Front Turn Signal Bulb Replacement

[Keith Tedford]

My left front turn signal bulb isn't working on or 2005. The owner's manual is straight forward. The car isn't. I removed the plugs, pulled back the flap and the fun began. The bulb socket has to be turned to the left to disengage but the wires are short and go in the opposite direction not allowing the socket to turn far enough to disengage and come out. I'm just wondering if there are any tricks before I drop the front of the inner fender to access the wiring to see if I can free it up enough. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR. My old back doesn't like being all scrunched up in a wheel well any more.
On closer inspection, I found a metal clip that can be popped off the wiring to give me enough wire movement to disengage the bulb socket. Done? NOOOOOOO. It isn't just a bulb in a socket. There is the bulb, then an intermediate socket, then the harness socket. I have a feeling the intermediate socket is something to adapt the bulb to several different applications. Anyway, I get the intermediate socket unplugged from the main harness but the bulb itself is melted into the intermediate socket to the point that it doesn't want to come out. Off to our friendly GM parts guy Les Monday morning. I do think that GM engineering needs a few of us every day dummies who work on the KISS system to help them out in their engineering offices. Over the years, I have seen simple solutions where a complicated one was used.

 

[theboss]

They may save a quarter when they make the wires too short so please GM, sell me the car 50 cents more and help me in my task of changing a simple bulb
When I am doing troubleshooting at the shop and the shop manual ask you to back probe a wire that is impossible to reach because the harness is to short then you ask yourself '' is it the same engineer who wrote that diagnostic chart that also design the car''?

 

[Keith Tedford]

You must remember that a lot of the same people who ran GM into the ground in 2008 are still there. For too many years the bean counters controlled the design and manufacturing to the point that they ruined a good product. It wasn't until the '90s that some of that go turned around. Work on any of these cars and you quickly start to see the shortcuts that are made to save pennies while they trip over dollars. There, now I feel better. I think theboss and I are on the same wave length.

 

[navion]

Keith been there done that! I know exactly what you are going through as I had to do it with the headlight bulb on the ZR1. You going on the weber cruise on the 25th? Hope to see you before the end of season.

 

[Keith Tedford]

I didn't know about the Webber cruise but wouldn't mind going. I'll keep that in mind. There won't be many leaves left up north. They were right in their prime in the Bracebridge - Lake Rosseau area a couple of weeks ago. Even here in the Peterborough area, the wind and rain has stripped a lot of leaves off the trees.
Glad I am not alone with this Corvette repair stuff. I feel sorry for mechanics these days and it is not just Corvette repairs. They are all a nightmare.

 

[New C5er]

Personally I compare some automotive engineers to male gynocologists. Or a car designed by a guy without a drivers license and without any mechanical hands on experience. I usually swear a lot when working on my C5.

 

[Keith Tedford]

I first start with "Golly gee shucks" but it soon degenerates into "Dirty foderunderratafrats". Please don't ask for a translation with children or ladies around. I must admit that removing the IP cluster to install the skip shift eliminator was a piece of cake.

 

[Keith Tedford]

Back to the signal light bulb. I phoned my GM dealer to order the little adapter that the bulb plugs into. Can't get just the two dollar adapter. It comes with a $74 harness attached. I hope the main computer never dies. They will probably have it attached to the main body harness permanently. The luster is starting to come off this car when you can't even change a turn signal bulb without getting burned a bit.