Front turn signal - running lights

[kzoo]

So on my 04 Heritage I noticed one of the front running lights was out. Turn signal still worked. Stopped at the local store and bought what I thought would work, 1157. Put it in, and it is much brighter than the old bulb and does not blink. Hmmm....swapped it with the other side, known good bulb, still no go, but the old bulb worked perfectly.

I guess its off to the dealer just to get a darn bulb.

 

[Hoople]

Strange. It sounds like the dealership bulb will not (should not) work either.

 

[kzoo]

I swapped the known good bulb to the other side just to check out the socket and wiring. Worked fine! New bulb, no blink, very bright no matter which side I put it in. Even tried 2 different 1157 bulbs. Maybe I dont have it seated into the socket good enough, but it just pushes and twists like normal.

 

[Hoople]

Hmmm....swapped it with the other side, known good bulb, still no go, but the old bulb worked perfectly.

I misunderstood you. I thought you meant you took the "good" side bulb, installed it on bad side and the original bad side still did not work.
Sounds like the "new" bulb you bought was made on a Friday before a Holiday weekend.

 

[glider]

I swapped the known good bulb to the other side just to check out the socket and wiring. Worked fine! New bulb, no blink, very bright no matter which side I put it in. Even tried 2 different 1157 bulbs. Maybe I dont have it seated into the socket good enough, but it just pushes and twists like normal.

Make sure the contact plate in the socket isn't jammed in a position that the contacts will not contact the bulb. They do stick back in the socket sometimes. From what you describe, it sounds like that is a defective bulb completely.

Visualize the bad bulb and the good bulb both from the bottom and compare position of the contacts on both in relation to the tabs that secure the bulb into the socket. Also compare the tab locations of the two bulbs. Are they both staggered or is one different.

 

[kzoo]

They looked the same. I did notice the old bulbs had DE grease on them. Maybe that was helping make contact.

Gheesh a simple change, you would think......how my life goes, every project runs over budget, overtime and needs more trips to the store!!!

I plan on going to the dealer, getting 2 new bulbs and installing them in the lot. Problems, they can come look at it. (my dealer is good that way with items just purchased and installed on-site)

 

[Jack Klarich]

Too much Dilectric grease in the socket can pose a problem installing the bulb,