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I cant seem to get my passenger side reverse light to work. The connections are good. The wiring is good. The bulb is good. A tester light works in the light socket. A new bulb changed nothing. I finally replaced the whole back up light unit - same issue. No light when I shift to reverse. I have to be missing something when it comes to grounding somehow, but Im at a loss. Any suggestions to get this to work?
Yep grounding.... On my 71 Cutlass, (pretty sure same as your 70), one of my reverse lights quit and after messing with them they both quit! If I clamped a jumper cable on the outside of the bulb socket to ground it would work. I found the socket itself had no continuity to ground, it was actually a open due to corrosion, though it didn't look corroded. The reverse lights use the ground path thru the rear bumper. So I cleaned off the back of the sockets and actually soldered a wire onto them and ran those wires to the trunk ground by the trunk lid latch. I'm sure new reverse light housings would have worked also, but the way I did it is fine for me and probably will work forever. Now on a perfect restoration --- no.
Try attaching a wire to the frame and then touch the other end to the housing.
Sorry for the delay in reply - got called out of town... When installed, a wire touched to the outer housing as a ground does nothing. When touched to the bulb section, the bulb lights. So there's a disconnect in the grounding/connection between the outer housing and the bulb housing, even through they appear to be almost one piece. I'm going to soak the two units I have in Evaporust for a day or two and then scrub away to see if the two metal pieces can find their connection again. Grounds are maddening!!!
I had a similar problem with my '69 and my solution was kind of rinky-dink but it worked. The problem I had was that, even though the single contact point at the bottom of the bulb was making good contact the single contact point in the socket, the metal side of the bulb was not making good contact with the side of the socket. Here's the rinky-dink part: I carefully folded a piece of tin foil and inserted it into the bottom of the socket so that there was better metal contact from the side of the bulb to the side of the socket. Probably not the best was to skin a cat but and I haven't had any issues with it. For some reason, the two little metal tabs on the bulb were just not making good contact with the socket. And, it just seemed like the bulb, which is the correct bulb for the socket, was a bit sloppy in the socket.
I had a similar problem with my '69 and my solution was kind of rinky-dink but it worked. The problem I had was that, even though the single contact point at the bottom of the bulb was making good contact the single contact point in the socket, the metal side of the bulb was not making good contact with the side of the socket. Here's the rinky-dink part: I carefully folded a piece of tin foil and inserted it into the bottom of the socket so that there was better metal contact from the side of the bulb to the side of the socket. Probably not the best was to skin a cat but and I haven't had any issues with it. For some reason, the two little metal tabs on the bulb were just not making good contact with the socket. And, it just seemed like the bulb, which is the correct bulb for the socket, was a bit sloppy in the socket.
Randy C.
You may have something there - those bulbs are all loose in that socket. I may try your idea on the socket that is in the car right now while the other soaks in rust remover...
You can solder a wire to the bulb housing and run it to the mounting screw. Your issue is common where the socket and the housing joint builds corrosion and you lose continuity.
Took out the ugly piece and dropped it in Evaporust overnight. Rinsed it off this morning and got this:
Powered it up on the bench and it worked. So I scrubbed it everywhere with a brass brush, cleaned every connection point, shot it with some clear zinc and some clear acrylic, painted the inside white, and it works great. Now to install it on the car
yours look good but for others that read this thread the BU lite lenses usually have rust stains in them. Ive scrubbed them w iron out and a nylon bristle brush to remove the rust stains and get them looking good again
Bob, what you did is exactly what I did to mine about 3-4 years ago. Then this year is when they quit again, It seems the crimp gits corroded and the ground is lost. That's why I soldered on a ground wire, wish I'd taken some pics... Hope it keeps working for you.
Bob, what you did is exactly what I did to mine about 3-4 years ago. Then this year is when they quit again, It seems the crimp gits corroded and the ground is lost. That's why I soldered on a ground wire, wish I'd taken some pics... Hope it keeps working for you.
I really debated doing that, but while I'm not quite in the restoration mode yet (that starts this winter) I figured I would do this now the way I will do it later... I know part of the issue is the upper attaching bolt, since it has the wiring harness loop in the way of a good connection. That leaves just the lower bolt as the only metal to metal attaching point, and if the connection is dirty or corroded there, you won't get a ground at the bumper. I'm thinking I may create a metal loop for the upper bolt that will ground it to the bumper as well instead of it being insulated by the plastic wire loop. Anyway, the real issue is obviously the corrosion between the two metals where the bulb socket meets the reflector case, and I hope by cleaning it and then shooting the area with a clear acrylic spray paint that I will keep a good connection and keep it protected from the elements for some time to come.
August 22nd, 2021, 01:42 PM
