Ed Hall Posted July 7, 2004 Report Share Posted July 7, 2004 I replaced the left taillight bulb 2 times so far and each time, the bulb only lasts less than a day. What's going on? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marika Posted July 8, 2004 Report Share Posted July 8, 2004 Do you see any evidence of water or moisture getting in? Wires crossed? Socket rusted or broken? If you really want to make people safe drivers again then simply remove all the safety features from cars. No more seat belts, ABS brakes, traction control, air bags or stability control. No more anything. You'll see how quickly people will slow down and once again learn to drive like "normal" humans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regis Posted July 8, 2004 Report Share Posted July 8, 2004 I was thinking the samething. Probably a little rust inside the bulb socket considering the age of your car. Looks good by the way. -kg 207,000miles "Burns" rubber " I've never considered myself to be all that conservative, but it seems the more liberal some people get the more conservative I become. " Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wontgoslo Posted July 8, 2004 Report Share Posted July 8, 2004 bad ground,or a short somewhere Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfoo Posted July 8, 2004 Report Share Posted July 8, 2004 Take a voltmeter and test it.. make sure getting the right voltage and that it's steady and not changing.. Light bulbs blow out real fast if the voltage to them isn't steady (like if you turned the switch on and of 50000 times real fast the bulb would be toast in seconds (if you could do it that many times in a small amount of seconds)).. It could be getting too many volts but that's doubtful in a car.. my guess is that something is vibrating causing the voltage to change like if you were flipping a switch super fast (moisture grouding the positive lead or something else would have the same effect) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adallak Posted July 8, 2004 Report Share Posted July 8, 2004 have you checked the bad bulbs for continuity? what if the socket/contacts just bad not the bulbs? The saddest thing in life is wasted talent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Hall Posted July 8, 2004 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2004 I haven't checked this bulb, but I could tell the previous bulb was burned out by looking at the broken element. I don't understand how the bulb could be getting too much voltage unless the voltage regulator on the alternator is bad. And if there is a short, wouldn't the voltage decrease? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfoo Posted July 8, 2004 Report Share Posted July 8, 2004 If there is a short that causes the bulb to get voltage and then to not get voltage and then to get voltage again over and over it will burn out VERY quickly. What happens is the element gets hot then cold then hot then cold then hot then cold real fast and well you know what happens then Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
growe3 Posted July 8, 2004 Report Share Posted July 8, 2004 I would lean towards a poor socket connection. My experience has been low voltage causing lights to burn out prematurely. I am not that knowledgeable in electricity, but I think as the voltage drops the amps will try to go up. This could be caused by moisture, rust, corrosion in the socket and/or connection wires not able to spring up to their proper position. Check to see if the wires can easily extend into the socket, to make the bulb connection. Another thought is that the bulb that you put in may have been defective or handled roughly before you got it and the filament was weakened. -George Drive'em like you own 'em. - ....................04 DTS............................ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scotty Posted July 8, 2004 Report Share Posted July 8, 2004 I would lean towards a poor socket connection. My experience has been low voltage causing lights to burn out prematurely. I am not that knowledgeable in electricity, but I think as the voltage drops the amps will try to go up. This could be caused by moisture, rust, corrosion in the socket and/or connection wires not able to spring up to their proper position. Check to see if the wires can easily extend into the socket, to make the bulb connection. Another thought is that the bulb that you put in may have been defective or handled roughly before you got it and the filament was weakened. -George I feel the same way about a poor socket connection. My left rear turn signal/running light has burned out every three months and I feel its related to a poor socket connection. It appears that the base of the bulb is over heating and melting the solder connections on the bulb. Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justgreat Posted July 8, 2004 Report Share Posted July 8, 2004 well, fwiw when i changed the taillight bulbs on my 90 seville i was surprised to find di-electric grease in the sockets and obviously on the bulbs, i can't say for sure that they came from the factory that way but i'm also pretty sure nobody had been in there before me...might want to try some to ensure a decent electrical connection. jack 90seville 94k Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimD Posted July 8, 2004 Report Share Posted July 8, 2004 well, fwiw when i changed the taillight bulbs on my 90 seville i was surprised to find di-electric grease in the sockets and obviously on the bulbs, i can't say for sure that they came from the factory that way but i'm also pretty sure nobody had been in there before me...might want to try some to ensure a decent electrical connection. jack 90seville 94k And equally important, to exclude moisture. Jim Drive your car. Use your cell phone. CHOOSE ONE ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98Concours Posted July 8, 2004 Report Share Posted July 8, 2004 I just changed a burned out reverse light bulb in my 90Seville and the socket was filled with di-electric grease. The sockets on my mom's 95Concours didn't have any di-electric grease in them and those have issues. Jeff Jeff 98 Concours 90 Seville 04 Corvette Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adallak Posted July 8, 2004 Report Share Posted July 8, 2004 I am not that knowledgeable in electricity, but I think as the voltage drops the amps will try to go up. hahaha... I do not know whether the amps TRY to go up, but as a matter of fact as the voltage drops they go south too The saddest thing in life is wasted talent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfoo Posted July 9, 2004 Report Share Posted July 9, 2004 amps x volts = watts so if something requires 50 watts to run and at 12 volts that means it takes 4.17 amps but if at 10 volts to get 50 watts take 5 amps so you are correct in a sense.. however i terms of a light bulb i believe it will simply be dimmer since it has no way to compensate for the lack of volts like other types of electronic equipment do. If there was a bad connection it would cause voltage changes. It's the CHANGE in voltage that kills light bulbs and the like. Even in your house, if your electric company started supplying 130 volts for 1 second and then 120 for another second and 135 for another second and so on, all your lights would be toast within hours probaly.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adallak Posted July 9, 2004 Report Share Posted July 9, 2004 amps x volts = watts so if something requires 50 watts to run and at 12 volts that means it takes 4.17 amps but if at 10 volts to get 50 watts take 5 amps so you are correct in a sense.. however i terms of a light bulb i believe it will simply be dimmer since it has no way to compensate for the lack of volts like other types of electronic equipment do. If there was a bad connection it would cause voltage changes. It's the CHANGE in voltage that kills light bulbs and the like. Even in your house, if your electric company started supplying 130 volts for 1 second and then 120 for another second and 135 for another second and so on, all your lights would be toast within hours probaly.. I=U/R where I- is "amps" , U -volts, and R - Ohms the resistance of your bulb which does not change too much when it hot. So how the amps are going up if u drops? Ohm rule for direct current. I agree that the bulbs are vulnerable to "regime change" (sorry for citing the classics ) in other words if youturn light on for months it will be fine, but as soon as you turn it off and on again it will be gone. Needless to say that the bulb would be safer if you never turn it on But in this case (12V DC) iI am sure it is the voltage surge what kills the bulb. How it occures?I do not know - too many possibilities. The saddest thing in life is wasted talent Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Regis Posted July 9, 2004 Report Share Posted July 9, 2004 Sure is a lot of technical information for a little rust in the socket. "Burns" rubber " I've never considered myself to be all that conservative, but it seems the more liberal some people get the more conservative I become. " Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfoo Posted July 9, 2004 Report Share Posted July 9, 2004 Uhh.. Yea that's what I mean to say check for corrosion in and around the socket area. :> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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