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I have a 71 corvette with a new neutral safety switch.
The passenger side reverse light illuminates as it should and I have power going to the prong that is supposed to touch the end of the bulb on the driver's side, so I know the neutral safety switch is not the problem.
Both brake lights illuminate as they should.
Vexingly, the driver side reverse light won't light.
My voltage meter shows ~12v when I touch the prong and the side slots/channels where the bulb's nubes are supposed to make contact, but my screwdriver-shaped voltage tool doesn't light when I touch the same surfaces.
I'm using a good 1156 bulb.
Any suggestions?
2025 c3 ('74-'82) of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2019 C3 of Year Finalist (appearance mods)
You might have lost the ground inside the socket.
Attach a wire to a good ground and touch the other end of the wire to the brass part of the socket.
If the bulb lights up get a new socket.
Thanks calwldlife! I used a Dremel and did that, but maybe I need to do it some more. I'm too mad/frustrated to work on it more tonight, but will give it another go soon thanks to your and Peterbuilt's suggestions.
I wound up unbolting the ground wire going to the housing on the back side of the light housing and cleaning the connection (and improving the spices in the wire going to the far left (drivers side) housing ground. That did the trick. Thanks all for your help.
SIlly idea.........did you swap the bulbs around and see if the problem follows them?
I had tested the bulb. I didn’t have continuity between the negative side of the battery and the ground bolt on the light socket housing. If I had had continuity, then I think your idea would have been a great next step - to discover the bulb’s nubs were too worn down. Am I thinking straight?
one reverse light won't light
