Blackout lights

[Josep66]

Hi there,

I have never seen the blackout lights on and guess if they’re not connected or blown bulbs. Do they have bulbs for that right.? Which watts value are they.? Should be easy to switch them on I guess.! Why mine not working front and rear.?

 

[MarkM]

The lights are not easy to see unless it's real dark and that is the point. Learn how to turn them on and when it's dark out you can check them out.

Mark

 

[Josep66]

I just went to the garage and seems to me only the one at the drivers side works. I will have to check bulbs and wires in the other 3, then wait until dark and see what happens. Thanks Mark.!

 

[msgjd]

I have never seen the blackout lights on and guess if they’re not connected or blown bulbs. Why mine not working front and rear.?

Since you will eventually have to replace bulbs someday, why not just start soaking the screws now and in a week take the covers off. Then you can see what is working and what is not in broad daylight, and you will also get to see what numbers your bulbs are .. Good time to also clean and lube the sockets .. The more time goes by, the more likely you will shear off the screws or wind up with corroded threads and rusty/corroded sockets with bulbs stuck in them

 

[Josep66]

Since you will eventually have to replace bulbs someday, why not just start soaking the screws now and in a week take the covers off. Then you can see what is working and what is not in broad daylight, and you will also get to see what numbers your bulbs are .. Good time to also clean and lube the sockets .. The more time goes by, the more likely you will shear off the screws or wind up with corroded threads and rusty/corroded sockets with bulbs stuck in them

I will do what you suggest and see what I have there. Thank you for the tip.

 

[msgjd]

I will do what you suggest and see what I have there. Thank you for the tip.

Another tip, if a lens screw doesn't want to come out with normal torque, gently torque it ever so slightly in the other direction. Just a hair. A fine hair. Then try to loosen it again. Many times it will do the trick, but not always. (works on stubborn bolts too). Sometimes you might have to rotate it one way and then the other way repeatedly, to work it out gradually.. No matter what you do, be careful and gentle, those screws are not very strong. ..

I did not at first catch your post was in a M151 thread, thus, you won't be able to soak the lens screws since your vehicle has composite/plastic lights and not the older metal ones

 

[Josep66]

Opened with ease all 4 lights. Found the front passenger side rusty but after treatment, it lights.!! The 2 rear ones do not light, guess there must be something wrong with the wiring..
in the blackout part, I see they have like a small box that the passenger side do not have, have ordered a new light. Will have to check wires for the rear ones. I will also check them with a multimeter and see if current arrives. I have found the drivers side bulb color is black/grey.! Was that the regular color and not transparent.?

 

[msgjd]

Opened with ease all 4 lights. Found the front passenger side rusty but after treatment, it lights.!! The 2 rear ones do not light, guess there must be something wrong with the wiring..
in the blackout part, I see they have like a small box that the passenger side do not have, have ordered a new light. Will have to check wires for the rear ones. I will also check them with a multimeter and see if current arrives. I have found the drivers side bulb color is black/grey.! Was that the regular color and not transparent.?

So glad to hear the screws came out with no issue... probably most of us on here have busted lens screws before, no matter the style of lamp.. Any color other than clear or yellow means it's blown. I have seen blown ones that were shiny silver inside ! When troubleshooting, always start with the most simple thing first. You probably already tried good tested bulbs in the rear lamps? Also check the ground continuity to the metal lamp guts inside the housing before digging further, and also the plug-in rubber connectors on the wires at the lamps.. I have seen a few where someone did not get the male prong into the socket, it was forced to one side of it

 

[Josep66]

Any color other than clear or yellow means it's blown. I have seen blown ones that were shiny silver inside ! When troubleshooting, always start with the most simple thing first. You probably already tried good tested bulbs in the rear lamps? Also check the ground continuity to the metal lamp guts inside the housing before digging further.

But amazingly it worked even black.!
Yes, I have bought 4 new bulbs and installed them but he rear ones do not work. Yes, ground is probably the most common problem many times. Will check that too..

 

[Mullaney]

But amazingly it worked even black.!
Yes, I have bought 4 new bulbs and installed them but he rear ones do not work. Yes, ground is probably the most common problem many times. Will check that too..

.
Yes sir... Black bulbs generally indicate a bad ground.
Not always, but most of the time - especially when the ground "comes and goes".

 

[Josep66]

.
Yes sir... Black bulbs generally indicate a bad ground.
Not always, but most of the time - especially when the ground "comes and goes".

I will check the rear BO lights for good ground and see..

 

[msgjd]

Black bulbs generally indicate a bad ground.
Not always, but most of the time - especially when the ground "comes and goes".

had never heard that before and I bet it won't be the last new thing I learn by the time i am 70

 

[Josep66]

Have investigated on the rear lights and found they have been modified.
red light are (I guess!) for light, brake and turn signal, right.?

Then the middle rectangle blackout light acts as turn signal (with an orange bulb), and the bottom blackout light is not working. The blackout lights don’t have that “capsule“ inside, so the lens are clear., same as the front passengers side light (also ordered a new one).

Sometime in its life, those lights have been modified so I have ordered new lights, complete, and will have to play with the wiring to make them work correctly again.

 

[G744]

The red BO lights are markers, the white one is for stop light.

Blackout markers is the only function on the light switch you don't need to lift the lock lever to turn on. BO stop function also works then if you step on the brakes.

 

[Josep66]

The red BO lights are markers, the white one is for stop light.

Blackout markers is the only function on the light switch you don't need to lift the lock lever to turn on. BO stop function also works then if you step on the brakes.

I’m not sure I understand you.
So, I thought the red light (1) was for light, brakes and turn signal.
(2) and (3) were for blackout light markers. That’s what I have seen in the new lights (?).

am I right or wrong.?


Thanks.

 

[msgjd]

when we have the late-60's-80's housings with plastic lens cover ,,,

1: the top opening is for normal tail/brake/turn, and two clear bulbs are in there of different size (the larger bulb is brake/turn) ...

2: the middle opening is for one clear bulb to light the 4 red "cat-eyes" in the lens cover (called "blackout marker" which basically is a clever BO tail light to determine distance from vehicle ahead of you) ...

3: the bottom opening has one clear bulb to light the singular white (or yellowish with age) cat-eye in the lens cover, which is called "blackout stop". (BO brake light)

4: there are no BO turn signals

 

[G744]

Got it now, Josep?

 

[Josep66]

Thanks for the explanation and yes, I was in a rush and forgot to attach the pic

Got it now, Josep?

Yes thanks G744 and msgjd, now I think I got it, and that is how I thought the lights have to work. I really appreciate your help and as soon as I have the new lights, I will be playing around to make them work as they should.!

Thanks again guys.!

 

[G744]

That's what SS is all about.