[urq] Tail Light Issues

[urquattro at comcast.net]

Wot?  Adding/improving grounds can do nothing to help tail light issues? For doing nothing, it helped my car a lot.

I also "refreshed" the contacts in the flat connector. Mine showed some carbon buildup which was easily removed with some emory paper.


 -------------- Original message ----------------------
From: "Louis-Alain Richard" <larichard at plguide.com>
> I confirm the grounding problem theory, at least partially. But I must add
> that adding a supplemental ground strap to the bulb holders did nothing for
> the problem, neither cleaning the 2-wire grounding point... Jon, you may
> want to take ohmmeter and measure the resistances.
> 
> To solve the problem, I dismantled the flat black connector, and I
> discovered that all the ground and 12+ contacts in it were indeed "burned",
> mainly because the wire end connector is made of plated copper, and the bulb
> cluster spades are galvanized steel, or something like that. This caused
> corrosion, even without presence of water and two burned spots were visible
> on many connectors. Remember, 
> 
> The solution was to grind these hot spots with a file (or a Dremel) to
> change the contact point between the two connectors, and I gently bent the
> spades in a U form so the new contact point is between the two former burned
> spots. I guess this is only marginal, but it works, and a full replacement
> will be in the future.
> 
> Louis-Alain
> 
> 
> 
> > -----Message d'origine-----
> > 
> > Quick follow up to my own post re: this problem:
> > 
> > I had previously not discovered the "two-wire" ground just inboard and
> > down of the left cluster - I think it grounds both sides. It was
> > previously covered by the carpet that goes over the back edge of the
> > trunk which fortuitously flopped off when I opened my trunk today. I
> > gave all the hardware a good sand/clean with emery paper and windex
> > (dried thoroughly) and my latest turn signal issue seems to be fixed.
> > This is a must-do if you haven't done it yet. It was def. a little
> > crusty.
> > 
> > Good luck if you haven't solved it yet.
> > 
> > -Jon
>