Taillight issue

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

Royy

Full Access Member
Joined
Dec 1, 2016
Messages
187
Reaction score
22
Location
Western CO
My passenger side tail light is out. The brake light (same bulb) works fine, so it's not the bulb.

A couple of weeks ago I had the exact opposite thing happen. The tail light worked, the brake light didn't. By switching some sockets around, I discovered that the socket was bad. I replaced it, problem fixed.

This time however, replacing the socket didn't make a difference. Any ideas what I should look at next? I know next to nothing about wiring and related stuff.
 

Billwill

Full Access Member
Joined
Nov 26, 2009
Messages
2,193
Reaction score
668
Location
White River, South Africa
The bulb is the same but the filament inside the bulb is different....as far as I know on the USA models.

First try replace the bulb.

What year/model is your Jeep?
 

Royy

Full Access Member
Joined
Dec 1, 2016
Messages
187
Reaction score
22
Location
Western CO
The bulb is the same but the filament inside the bulb is different....as far as I know on the USA models.

First try replace the bulb.

What year/model is your Jeep?

It's an '05 3.7 Sport.

This thing just got even more weird. I gave the tail light housing a good smack, and suddenly the tail light worked again... but the brake light stopped working. Gave it another smack, and things switched back around, brake light working, tail light not working.

So the bulb seems to be fine, since both its brake light and tail light functions work. The socket has been replaced, and is not the issue. As far as I can tell, the wires look fine.
 

kejobe

Full Access Member
Joined
Sep 5, 2016
Messages
415
Reaction score
62
Location
NE Ohio
Sounds like a possible bad socket, a bad connection between the socket and bulb or between the socket and wiring.
 

Billwill

Full Access Member
Joined
Nov 26, 2009
Messages
2,193
Reaction score
668
Location
White River, South Africa
Yeah what kejobe said^^^^

Long ago I owned a Landrover....before I saw the light!

This had an intermittent front High Beam not working....I tried everything until I replaced the bulb. The filament inside the glass bulb was obviously loose and would sometimes make contact and sometimes not!
 

Whelan

Full Access Member
Joined
Nov 14, 2006
Messages
235
Reaction score
9
Location
Milford, CT
I fixed this on my wife's Liberty, the metal contact tabs can bend a bit over time and lose their connection. So you end up with lamps that will light sometimes, with a smack, or whatever. The best thing is to remove the lamp (two screws and it pops out) then pull the bulb out, remove said bulb, and with a flathead screwdriver reach into the contact tabs within the plastic bulb housing and push the tab gently back to the center. Do this for ALL the contacts and then reinsert the bulb.
 

Royy

Full Access Member
Joined
Dec 1, 2016
Messages
187
Reaction score
22
Location
Western CO
I've switched bulbs around, switched sockets around, tried a different connector, checked all the metal contact tabs, and none of it made a difference.

So I'm guessing the only possibility is that the wiring on the inside of the housing is bad, or not properly connected to the spots the sockets screw into. I'll check tomorrow if I can take the housing apart, if not it's time for another trip to the junkyard.
 

Royy

Full Access Member
Joined
Dec 1, 2016
Messages
187
Reaction score
22
Location
Western CO
Got a tail light assembly from the junkyard, and that fixed the problem.

... I only didn't realize that the covers for the different years are slightly different.
You must be registered for see images attach


My '05 has a clear cover for the turn signal, with an orange bulb. The replacement (I believe I got it off an '04), has an orange cover with a clear bulb.

Oh well, at least all lights are working now. At some point I'll get a matching assembly.
 

tommudd

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
Jul 14, 2005
Messages
22,456
Reaction score
3,642
Location
Southeastern Ohio
Got a tail light assembly from the junkyard, and that fixed the problem.

... I only didn't realize that the covers for the different years are slightly different.
You must be registered for see images attach


My '05 has a clear cover for the turn signal, with an orange bulb. The replacement (I believe I got it off an '04), has an orange cover with a clear bulb.

Oh well, at least all lights are working now. At some point I'll get a matching assembly.

If anyone says anything just say " yes thats correct, 05 was a changeover year used some old parts some new" :happy175:
 

Royy

Full Access Member
Joined
Dec 1, 2016
Messages
187
Reaction score
22
Location
Western CO
Well, the tail light is back to having issues again :Insane:.
It's not the bulb, not the socket, not the connector, not the connections inside the housing...
 

Latest posts

Members online

Top