Changing taillight bulbs

[DylanFan]

One of my brake light bulbs is not working.  The taillight works but it goes out when I step on the brakes.  I pressed in the clips on the housing and it came out a couple of inches.  The only way I could get to the bulb was to pry out the lens.  Is that the way to replace the bulb?  The bulb looks OK but I am going to NAPA to get a new bulb.  The bulb says T1158 and has a place that says top. Could the bulb have been put in wrong?

[Fid]

There is a metal ring around the lens which you have "walk out."  Pry gently at the seperation of the ring until you get some of it out then you should be able to "unwind" it out. Careful not to distort it much as the they're hard to find. When reinstalling, reverse the procedure.

[Terry T]

1158's are no longer available.

The reason that it says "top" is that the pins are equally spaced from the bottom and the top direction is the only way to assure that it is installed so that the lights work properly between the brake and turnsignal...it is a dual element bulb.

1157's are dual, but the pins are offset to assure proper alignment in the new-type bulb socket

[Quadromaniac]

1158's are 6 volt.  I just bought a box of 10 here in Phoenix a couple of weeks ago. 1157's are 12 volt.

[DylanFan]

I bought and installed a new bulb.  If I step on the brakes both taillights light up.  But if I turn the lights on with the brake pedal pressed the right taillight goes out.  If I turn the lights on both taillights light up.  But if I step on the brakes with the lights on the right one goes out!  What do you think about that?

[Quadromaniac]

Possibly a bad ground. I had that problem on another car and reground,for lack of a better word, that light, and that fixed it.

[DylanFan]

Possibly a bad ground. I had that problem on another car and reground,for lack of a better word, that light, and that fixed it.

Thanks, that makes sense to me now that I think about it.  I'll look at that first thing in the morning!

[Fid]

Bad grounds are very often the issue when it comes to electrical problems on older vehicles. Especially with external lighting. The lights, sockets etc. are susceptible to corrosion/rust which inhibits current flow. I've cleaned and reseated plenty of sockets on old cars to get the lights to work.