At Witt's End with the DRL's
At Witt's End with the DRL's When I first bought the car a few months back (2000 Trans Am WS6) the right blinker wasn't working, so I bought a new bulb and when I went to change it out I noticed my socket was burnt to a crisp, so I bought a new socket, put both of those in and it still didn't work so I bought a new flasher and that fixed it. But now one of my drl's is brighter than the other, I've searched and can't find crap, has anyone had this issue? It's only when the engines running, if only the power's on they don't do it, I'm stumped 
Last edited by AmarilloWS6; Oct 11, 2011 at 03:08 PM.
I've never seen the front of my car with the headlights on so I decided to go look and the drl's were both the same brightness while the headlights were on but when I turned them off the passenger one went dull again. Could it be a short??
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 11,331
Likes: 346
From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
It's probably a difference in the bulbs. The dimmer bulb is probably a 3057 or 3157 while the brighter one is probably a 3357 or 3457. Although they look identical, there's a significant difference in candlepower. The 3057NA/3157NA produces only 24 candlepower on the bright filament. The 3357NA/3457NA produces 30 candlepower on the bright filament and the /K versions of both produces 40 candlepower. The /K versions are often sold as "long lasting" so you could get a brighter bulb without even knowing it.
Do your turn signals work properly?
I had a similar issue where one filament was brighter than the other. My turn signal on the side of the dim bulb would stay lit to signal there was an issue with one of the bulbs on that side. It was driving me crazy! I kept swapping bulbs but nothing!
Finally, I disassembled my socket, and sure enough the metal clip wasn't seated properly. After I reassembled the socket, it fixed my problem.
This thread has pics referring to the disassembly of the socket and the metal clip inside that I'm referring to.
I had a similar issue where one filament was brighter than the other. My turn signal on the side of the dim bulb would stay lit to signal there was an issue with one of the bulbs on that side. It was driving me crazy! I kept swapping bulbs but nothing!
Finally, I disassembled my socket, and sure enough the metal clip wasn't seated properly. After I reassembled the socket, it fixed my problem.
This thread has pics referring to the disassembly of the socket and the metal clip inside that I'm referring to.
When you turn on the headlights and your hazards, how do the lights behave? If the bulbs are indeed the same, you may have a short somewhere that is causing both of the bulb filaments to illuminate when only one should be on.
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Verdad Gallardo It still may be worth confirming the model number on the bulbs if the above doesn't prove anything. Lots of ways two different bulbs can be introduced in to the same package...
Dude if you recently replaced those sockets and followed the writeup so you didn't have to splice then its probably that metal clip inside the socket. Double check that by reassembling it. That fixed my problem.
What happens when:
- The car is off and the hazzards are on.
- The DRLs are on by themselves.
- The DRLs are on and the driver's turn signal is on.
- The DRLs are on and the passenger's turn signal is on.
- The DRLs are on and the hazzards are on.
- The parking lights are on by themselves.
- The parking lights are on and the driver's turn signal is on.
- The parking lights are on and the passenger's turn signal is on.
- The parking lights are on and the hazzards are on.
Exactly which bulbs did you change? What was the model number of the bulbs you put in? Exactly which sockets did you change? Did you change them by splicing wires? If so, did the colors match up?
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 11,331
Likes: 346
From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
Those are good and very important questions to help us provide diagnostics.
But based on the last post, I would guess that the right (passenger) side socket and bulb were replaced and that the wires to the socket are not connected properly. It appears that the parking light (dim) filament is going on when the DRLs are on. That would explain the difference in brightness. I also suspect that the ground wire of the socket isn't connected properly causing the bulb to fail to flash for the hazards or turn signals when the headlights are on (the filaments are grounding through each other rather than to a separate ground path).
But based on the last post, I would guess that the right (passenger) side socket and bulb were replaced and that the wires to the socket are not connected properly. It appears that the parking light (dim) filament is going on when the DRLs are on. That would explain the difference in brightness. I also suspect that the ground wire of the socket isn't connected properly causing the bulb to fail to flash for the hazards or turn signals when the headlights are on (the filaments are grounding through each other rather than to a separate ground path).
