The Saga of the Trans Am Parking light

**hutch1999** · 10-16-2009, 05:04 PM

Originally Posted by wooddaniel

Because of the response to Mods, I love GM Products. However. I have owned enough of them that I have learned not to count on the interior lasting very long, or any of the lights (acutally my GTO the lighs were great but it was an exception) or cosmetic pieces on the outside that break easily.

interior plastics are another i forgot... Love the motor, tranny, and look, but little shit does get old...

**BdAsBrd01** · 10-16-2009, 07:02 PM

Originally Posted by hutch1999

I have delt with this problem, it pretty much sucks. These small problems that piss people off are what puts people off to GM products. Esp those people who do not care about great drivetrains like most of us do on here. Most average (non gearheards) people get pissed off when common things like window motors, light bulbs/sockets, and speakers are constantly f'd up. GM electronic components have really been in my opinion one of the big factors in people calling GM products junk and inferior to other brands.

**BdAsBrd01** · 10-16-2009, 07:07 PM

Originally Posted by wooddaniel

Whatever you end up doing Silicone is a MUST. At least it was for me. I have done it on all my F bods and it has saved me quite a few bulbs.

What silicone do you use/where do you get it? I got some one time that was totally crappy and didn't stick or dried out, anyway something went wrong with it...

**FORD RECOVERY EXPERT** · 10-16-2009, 08:37 PM

Doing research for LED conversion, Write up to follow....

**wooddaniel** · 10-17-2009, 06:47 AM

Originally Posted by BdAsBrd01

What silicone do you use/where do you get it? I got some one time that was totally crappy and didn't stick or dried out, anyway something went wrong with it...

My dad owns a transmission shop. I just used the stuff that he keeps around, I will look and see what brand it is for you

**BdAsBrd01** · 10-17-2009, 07:08 AM

Originally Posted by wooddaniel

My dad owns a transmission shop. I just used the stuff that he keeps around, I will look and see what brand it is for you

Thanks

**vx15i** · 10-17-2009, 08:17 AM

I just covered the cracks in clear epoxy. It filled in the lines so you can barely see them now.

I also purchased LEDs and that EFL-2 flasher, but for whatever reason it didn't work. I ended up doing the DRL delete but my flashers still act funny, need to replace the sockets I guess.

Edit: EFL-2 apparently is load sensitive, which is why it didn't work for me. A company called Keep It Clean makes a true no load flasher, part number FF552NLF. You can find it on ebay and amazon, but most of the vendors are charging high prices. There is at the time of this writing one vendor on ebay that has it for a decent price, do a search for "no load flasher", or "FF552NLF" in title and description.

edit2: Apparently EFL-2 works fine for some people, so what do I know.

**devildogws6** · 10-19-2009, 08:42 AM

Is the DRL delete the same on T/A's as for camaro's? The write up/link is on a camaro. I dont know so take it easy on me guys hahaha

**GULLETT17** · 10-19-2009, 10:55 AM

Originally Posted by BdAsBrd01

What silicone do you use/where do you get it? I got some one time that was totally crappy and didn't stick or dried out, anyway something went wrong with it...

just any clear exterior grade silicone from home depot or lowes would work. . .

Originally Posted by vx15i

I just covered the cracks in clear epoxy. It filled in the lines so you can barely see them now.

I also purchased LEDs and that EFL-2 flasher, but for whatever reason it didn't work. I ended up doing the DRL delete but my flashers still act funny, need to replace the sockets I guess.

Edit: EFL-2 apparently is load sensitive, which is why it didn't work for me. A company called Keep It Clean makes a true no load flasher, part number FF552NLF. You can find it on ebay and amazon, but most of the vendors are charging high prices. There is at the time of this writing one vendor on ebay that has it for a decent price, do a search for "no load flasher", or "FF552NLF" in title and description.

edit2: Apparently EFL-2 works fine for some people, so what do I know.

hmmmm. . .this is good to be aware of. i believe my parts arrived today according to priority's tracking . . . so install to happen very soon

**stunna p** · 10-19-2009, 11:28 AM

for the individuals who have had issues with water/moisture in the tail lamps etc....
my suggestion is to not drive it in the rain, its a fuking sports car!

hello......

**shady milkman** · 10-19-2009, 11:39 AM

Originally Posted by stunna p

for the individuals who have had issues with water/moisture in the tail lamps etc....
my suggestion is to not drive it in the rain, its a fuking sports car!

hello......

wow what a deep and informative post.

**Cutlass** · 10-19-2009, 05:19 PM

Originally Posted by devildogws6

Is the DRL delete the same on T/A's as for camaro's? The write up/link is on a camaro. I dont know so take it easy on me guys hahaha

same thing. This is the one I followed for my Formula DRL delete. I love it
http://xse.com/leres/ss/drl.html

**GULLETT17** · 10-20-2009, 04:53 AM

i got my order yesterday!! all i had a chance to install was the flasher. . . it fits and works, at least with the incandescents! haha i will probably install the rest tonight. . . so write up coming soon!

**Circa307** · 10-20-2009, 03:50 PM

good cuz we cant wait. was there any cheaper bulbs.??

**GULLETT17** · 10-20-2009, 05:47 PM

Originally Posted by Circa307

good cuz we cant wait. was there any cheaper bulbs.??

well im thinkin the regular amber LED, not the switchbacks, are around $20 from autolumination.

so ive already had many issues with the attempted install tonight. . .

first off . . . i wanted to make sure what wire was the ground to install the LED protector, even tho one of them is labled G and the wire was black. So i was gonna test em with the only cheap ass test light i could find and couldnt get a good ground. So then i tried the process of elimination, but whatever wire i disconnected, even if it was the ground, whatever hot was on, either dim or bright, i believe it would ground back through the hot that wasnt on. (if that makes sense with all my commas

). so no matter what wire i disconnected, the dim or bright would still work. i finally found a meter and discovered it is the wire labeled G.

so i thought the headache was over and proceded the install. after gettin the drivers side completely done, i started testin that the new bulb. the color would be amber with just the drl's on and flash to off with the turn signal. the color would be white with the fogs or headlights on and flash to amber. i ordered the amber-whites, but looked at the box and it has AO (amber-off) written on it. so im pretty sure they sent me the wrong bulbs!!! the email hasnt be answered yet . . .

after all this and since the drivers side was already done, i decided to go ahead and do the passenger side. opened the access panel, turned the socket out of the housing, and saw the dreaded black and slight melt of the socket AGAIN!!!! i still tried to see if the LED would go into the already ruined socket since the regular bulb was still working, but with as much pressure that i wanted to put on this $30 damn bulb, they would not lock it place. i gave up and put the regular bulbs back in.

im gonna go get ANOTHER socket tomorrow and probably go ahead and order another housing for the passenger side since it is cracked again. . .

let me regroup for the next day or so and ill report back

oh yeah . . .the good news. . . . while i had the drl's on for about 10 minutes, one with the LED installed and one with the regular bulb still in, i felt the both lenses. the LED side was drastically cooler.

**BdAsBrd01** · 10-20-2009, 07:30 PM

Originally Posted by stunna p

for the individuals who have had issues with water/moisture in the tail lamps etc....
my suggestion is to not drive it in the rain, its a fuking sports car!

hello......

Great car man. I love black WS6's...and pewter. I haven't seen a single pewter WS6 around here since I bought my T/A.

**richard head** · 10-23-2009, 05:20 AM

Originally Posted by GULLETT17

well im thinkin the regular amber LED, not the switchbacks, are around $20 from autolumination.

so ive already had many issues with the attempted install tonight. . .

first off . . . i wanted to make sure what wire was the ground to install the LED protector, even tho one of them is labled G and the wire was black. So i was gonna test em with the only cheap ass test light i could find and couldnt get a good ground. So then i tried the process of elimination, but whatever wire i disconnected, even if it was the ground, whatever hot was on, either dim or bright, i believe it would ground back through the hot that wasnt on. (if that makes sense with all my commas

). so no matter what wire i disconnected, the dim or bright would still work. i finally found a meter and discovered it is the wire labeled G.

so i thought the headache was over and proceded the install. after gettin the drivers side completely done, i started testin that the new bulb. the color would be amber with just the drl's on and flash to off with the turn signal. the color would be white with the fogs or headlights on and flash to amber. i ordered the amber-whites, but looked at the box and it has AO (amber-off) written on it. so im pretty sure they sent me the wrong bulbs!!! the email hasnt be answered yet . . .

after all this and since the drivers side was already done, i decided to go ahead and do the passenger side. opened the access panel, turned the socket out of the housing, and saw the dreaded black and slight melt of the socket AGAIN!!!! i still tried to see if the LED would go into the already ruined socket since the regular bulb was still working, but with as much pressure that i wanted to put on this $30 damn bulb, they would not lock it place. i gave up and put the regular bulbs back in.

im gonna go get ANOTHER socket tomorrow and probably go ahead and order another housing for the passenger side since it is cracked again. . .

let me regroup for the next day or so and ill report back

oh yeah . . .the good news. . . . while i had the drl's on for about 10 minutes, one with the LED installed and one with the regular bulb still in, i felt the both lenses. the LED side was drastically cooler.

i never thought I'd say this... but I foresee $100 worth of led's/replacement light housings in my future lol. Thanks for being the guinea pig. One thing - was the 'g' wire the black one on both sides?

**2000dreambird** · 10-23-2009, 06:29 AM

Originally Posted by hutch1999

interior plastics are another i forgot... Love the motor, tranny, and look, but little shit does get old...

+1

**GULLETT17** · 10-23-2009, 07:13 AM

Originally Posted by richard head

i never thought I'd say this... but I foresee $100 worth of led's/replacement light housings in my future lol. Thanks for being the guinea pig. One thing - was the 'g' wire the black one on both sides?

yes G was black on both sides . . .

UPDATE:

I guess they are the right bulbs, they just wrote the wrong thing on the box. I'm still tryin to work out some issues. I asked autolumination if you can switch the + wires to get the opposite effect, and they said yes. But it still disappoints me that I don't get the switchback effect with the drls on only. It's either amber-off or white-off. And theres still an issue with the lights dimming when my fogs are on. Autolumination said that i probably need a load equilizer somewhere . . more to come on this.
Also this morning, i went out and started my car, came back in the house and looked out at my car. One light was white, one was amber . . . wtf. . . keep ya guys posted . .

**stunna p** · 10-23-2009, 08:20 AM

If u wanna be a straight balla, you can swap the amber bulbs outta the running lights, and put clear bulbs in....there like head lights...u would be shocked at how bright they are!!!!!!!!