thanks to all of you for your help. I now have several leads to pursue. it is the high beam low beam light that has burned out or at least the low beam light which in Canada serves as the running light as well. the dealer is Birchwood Keystone Ford in Winnipeg, Manitoba. there were originally 5 GT's in town but now there is my red one and a heritage colored one left
Replacing Turn Signal Lamp in Left (Driver Side) Front Headlight Assembly
- Thread starter richardhead
- Start date
analogdesigner
GT Owner
Lamp lead almost completely eroded away!
I was attempting to repair the driver's side lamp since it hasn't worked in years. After repairing the badly oxidized leads, I decided to check the passenger side. Even though that side worked, one of the lamp leads had almost completely eroded away! I decided to replace both bulbs with Sylvania units. They had different lead material so hopefully they'll hold up better. Jay
Here is what I saw:
I was attempting to repair the driver's side lamp since it hasn't worked in years. After repairing the badly oxidized leads, I decided to check the passenger side. Even though that side worked, one of the lamp leads had almost completely eroded away! I decided to replace both bulbs with Sylvania units. They had different lead material so hopefully they'll hold up better. Jay
Here is what I saw:
Tomcat
GT Owner
My driver's side turn signal just went out this weekend. I have a lift and tried to do it by just removing the front air splitter BUT could not really see how to get to the bulb. I took off the wheel and looked at the splashguard...that looks like a pain.
When are the GTguys going to be in the mid-Atlantic states this year?
When are the GTguys going to be in the mid-Atlantic states this year?
fjpikul
GT Owner
If you got the splitter off, you have to move the container for the window washer. Look for my old post about this.
Tomcat
GT Owner
Thanks, I saw that...I am going to meet up with MAD in NC as he has done his before.
GREAT FORUM FAMILY
fjpikul
GT Owner
MAD IN NC
Proud Owner/ BOD blah bla
Buuuuuuuurppppppp!!!!!!!!! I'm full, it's a coors light day....
Good finally getting w Tom. Nice day, he came down and 1+ hr later and some blue tape we were done. Ending up slipping wheel liner. 8/ 10 pins, one tap to liner and easily accessible. Took longer to get splitter on - off
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Tomcat
GT Owner
Agreed...Remove the wheel, pull all the plastic mushrooms, move lower lip of splash guard away from top of shock and rotate it an inch...the outer lip comes free and then just peel the leading side back to reveal the headlight/turn signal.
MAD did all the work!
Getting the little push pins out (and re-attaching the splitter) too most of the time! Having a lift is pretty handy!
MAD did all the work!
Getting the little push pins out (and re-attaching the splitter) too most of the time! Having a lift is pretty handy!
cobradriver
GT Owner
2112
Blue/white 06'
Wow, somebody spent some time bringing a bunch of informative posts together in one thread to bring us solutions to our issues.
The correct bulb is a Philips 3457NA (Natural Amber) or equivalent and they are common bulbs that you can get at any auto parts store. See the image below. The bulb filament is not what is failing. The exposed wire contact legs oxidize over time and turn to an almost black color. Eventually this oxidation impedes conductivity. An open-handed slap to the headlight assembly will cause a slight shift and the bulb may work a bit longer. The real fix is to remove the inner wheel well liner (not for the faint of heart) and replace the bulb while using a generous amount of di-electric grease in the socket and on the exposed wire legs.
DakotaGT
GT Owner
While I don't find removing the inner wheel well/fender liner a horrible job, it is indeed a little challenging. LOTS of protective tape should be used around the entire (painted) edge of the fender, when wrestling them out.. and then back IN. Dan Schoneck (B.M.F. on the Forum here) makes a pretty slick product that splices two pieces of your fender liner together, allowing you to simply cut your factory fender liner down the center (there is a contour formed into the plastic making it easy to know where to cut), and rivet his black fiberglass "coupler" to one side of your now-two-piece fender liner, and then you can install one side at a time, using all of the factory fasteners. Makes the reinstallation process much easier, and then also you don't have to stress out down the road about the possibility of ever needing to go back in there, since removing and reinstalling them is so much easier. I had both of my liners out recently (to fix this exact bulb issue, among other things), and did this mod. I am quite satisfied with it.
Very interesting! Is there a post on this and/or would you mind posting pictures? I was not aware of this technique.
DakotaGT
GT Owner
Sure, I will try to post up some photos this weekend when I get a little free time.
*update*- sorry, Seth- just checked my phone and I guess I didn't take any photos of this process (rare for me, as I usually photodocument everything). Basically though, Dan (B.M.F.) sells these roughly 3" wide black fiberglass strips that he has made molds for, molded perfectly to match the contour of the fender liner at this point (basically the center point of the fender liner), and you can use a snips or a small hacksaw blade to cut your factory fender liners in half (transversely, not longitudinally), and then drill out 4 or 5 3/16" holes and rivet these strips to one half of the fender along the cut edge you just made. Then you can position one half of the liner, and then the other half, and the fiberglass "coupler" strip overlaps the incision and the factory "christmas tree" fasteners and push-pin connectors are re-installed as normally. There is a row of christmas tree fasteners that goes along the coupler strip to secure that joint in place. I didn't do a good job of making it sounds as simple as it it! Yes, photos would explain it better. Maybe B.M.F. will chime in here with some photos. I wouldn't have bothered with this mod except I already had my fender liners out, so it made sense to do it then. Now if I ever have to change a fog lamp lens or bulb again, it will be so much easier.
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Very cool and no worries about the lack of pictures. I appreciate the detailed description!
On this topic, be sure to change the lamp. Don't do what I did, got lamp out, cleaned it, used dielectric grease, then reinstalled the original lamp. Tested it several times, all good. Put everything back, it became intermittent, a week or 2 later. Back in, changed lamp, been solid since.
texas mongrel
GT Owner
After 52,000 miles my front passenger turn signal went out on the way back from the Hill Country. I searched the forum and saw that it’s a big job involving pulling the fender liner (which I’ve done before when fixing the fuel flap). However, I also read about the ole’ “thump it a few times” method - worked like a charm!
twobjshelbys
GT Owner
That confirms the nature of the failure, but like Arnie said in the Terminator: "I'll be back".
texas mongrel
GT Owner
So, 3 Hollywood action stars decided to go classy and make movies about classical musicians: Stallone did a bio of Mozart, Norris made a documentary on Beethoven. Arnie said, “I’ll be Bach”.
Thanks, I’m here every night through Thursday......