I keep blowing tail light bulbs! What's up with that?
10-08-2014 | 12:24 PM
#12
Administrator
Joined: 10-13-2011
Posts: 37,841
From: Welland,Ont Canada
X2 for what George states, check your ground points clean and ensure they are tight and replace both bulb sockets left and right side, I had this issue on my 88 GMC C1500 and 83 S10, both had corroded grounds, a little elbow grease goes a long way , and wipe some di-electric grease on the ground connection to keep the ground point dry and clean!
10-08-2014 | 01:52 PM
#19
Platinum Member
Joined: 12-06-2009
Posts: 11,431
From: Alabama
Clovis. According to the repair manual, the ground wires for the rear lighting all junction at or just under the right side rear light housing.
Not sure if this is a body ground point or just where the grounds splice together.
That's the place I'd look first.
Not sure if this is a body ground point or just where the grounds splice together.
That's the place I'd look first.
01-19-2019 | 08:58 PM
#20
Joined: 01-19-2019
Posts: 2
From: Maryland
Same Issue
I had this same issue! While it's 2019 I bought a used car a few years ago. I blew about two bulbs a week for the better part of the year. The bulbs would turn milky white, and the people at the auto shop where I bought the bulbs told me it looked like they were getting wet. Sometimes I can go as long as a month with no issue--then all the sudden, back to two bulbs a week.... It actually has burnt/melted the plastic area around the bulb. Real issues as I was pulled over a few times when it first started (about a year after I bought it used), and didn't realize the light was out. Of course after I just replaced it I was surprised to get pulled over again.
I did find that using a towel instead of my bare hand helped some--but it only lasted a few more days. I bought so many I started to take the bulb out in the evening, because it seemed the light was staying hot. I did this in case it rained as I was told the issue was it was getting wet. After about a month of doing this... It stopped blowing leaving it in all the time. I had a similar issues with the car shutting off in the winter. For about three months the car would shut off whenever it was very cold--last winter. After about three months that stopped too...
Lastly, I had issues with tires wearing unevenly... Wonder if anyone that that particular issue with this make/model/year.
I did find that using a towel instead of my bare hand helped some--but it only lasted a few more days. I bought so many I started to take the bulb out in the evening, because it seemed the light was staying hot. I did this in case it rained as I was told the issue was it was getting wet. After about a month of doing this... It stopped blowing leaving it in all the time. I had a similar issues with the car shutting off in the winter. For about three months the car would shut off whenever it was very cold--last winter. After about three months that stopped too...
Lastly, I had issues with tires wearing unevenly... Wonder if anyone that that particular issue with this make/model/year.
I bought a new base HHR back in 2006.
We absolutely love this car, and have had no problems with it, except for blowing exterior bulbs. Within a year, I had replaced all exterior bulbs, including headlights, but have had no other issues since then, except for the tail light bulbs.
My biggest problem are the tail light bulbs. I simply cannot keep a bulb in the passenger side tail light, which will blow within a minute of installing a new bulb.
At one point, the passenger side bulb got so hot that it literally melted the plastic housing that holds the bulb in place. It got so hot that it distorted that plastic housing, and I had to file and reshape the housing so the socket would fit back in.
My dad helped me with this, and cleaned up a ground connection with sand paper and a file, which helped for about 4 months.
If you have any suggestions that might help, I would greatly appreciate them.
Thank you!!!!
We absolutely love this car, and have had no problems with it, except for blowing exterior bulbs. Within a year, I had replaced all exterior bulbs, including headlights, but have had no other issues since then, except for the tail light bulbs.
My biggest problem are the tail light bulbs. I simply cannot keep a bulb in the passenger side tail light, which will blow within a minute of installing a new bulb.
At one point, the passenger side bulb got so hot that it literally melted the plastic housing that holds the bulb in place. It got so hot that it distorted that plastic housing, and I had to file and reshape the housing so the socket would fit back in.
My dad helped me with this, and cleaned up a ground connection with sand paper and a file, which helped for about 4 months.
If you have any suggestions that might help, I would greatly appreciate them.
Thank you!!!!