keep using old DRL sockets from the junkyard or a new would solve the problem?
I'm assuming we're talking about the DRL/Running light assembly instead of the side marker, they're two different things.
I had a similar problem with my DRL and I fixed it by getting a new socket from AutoZone and wiring it up. They are prone to breaking due to the high temperatures they have to withstand. Also that gel you saw was bulb grease, it prevents corrosion between the electrical contacts.
I'm assuming we're talking about the DRL/Running light assembly instead of the side marker, they're two different things.
I had a similar problem with my DRL and I fixed it by getting a new socket from AutoZone and wiring it up. They are prone to breaking due to the high temperatures they have to withstand. Also that gel you saw was bulb grease, it prevents corrosion between the electrical contacts.
Yes, I'm talking about the DRL. I should of been more specific about it. Well, if you say that you bought a new one then would you recommend that I get a new one instead of trying to swap out the DRL sockets? I'm just tired of having a brighter DRL bulb then the other all the time.
Yes, I'm talking about the DRL. I should of been more specific about it. Well, if you say that you bought a new one then would you recommend that I get a new one instead of trying to swap out the DRL sockets? I'm just tired of having a brighter DRL bulb then the other all the time.
Is the dim DRL bulb on the same side of the car that you have a the marker light problem on? If so, that points more to a The problem for both issues. I recall that those bulbs share the ground and that there are separate grounding points for the set of lights on each side of the car.
Also - if you decide to change the socket, you don't need to splice the new one in. (The splice could cause you other problems down the road if it isn't waterproof.) If you take one of your junkyard sockets and use a screw driver to press in the two tabs at the edge of the socket, you can pop out the insert. (The insert is the piece where the bulb actually attaches.) You should be able to replace just the insert in your existing socket. This will give you fresh contacts and will keep your wires 100% intact. (Once you take the insert out of one of the sockets, you'll see how the assembly goes together.) BTW - All of these plastic parts get brittle over time, so you'll want to be careful releasing the inserts from the socket body, but it sounds like you have plenty of spare parts if you encounter an issue.
I'm sorry the late reply everyone. I was able to fix the problem with DRL being brighter than the passenger side. What I ended up doing that fixed the problem, was buying the DRL socket (it was used for either taillights or blinker lights at autozone). I bought socket, put a lot of bulb grease to get it nice insulated; I cut the wires from the old sockets I got from the junk yard, spliced them together with ones from the car and then finally splicing the new the socket with the old wires that were connected to the factory wires (the ones in the harness for the original DRL). and when I put in the bulb turned the parking lights on, it was very bright! I was so revealed of this problem and I didn't think my trick was going to work. I added a picture so everyone can see.
Last edited by WhiteBird00; 04-19-2015 at 07:28 AM.
Reason: Remove repeated post text
There's still something I don't get. You started off talking about your marker lights, then clarified that it was the DRLs but the "solution" made the parking lights brighter?
Your car has two amber lamps at the front that serve multiple purposes. The bulbs each have two filaments in them that run on separate circuits and are independent of each other (like having two bulbs in one). The dim filament is for the parking/running lights that are on with the headlights. The bright filament is for the turn signals and daytime running lights (DRLs).
Since the DRLs and the turn signals share the same filament, if one side DRL was dimmer than the other, the same side turn signal would also be dimmer yet you didn't mention that.
My concern is that we didn't have all the information to help diagnose the problem and that you may have connected the socket wires incorrectly making the parking/running lights use the bright filament that should be connected to the DRLs and turn signals. That would make your parking lights bright but your turn signals and DRLs dim.
I also have no idea why you would splice in an extra section of old junk yard wire rather than just connecting the new socket's wires directly to car's harness.
Have you tested that all lights work as expected now? You need to check the lights with every combination of ignition on/off (for the DRLs) as well as turn signals and headlights on/off.
There's still something I don't get. You started off talking about your marker lights, then clarified that it was the DRLs but the "solution" made the parking lights brighter?
Your car has two amber lamps at the front that serve multiple purposes. The bulbs each have two filaments in them that run on separate circuits and are independent of each other (like having two bulbs in one). The dim filament is for the parking/running lights that are on with the headlights. The bright filament is for the turn signals and daytime running lights (DRLs).
Since the DRLs and the turn signals share the same filament, if one side DRL was dimmer than the other, the same side turn signal would also be dimmer yet you didn't mention that.
My concern is that we didn't have all the information to help diagnose the problem and that you may have connected the socket wires incorrectly making the parking/running lights use the bright filament that should be connected to the DRLs and turn signals. That would make your parking lights bright but your turn signals and DRLs dim.
I also have no idea why you would splice in an extra section of old junk yard wire rather than just connecting the new socket's wires directly to car's harness.
Have you tested that all lights work as expected now? You need to check the lights with every combination of ignition on/off (for the DRLs) as well as turn signals and headlights on/off.
Everything works now. I spliced the old junkyard wires to the factory wires because I ran out of wires when I was trying to take off the old DRL socket. The post was originally about the drivers side DRL being dimer than the passenger side when the headlights were on. During the day they were both luminated at equal brightness.
Everything works now. I spliced the old junkyard wires to the factory wires because I ran out of wires when I was trying to take off the old DRL socket. The post was originally about the drivers side DRL being dimer than the passenger side when the headlights were on. During the day they were both luminated at equal brightness.
That clarifies a lot... there was nothing wrong with your DRLs but one of your parking lights was dimmer than the other.
03-23-2015, 06:02 PM
DRL brigther then the other. '99 Trans Am A4 
