[Skip Fix]

My 81 has an intermittent brake light working off and on. Went to check the socket?? How do I get to it, pull the whole housing? My 78 they are all in the trunk. I can get teh reverse out from underneath but not the brake/tail light

[Larry Navarro]

Skip.....
you'll have to pull the whole housing from the rear, then you can access the sockets.

[Skip Fix]

Thanks Larry that's what it was looking like to me also. What a design!

Not sure why it works then doesn't . I was going to look at the socket for a ground problem.

[Dens71TA]

Originally Posted by Skip Fix

What a design!

That design carried over to 3rd-gens(and possibly even 4th-gens)! I'm glad the bulbs don't burn out too often.

[2manyT/A'S]

I'll admit that it's a bit more labour intensive getting at the tail light bulbs on a 79-81 bird,but it is a far superior system than the 70-78 style.
Putting the harness/sockets/bulbs on the outside of the trunk has several important benefits.
The water that collects in the trunk DOESN'T have a chance to corrode the sockets/bulbs.
The back of the tail light housing & the socket/bulb assy CANNOT get BASHED by your tool box/jack/spare tire/ case of beer when you are going around corners at TWICE the posted speed.

If you are taking the time to pull the tail lights,you might as well spend 10 bucks & replace ALL the bulbs & check ALL the sockets.This will definately extend the maintenance interval.
(the back ends of these cars are PRONE to rust issues & while you've got the tail lights out,have a good look for any signs of the feo2 option,especially behind the bumper) Good time to clean & paint.
I've also noticed that the factory put a GENEROUS amount of grease/goo in the sockets for corrosion protection in the 79-81 F-cars.
They knew they had tail light bulb/socket problems & I think they did a GOOD job on the redesign.
If you tell me you never get water in your trunk,I'll tell you your car doesn't ever get WET!

[68ragtop]

On my 80, I cleaned all the grease out of the sockets, & used fresh dielectric grease. The original grease was getting hard, & was causing the bulbs to have a bad connection now & then. Gotta watch the bottom of the lens when pulling them too, dang things sit a bit behind the bumper cover if I remember right.

[Skip Fix]

OK cleaned grease out. Pretty cheesy ground in the socket with just 2 small ridges on one side. Turn signal works, flasher works, lights work. So both filament light, but no left brake light???

[Skip Fix]

My 78 has NEVER gotten water in the trunk. in all 76K miles, the 81 doesn't either. Just takes good trunk weatherstrip.Now the T tops are a different story!

[2manyT/A'S]

ALLRIGHT YOU,with the DRY TRUNK,who lives in Texas where it never rains.
Bring your T/A's up to the Great Northwet,where it rains for a week NONSTOP sometimes.
They'll be tadpoles swimming around in your trunk before you can say "I'M OUTA HERE!"

Back to your brakelight issue,I'm sure you've already checked for a damaged or broken feed wire? Any sign of previous harness repair ,any nice red ,yellow or blue crimp connectors with problems inside?
I've had problems with spliced in trailer light harnesses before & or the lights on the trailer have the problem Not the car lights.
Your first post stated intermittant brake lights? How about having some one stand on the brake pedal while you wiggle the wire/socket?
Double check to make sure the bulbs aren't installed 180 degrees out!
(don't laugh,It's hapened to me before)
Also have had LOTS of NEW bulbs with problems.
Read the package & you'll be surprised where they are all made.

My dads fullsize Pontiac (similar column to yours) had NO brakelights a few years back & it turned out to be the T/signal switch,of all things.

You can also try probing the wire with a test light going back till you find power (with the pedal depressed.
GOOD LUCK!

[68ragtop]

Hey Skip, What happens with the parking lights on?

Isn't that gound in the socket something else? They almost aren't even there....

[Skip Fix]

Parking lights work fine as does blinker. Does all the hot go through the turn signal switch for brakes also?

[2manyT/A'S]

A new turnsignal switch is what it took to get my dad's brake lights working again.
As I recall,the 4-ways flash the brakelights on his car & the hazard switch was where the problem was.
I believe Niehoff & AC Delco BOTH offered replacement switches.

[68ragtop]

Sounds like a problem I have not had yet. So I won't be much help on this one. One problem I did have (that I think is a bad design) is there is a wire loom that runs along the bottom of the bumper, that has a ground wire in it.

This wire has a connector in it that is not waterproof. Mine got weird & you should have seen my lights. Reverse lights flashed, etc. Took me a bit to find there is a ground connector in there. Otherwise, I haven't had many rear light problems.

68RT