Issue with one back up light

[Doug Meloan]

Seems like my 63' is going to test my patience this month. I get one problem solved and another shows up.  Recently I noticed I was not getting any back up lights to come on. With good advice from several of you on this blog forum figured out it was the NSS. Replaced NSS and that seemed to solve the problem, except only one back up light comes on.  Checked the wiring, cleaned the connections, all other lights working correctly, have power to light green wire that connects to back up bulb  but bulb won't light. (Yes, I did check to make sure the bulb was good).  Any thoughts or suggestions?  Spent the entire afternoon trying to figure it out with no gain. After numerous four letter words ran through my mind thought I better leave the garage and come in and see what good advice you guys might have. Oh forgot to mention that the passenger side front window quit working yesterday. AAAAAGHHHH

  

[Jason Edge]

Congrats on success!! Always a good feeling to tick off these annoying problems.

[Doug Meloan]

Jason,  You were right on with what was wrong.  I tried your first suggestion of taking a small chisel (I used flat head screwdriver) and tapped a few places on the front face of the socket lip.  Put the bulb back in and viola, lit right up and is working perfect.  Must be a good day because the power window that had quit working a couple of days ago started working again today.  Don't know if I have a dead spot on the motor or if the window was temporatily binding. First couple times up and down was rough, but soon smoothed out to work just perfect.  I'm leaving well enough alone and came back in the house while everything is currently working. Thanks for your expertise.  Doug 

[Jason Edge]

Doug, It sounds like a matter of the light socket not making contact with the light fixture, not the light bulb base contacting the socket. I remember way back taking a small narrow chisel / punch and notching a few places on the front face of the thin narrow socket lip to force it to make solid contact with the light fixture. A second option would be to clean an adjacent section of socket and light fixture and solder. You would have much easier access from rear but looks doable from front against that lip. 3rd option would be to remove fixture, remove socket, then install one of those pop-in light sockets available in most auto parts stores.

[Doug Meloan]

Hey Russ,  The socket is loose, however I have replaced the spring and bulb, but even if I wiggle the bulb in the socket it does not come on.  I will try the foil tonight and report back..  Thanks for the advice.  doug

[Russ Austin]

A cheap fix is to put a bit of tin foil on the base of the bulb.   The socket has gotten loose, or try a new bulb. How is the spring at the bottom of the socket?  If it is weak, it may not be pushing the bulb up,

[Doug Meloan]

Russ, lit right up when I put a ground wire to the base of the bulb.  Where would the ground breakdown possibly be?  The other bulb socket in the housing works fine so has to be socket related to the back up bulb..  How to I ground that socket?  Thanks, Doug

[Russ Austin]

Its a ground problem, if your getting power to the light green wire, at the socket.  Take a ground wire, and touch the base of the bulb. If iit lights up, the ground is your problem.