02 Trans Am WS6 Problems

[mikedealer]

so i owned a WS6 since 2002, bought it brand new. never had many problems... but my Front Turn Signal Keeps either burning out or stops working.

its only my front, and usually my front left not that it makes a difference. sometimes the bulbs burn out, a few times the sockets had to be replaced caused they were burned up (the shop kept giving me the glass socketed bulbs as opposed to the plastic socket where the pins are)

anyway.. anyone have any ideas? someone told me it could be a relay and its a easy fix, but i cant find much online about it. i heard its quite a common problems with vettes/camaros/transams from like 98-02. heard it could be a hazard switch too.

any clues would be great, gotta drive into manhattan tommorow and having no front blinker and having to manually pump the handle for the rear to work sucks!

[Halgar]

If you've got a lot of plastic/fiberglass, it could be a bad ground somewhere. I believe that this could also cause relay problems, but don't quote me on that.

[badhoopty]

they get condensation in them, or worse fill up with water and burn the bulb out... at least on mine they do.
there have been times after having to drive in the rain where there will be a noticable level of water behind the lens. enough for a little fish to live... check your socket and if its wet and/or rusty you prolly have the same problem.

i've been meaning to drill some drain holes in the bottom of the lense housing but havent got to it yet. i did that for my tail-lights and it eliminated the condensation i was getting back there.

[vwjuice]

If it's melting the socket than try using a cheaper bulb. Seriuosly, gm uses really small wiring on some of the light circuits on their vehicles and some of the higher output more expensive bulbs have too many watts going through the wires and melt the socket. Trailblazers are notorious for this (I have one). You can find "upgrade kits" on ebay, but I don't know if they are any good.

I have heard about relays and switches causing similar problems like that, but never dealt with it personally.

[klavy69]

Like Badhoopty said about the condensation. Its not just yours but alot of models with composite lites. My wifes old 95 explorer would get enuf water in the headlights to blow her bulbs out. Happened with several of my cars/trucks over the years so pretty much everything I've owned has 1/8" holes drilled in the bottom of the housings wether it needed it or not .

Might be along these lines that are getting your turnsignals burnt up anyway and its an easy check and a cheap fix so good luck with it.
Todd

[jwscab]

my gmc truck has the small bulbs that have the clutch fit glass base brake lamps. they suck for corrosion, once they get some corrosion, the connection heats up and distorts the housing and softens the brass contancts, causing them to lose their spring tension. I took the socket apart and tinned the ends with some solder. I bet if you have a burned out one again, take the assembly out and wiggle the bulb, and it will work.

alternately, you could probably get a new socket and replace it. I'm cheap, and didn't feel like changing the whole tail light assembly.

also, some dielectric grease helps keep the oxidation to a minimum.

give that a try first, otherwise, the condensation think makes alot of sense.

[mikedealer]

well i took it to mechanic, my socket died AGAIn, this is like the 6th one, it was just burned out lol. ridiculous

[badhoopty]

well i took it to mechanic, my socket died AGAIn, this is like the 6th one, it was just burned out lol. ridiculous

i end up changing bulbs at least 2 or 3 times each summer. i've learned how to swap them from reaching down behind the headlights when they are in the up position. my sockets look like they are burned, but it is definitely the moisture getting in there and for lack of better words rotting it out.

i would at least try to vent the housings and pack the sockets with dialectric grease and see if that helps before you start wiring in relays and what-not.

[mikedealer]

will try that out, i change them through the intake hole underneath them, quite a feat with big hands

[Mazdaj]

Check and clean the ground if necessary.