Rear Taillight Keeps Breaking
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 832
Likes: 1
From: Breckenridge Colorado
Rear Taillight Keeps Breaking
My rear passenger taillight/turn signal light keeps breaking. I have replaced it twice in the last month and it just broke again.
My taillight cover has small cracks in it, could it be water getting inside when I wash the car when I get home (I will start checking the light once I get back)? The cover is also deformed and the taillight does not securely fit inside so I kinda had it duct-taped so it would not fall out of the housing. From the outside you could not tell, so it was only me that knew about the duct-tape until now. Could it be that it is rattling around too much and is breaking that way? Or worse yet, do you think there might be some electrical problem that is causing it to 'blow' and shatter the bulb?
I am gonna start paying more attention to it now, but since it has now happened for the 3rd time there is definately something happening. I did leave on the taillights last time and let run for about 30 minutes in the garage and it never blew so I was hoping it was not an electrical problem.
Thanks All.
My taillight cover has small cracks in it, could it be water getting inside when I wash the car when I get home (I will start checking the light once I get back)? The cover is also deformed and the taillight does not securely fit inside so I kinda had it duct-taped so it would not fall out of the housing. From the outside you could not tell, so it was only me that knew about the duct-tape until now. Could it be that it is rattling around too much and is breaking that way? Or worse yet, do you think there might be some electrical problem that is causing it to 'blow' and shatter the bulb?
I am gonna start paying more attention to it now, but since it has now happened for the 3rd time there is definately something happening. I did leave on the taillights last time and let run for about 30 minutes in the garage and it never blew so I was hoping it was not an electrical problem.
Thanks All.
Last edited by MartyW; Aug 7, 2006 at 06:11 PM.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 832
Likes: 1
From: Breckenridge Colorado
Originally Posted by I'm Batman
You might have a short somewhere, but the water could be a major issue. Get a new taillight housing.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 23,831
Likes: 10
From: Springfield MO
St. Jude Donor '07
Glass breaking sounds like cold water hitting a hot glass bulb. I'd seriously consider dropping $15 or so and installing the LED bulbs...less heat, the plastic lens and housing will last longer.
Instructor
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 159
Likes: 0
i think i know what your problem is i had the same one. ok im guessing ur putting the tail lights in with the tail lamps in place?? well when i did that the bulb would feel like it was in place but i didnt know it wasnt. so it would rattle and eventually break. so my solution was i took the tail lamp out and put the bulb in with it out and made sure it was in there. also if you do take it out make sure its not cracked or a peice is broken off or anything
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 832
Likes: 1
From: Breckenridge Colorado
Originally Posted by arctic74vette
i think i know what your problem is i had the same one. ok im guessing ur putting the tail lights in with the tail lamps in place?? well when i did that the bulb would feel like it was in place but i didnt know it wasnt. so it would rattle and eventually break. so my solution was i took the tail lamp out and put the bulb in with it out and made sure it was in there. also if you do take it out make sure its not cracked or a peice is broken off or anything
I have been getting in a habit of completely washing the car when I get back from a drive and maybe the bulb it still hot and water is getting in the housing. I'll see if I can pick up some of those led one and when they break next I will try those.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 23,831
Likes: 10
From: Springfield MO
St. Jude Donor '07
New housings/lenses aren't that expensive from the parts vendors and seem to be of very nice quality. I replaced mine earlier this summer - and I'm going to get two more to do the 4-light conversion.
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 832
Likes: 1
From: Breckenridge Colorado
From what I have seen about $80 for a pair and $150 or so for all 4. The one I am getting on eBay has no cracks and looks to be in great shape. Should hopefully get it for less than $20 including shipping. I plan on doing a body off restoration of the car in a few years when I can get my full garage built so I will be replacing most everything at that point. For now, I am not going for perfect. With the lights off its hard to see those small hairline cracks. All 4 of mine have cracks, but you can't see them when the lights are off.
I replaced the bulb again tonight and got it to connect to the housing correctly after I shaved off the melted parts of the housing with a razor. It is connected solidly at the moment so we'll see if it breaks again before the new lens arrives.
I replaced the bulb again tonight and got it to connect to the housing correctly after I shaved off the melted parts of the housing with a razor. It is connected solidly at the moment so we'll see if it breaks again before the new lens arrives.
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