rear tail light housing bulb ground repair

[burgermeister]

My blinkers, backup, and brake lights have been flaky since I got the car ... intermittently non-functional. I knew the bulbs were having a hard time getting ground. Wiggling them around, cleaning the contacts, and a dab of grease always solved the issue ... for some unspecified amount of time. The bulbs were really quite loose, and appeared to move around a lot - some had visible divots worn into the positive connection 'solder dots', and whatever plating was on the housing was also worn off in large areas where the bulb base rubbed.

Back in my high school days, I'd wrap the bulb with a bit of aluminium foil, but it always made me nervous about creating a short if it stuffed in too far, and it seemed just a bit too cheesy for the 911.

So. I used some 0.005" brass shim stock. Being a woodworker, I always have some on hand, but any decent hardware will have it. I attached the pieces into the housing with 1/8" self-tapping machine screws. Not really necessary, but it keeps the shim stock in place when I remove the bulbs. Not thinking ahead too far, I learned that the screw head is bigger than the screw, and it needs to be out of the way of the bulb base. D'ouh!!

I cut the stock short enought so it cannot reach the positive contacts in back and cause a short of some unfused 911 circuit, resulting in the exothermic demise of my 911. I don't want to be associated with "Lucas, Prince of Darkness" either...

Now, all the bulbs work (presumably for the forseeable future) and are nice and tight in their sockets.



Maybe not concours material, I'm sure it is terribly unsafe in some way someone will soon point out, but it does seem to work. Cost is about $3.50 including screws and shim stock (though my shim stock was purchased around 1994 or so ...)

[Thrasher]

thanks for the tip BM... got any more close-up pix w/o bulb in way?

[fred cook]

I have had the same problem with my SC in the past. I resolved this problem by simply putting a few small dabs of solder on the bulb base and filing it down until the bulb was a snug fit. The bulbs don't get hot enough to soften or melt the solder. Of course, when I change a bulb I have to re-do the process. This process only takes a few minutes and is almost zero cost.

[acapella8]

Fred or Burger, I'd love to see closer pics as well of both methods, I have the same problem in my 78 SC ROW.

[RWebb]

please please - somebody make replacement plastic (light wt.) units that take the factory lenses

that would solve the above problem,
take about 9 lbs off the rear
and eliminate a shelf that holds dirt & rocks

[Bill Douglas]

Good tip.

I've always just wrapped copper wire around the base of the bulb but your idea is much more elegant.