71 Satellite/ Roadrunner Back Up Lights Grounding Issue

[Jake]

So, one of the back up lamps just refuses to work. :angry1:There is 12 volts going to the socket, but it's like the socket is not grounded to the housing which in turn grounds to the bumper and then frame. But I find that hard to believe, considering the socket looks like it is pretty well secure inside the lamp housing.

Is it possible that the socket is very corroded to the point that it is no longer effectively grounding to the housing? I have thoroughly cleaned the inside of the socket as best I can with a wire brush, sprayed some electronic cleaner into the socket, and then blew it out with compressed air. But, when I ground up my twelve volt test lamp to anywhere on the housing or bumper with the lead in the bottom of the socket, I get power, but then I try to ground the test lamp against the wall of the socket itself and it's like it's not grounded.

This has my scratching my head a bit. I would hate to take off the back bumper to get to the lamp housing to in turn get the socket out just to find out I am missing something, but I don't think there is much to get here as it is just one wire to the socket with the housing being the ground for the socket. Are these bulb sockets even easy to pull out of the housing without destroying them? I dunno. :icon_confused:

Anyone have any thoughts to offer?

 

[Moparlar]

I had some like that all I did was rotate the socket in the housing breaking the corrosion and it started working.

 

[Jake]

I had some like that all I did was rotate the socket in the housing the corrosion and it started working.

Hmm, good idea. I briefly considered that as an option before. So, how exactly did you rotate yours? Vise grips from the back side?....heh heh, that sounds kinky :grin:

 

[Moparlar]

Small channellocks but make sure you dont crush it. And I just went back and forth a little. Didn't take much

 

[Jake]

Small channellocks but make sure you dont crush it. And I just went back and forth a little. Didn't take much

Yup, that did it. Used a pair of slip joint pliers, and gently worked the socket back and forth a little. Popped the bulb back in and put the gear in reverse. Ops checked good!!:headbang: Thanks much!