Turn Signal Lamp Replacement?

[John O]

For a while now I've had a left turn signal acting erratic. Mostly a fast
signal, sometimes slow with a short 'on' cycle, kinda seems to track with
the idle speed, but not always. Right signal works fine.

Looking at the left front lamp in my driveway the bright light is good, but
the dimmer one never lights. Is that the problem....a bad lamp?

I tried to get it out to test the bulb and check the socket, but can't
figure it out without tearing apart the front end. This is a '99 OBW. The
top screw is easy, but then what?? Are there online instrux somewhere? Or
should I be looking at some other thing here?

-John O

 

[John O]

Nobody knows how to replace a left front turn signal??? I tried searching
the web, no luck.

 

[p_reader]

Nobody knows how to replace a left front turn signal??? I tried searching
the web, no luck. Sorry about the wait, John.

I can tell you how it works on a '99 Forester:
- Open and prop up the hood.

- Use a Philips driver to remove the screw you'll find just past the top
edge of the headlight, where the headlight and the left turn signal
housing meet.

- Gently pull the left turn signal housing straight forward (along the
car's direction of travel). It should release easily.

- Twist the bayonet style lamp mount to release it from the turn signal
housing. Now you have access to the turn signal bulb and socket to test
them or replace the bulb.

- Take care when reassembling the turn signal onto the car that the
ball-shaped pin on the housing mates with the socket you'll find low and
close to the headlight.

I hope this helps. Much easier than tearing apart the front end.

- Stefan

 

[Rick Courtright]

Nobody knows how to replace a left front turn signal??? I tried searching
the web, no luck.

Hi,

Did you search your owner's manual?

I know how to replace the left front turn signal on all the cars I own.
Instructions have been in the owner's manual of every one. But I don't
have your car...

Don't have the manual? Some are available from the mfrs online. Or you
can order a hard copy from your dealer. You can also get repair manuals
from Chilton's, Haynes and some mfrs. Even if the instructions another
poster gave you do the trick, you should have "the book" in one form or
another.

There are times "old school" is good.

Rick

 

[John O]

Hi,

Did you search your owner's manual?

I know how to replace the left front turn signal on all the cars I own.
Instructions have been in the owner's manual of every one. But I don't
have your car...

Don't have the manual? Some are available from the mfrs online. Or you
can order a hard copy from your dealer. You can also get repair manuals
from Chilton's, Haynes and some mfrs. Even if the instructions another
poster gave you do the trick, you should have "the book" in one form or
another.

There are times "old school" is good.

Rick

Read the manual? What are you, some kind of communist or something? LOL,
the instrux are there, you're right.

<hangs head in shame>

I suppose the trick is to 'encourage' that lens assembly a bit more firmly.
Gently isn't the way, but I suppose that plastic is a little stiff after
nine years.

Thanks Rick and Stephan, I appreciate your responses.

-John O

 

[John O]

FYI....the problem is a connection, bulb is fine. I think it's the
detachable connector to the bulb mount.

The lens assembly popped out when I pried on it. Sometimes it's nice having
an old car...I don't worry about the finish so much.

-John O

 

[Rick Courtright]

FYI....the problem is a connection, bulb is fine. I think it's the
detachable connector to the bulb mount.

Hi,

Here's one that's NOT in most of the books: if the connector's not
mechanically damaged (broken wire, cracked housing, that kinda stuff), a
"usual suspect" is corrosion, so many old time mechanics I've known kept
a jar of Vaseline on the shop bench and smeared a light coating on the
metal surfaces of the bulb and the contacts in the bulb holder when they
replaced bulbs. This helps slow corrosion, and often makes removal of an
old bulb easier. (If your contacts are corroded, and you've got the
older style holders where you can actually get to the contacts, be sure
to scrape 'em clean w/ a knifeblade or bit of sandpaper before putting
the bulb back in. Auto parts stores have spray cleaners for electrical
apps that help w/ the newer "push in" style where you can't physically
get to the contacts very well.)

Because a handful of diabolical engineers have been doing their best to
make today's bulbs hard to get to, a "stuck" one's sometimes a real
challenge to remove (esp. the all glass style that just pushes into the
connector instead of using the traditional metal bayonet mount), and the
auto parts stores sometimes stock a "special" bulb grease to help solve
this problem. It's probably rebadged dielectric grease, which sometimes
seems to work better than Vaseline on the "push in" bulbs (probably cuz
it "stays put" better in hi-temp locations?)

Plain ol' Vaseline is also as good on battery terminals as any of the
"special" lotions and potions I've tried over the years, so you might as
well make a party of it now that it's Fall and you're disassembling the
car anyway, and check your battery and clean/protect its connections.

Another of those "old school" things, eh?

Rick

 

[John O]

Hi,

Here's one that's NOT in most of the books: if the connector's not
mechanically damaged (broken wire, cracked housing, that kinda stuff), a
"usual suspect" is corrosion, so many old time mechanics I've known kept
a jar of Vaseline on the shop bench and smeared a light coating on the
metal surfaces of the bulb and the contacts in the bulb holder when they
replaced bulbs. This helps slow corrosion, and often makes removal of an
old bulb easier. (If your contacts are corroded, and you've got the
older style holders where you can actually get to the contacts, be sure
to scrape 'em clean w/ a knifeblade or bit of sandpaper before putting
the bulb back in. Auto parts stores have spray cleaners for electrical
apps that help w/ the newer "push in" style where you can't physically
get to the contacts very well.)

Because a handful of diabolical engineers have been doing their best to
make today's bulbs hard to get to, a "stuck" one's sometimes a real
challenge to remove (esp. the all glass style that just pushes into the
connector instead of using the traditional metal bayonet mount), and the
auto parts stores sometimes stock a "special" bulb grease to help solve
this problem. It's probably rebadged dielectric grease, which sometimes
seems to work better than Vaseline on the "push in" bulbs (probably cuz
it "stays put" better in hi-temp locations?)

Plain ol' Vaseline is also as good on battery terminals as any of the
"special" lotions and potions I've tried over the years, so you might as
well make a party of it now that it's Fall and you're disassembling the
car anyway, and check your battery and clean/protect its connections.

Another of those "old school" things, eh?

Rick

I started my career as an electronics tech, and ended up servicing Heathkits
at their factory...you wouldn't believe the crap people do to their
equipment. And the tricks we used to fix some of that junk.

The bulb and socket were remarkably clean for the age of the car. No dust,
no dirt, nothing. The lead bulb contacts had just the barest hint of
corrosion that came off with my finger. The socket contacts were nicely
copper-colored and nearly pristine, but I bent them upwards a bit just
because that's what you do with those.

I held the socket still and wiggled the wires and nothing changed, but
removing and replacing the connector made it work for now. The connector is
exposed to the inside of the fender, and I suspect there was some corrosion
there. When I get home I'll shoot the contacts with a bit of contact
cleaner, and plug/unplug a few times just to work out any stuff.

Now that I know how to get at the danged thing I can troubleshoot it more
effectively. That goofy blinker was driving me nuts!

-John O

 

[Rick Courtright]

I started my career as an electronics tech, and ended up servicing Heathkits
at their factory...you wouldn't believe the crap people do to their
equipment.

Hi,

Wow... can't remember when the last time I heard the name Heathkit! I
was probably about six or seven when I learned to do some basic
soldering on one my father was building. I think it was on an amplifier
for a "hi-fi" system. Learned all about cold solder joints courtesy of
the Heathkit multi-meter he'd built a month earlier in preparation for
this project. Sometimes I'm not sure my soldering has improved in the
half century plus since that adventure!

After college I went to work for a company that was involved w/ several
things, one of them being a small chain of electronics stores. My boss
believed in cross-training everyone in the organization, so I did a
short stint in one of them. Watching the techs... you bet I'd believe
what people do!

Good luck w/ the blinker. And speaking of things people will do, it
might be a good idea to check ALL the bulbs in the system just to ensure
the proper bulbs have been installed...

Rick

 

[John O]

Hi,

Wow... can't remember when the last time I heard the name Heathkit! I
was probably about six or seven when I learned to do some basic
soldering on one my father was building. I think it was on an amplifier
for a "hi-fi" system. Learned all about cold solder joints courtesy of
the Heathkit multi-meter he'd built a month earlier in preparation for
this project. Sometimes I'm not sure my soldering has improved in the
half century plus since that adventure!

After college I went to work for a company that was involved w/ several
things, one of them being a small chain of electronics stores. My boss
believed in cross-training everyone in the organization, so I did a
short stint in one of them. Watching the techs... you bet I'd believe
what people do!

Good luck w/ the blinker. And speaking of things people will do, it
might be a good idea to check ALL the bulbs in the system just to ensure
the proper bulbs have been installed...

Rick

I've had cars blow through lamps every six months, but this one still has
all of its factory-installed lamps, except for one headlight.

BTW, I still work for the remains of that big Heathkit company. No kits.
heathkit.com

-John O