Topic: Wire pulled out of the tail light socket....

[Craig]

how do I fix this? Drivers side brown wire. Has a barb on one side of the connector. Maybe it's supposed to have 2? I can't figure out how it's supposed to stay in the socket. Thanks

[Gold78Spc]

Can you give us a picture of your problem?  The description is a little vague (at least to me anyways).

[Craig]

Here it is:

http://s180.photobucket.com/albums/x301/DcraigTA/?action=view&current=CIMG0489.jpg

[Gold78Spc]

I managed to repair one of those once.  If you remove the bulb and look in that side you should be able to see how the metal connectors inside the socket come out.  ( they hook from the socket side but push out though the back side )just make sure you have good light and poke it an prod it a little until you can see how it hooks in there.  once you get it out you should be able to see if and how you can crip the wire back on to the connector.  But it looks like you've got quite a bit of corrosion there so it may end up the only thing you can do is find another socket and cut the old one off and splice a better one on.  If you get one off a donor car try to get the same one cause some of the other sockets may be wired a little differently.

[Craig]

I'm not sure why this brown wire has so much corrosion on it. the others look great. THe PO installed a trailer hitch, so there are some extra connectors spliced into the wires.

There was a rear harness and 2 tail lights on eBay last week. I should have snagged them. I think it sold for $35.

[Rick]

gregh over on TAC has a car he's parting out right now -- it runs and drives (barely) and he's asking who wants what off it.  He basically bought it because he needed the kick panels for his son's car -- he doesn't need hardly anything else off of it.  I bet if you check with him you could snag maybe the whole rear harness.

The post is in the Lobby section.

[Craig]

Thanks for the heads-up Rick!

[Craig]

Anyone know if the '79 harness is the same as the '78?

[bandit nz]

Yep id get too and replace that whole socket, you can see where the insulation on the wires has had some heat build up already, likely due to poor connection, caused by that corrosion.

If you try to fix it will  just continue to get worse over time and I bet those wires are really stiff near where they enter that bulb holder.

[Gold78Spc]

Anyone know if the '79 harness is the same as the '78?

I don't think they are.  Let me look around I may have one.

[ta78w72]

If my memory is correct, I remember reading a similar question on the TAC forum and the answer was no.....a 78 tail harness differs from a 79.  I have one....but I don't recall if it's a 78 or 79.

And, Rick is correct....you're better off replacing it.  Those harnesses aren't very expensive and yours isn't in very good shape...so replace it while there are plenty of parts available...in ten years you might not be able to find one.

[Craig]

I missed out on an eBay harness and both tail lights in great condition last week for $35. I thought I could fix the socket. Damn. Let me know if you have one Gold78Spc. Thanks!