taillight socket question....2 wire vs. 3 wire
March 5th, 2011, 07:38 PM
#1
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Location: Danville, CA.
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taillight socket question....2 wire vs. 3 wire
well my tail light sockets are in pretty bad shape and wondering what the difference between the 2 wire sockets & 4 wire sockets are...?
the replacements im finding are either 2 wire or 3 wire, which ones do i need to use?
do i swap the 4 wire originals with 3 wire replacements or can i use the 2 wire replacements?
thanks.
the replacements im finding are either 2 wire or 3 wire, which ones do i need to use?
do i swap the 4 wire originals with 3 wire replacements or can i use the 2 wire replacements?
thanks.
March 5th, 2011, 08:32 PM
#2
Oldsdruid
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Southside Vajenya
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I'm not following you on these 4-wire sockets. I've never seen those on a GM car. Or do you mean one socket on each side of the car has two wires in the same cavity, which would make sense? A main feed wire to that lamp filament, and a jumper from that socket to the next?
A 2-wire taillight/parking light socket has one wire for park/tail and one wire for brake/turn signal lamps. Those ground thru a metal prong that contacts the bumper or car body with socket indexed and in place.
3-wire sockets came into use in the early 70s when impact bumpers came into the picture. The impact shock absorber did not provide ground continuity from bumper to the frame or body sheetmetal and the third wire was a dedicated ground. Sometimes it attached to a screw on the car side of the frame; others like my Hurst/Olds actually have a ground wire in the harness that goes to a common ground point in the car wiring.
Get a wiring diagram if you don't have one, and if the sockets are that far gone you might consider replacing the whole taillight harness if one is available. The OE sockets weren't the best, and the new Chinesium parts aren't a great deal better.
A 2-wire taillight/parking light socket has one wire for park/tail and one wire for brake/turn signal lamps. Those ground thru a metal prong that contacts the bumper or car body with socket indexed and in place.
3-wire sockets came into use in the early 70s when impact bumpers came into the picture. The impact shock absorber did not provide ground continuity from bumper to the frame or body sheetmetal and the third wire was a dedicated ground. Sometimes it attached to a screw on the car side of the frame; others like my Hurst/Olds actually have a ground wire in the harness that goes to a common ground point in the car wiring.
Get a wiring diagram if you don't have one, and if the sockets are that far gone you might consider replacing the whole taillight harness if one is available. The OE sockets weren't the best, and the new Chinesium parts aren't a great deal better.
March 5th, 2011, 10:19 PM
#3
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this is the drivers side (outside socket)
IMG_1929.jpg
this is the passenger side (outside socket)
IMG_1932.jpg
notice that the l/s has 4 wires and the r/s has 2 wires. did someone botch this wiring up ?
IMG_1929.jpg
this is the passenger side (outside socket)
IMG_1932.jpg
notice that the l/s has 4 wires and the r/s has 2 wires. did someone botch this wiring up ?
March 6th, 2011, 03:12 AM
#4
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Location: Northeast Ohio
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Those wires are just pigtailed out to run to the other socket like Rocketraider said, you replace them with two wire sockets with two contact in the base.
The second yellow wire has me confused? That's the left tail and stop wire so where does that pigtail to? The wiring diagram shows it ending at that socket, car doesn't have trailer wiring does it?
The side markers and the second taillight filaments are the brown wire and the diagram does show it jumping over to the other socket.
This is no big deal, if the replacement socket has two wires cut the wires off the old socket and tie them each to the correct single wire from the new socket and solder them together and tape or shrink tube them up.
That shadow in the right socket pic looks like another wire, had me going for a minute.
The second yellow wire has me confused? That's the left tail and stop wire so where does that pigtail to? The wiring diagram shows it ending at that socket, car doesn't have trailer wiring does it?
The side markers and the second taillight filaments are the brown wire and the diagram does show it jumping over to the other socket.
This is no big deal, if the replacement socket has two wires cut the wires off the old socket and tie them each to the correct single wire from the new socket and solder them together and tape or shrink tube them up.
That shadow in the right socket pic looks like another wire, had me going for a minute.
March 6th, 2011, 11:53 AM
#5
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Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Danville, CA.
Posts: 35
Those wires are just pigtailed out to run to the other socket like Rocketraider said, you replace them with two wire sockets with two contact in the base.
The second yellow wire has me confused? That's the left tail and stop wire so where does that pigtail to? The wiring diagram shows it ending at that socket, car doesn't have trailer wiring does it?
The side markers and the second taillight filaments are the brown wire and the diagram does show it jumping over to the other socket.
This is no big deal, if the replacement socket has two wires cut the wires off the old socket and tie them each to the correct single wire from the new socket and solder them together and tape or shrink tube them up.
That shadow in the right socket pic looks like another wire, had me going for a minute.
The second yellow wire has me confused? That's the left tail and stop wire so where does that pigtail to? The wiring diagram shows it ending at that socket, car doesn't have trailer wiring does it?
The side markers and the second taillight filaments are the brown wire and the diagram does show it jumping over to the other socket.
This is no big deal, if the replacement socket has two wires cut the wires off the old socket and tie them each to the correct single wire from the new socket and solder them together and tape or shrink tube them up.
That shadow in the right socket pic looks like another wire, had me going for a minute.
you know the car does have a hitch on it!! but i dont think there is any wiring related to it.
i replaced 2 of the sockets with new 2 wire sockets and while the headlights are on they work great! going to replace the other 2 today as the old ones were off & on. these new ones fit nice and snug with no movement.
now i just need to figure out whats wrong with my turn signals/brake lights/ & hazards!
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