Tail Light Fix - UPDATE

["Robert Moseley" <videobob@xxxx>]

I had been having trouble with my tail lights lately, brake lights
working when they feel like it, etc...
I even got pulled over by a cop while leaving John Hervey's place 
in Forney Texas for having a brake light out!

So before spending over $100 on PJ Grady's light boards I thought I 
would try the trick mentioned in the technical library:
http://www.dmcnews.com/Techsection/taillights.htm

This reccomends to go to Radio Shack and buy one pack of
Cat.# 64-3010 machine screws, and one pack of Cat.# 64-3017 nuts.
However let me recommends that you buy TWO packs of the screws
because they come as a variety pack of different sizes and there
isn't enough of the small ones to equal out.
It's only a couple of bucks.

I took both of my tail lights off as well as the center plate.
While I had the center plate off I scrubbed it down, dried it out,
and then coated it with "Mother's Black Restore" to let it soak over
night. Then I took the light boards off the lenses and cleaned
the inside of the lenses out with soapy water and then quick dried
them with an air compressor.

...on to the light boards.
First I use some spray electronics wash to clean the contacts.
Using a tiny flat screw driver I adjusted the little prongs inside
the sockets and pulled them up a little so they would be tighter.

Next I installed the little tiny screws and nuts into the little
mounting holes and tightened the crap out of them!

That's all pretty simple.

next I noticed that there is no reflector in the center of the tail
light where the small running light goes.
I had remember seeing someone using a small CD-R in the center for a 
reflector once, but I thought I would take it a step further....
First you need to use a drill with a large bit to hollow out the
center of the CD-R in order to get the CD to slip over the socket.
Now I cut the CD down to it would fit into the square of the lens.
You can cut it with a pair of scissors.

This makes a perfect lens reflector (providing you use a silver CD).

You can see a photo of the finished product on the FILES page.

If you feel like going through all this trouble, this should fix your
tail light troubles... however PJ's new and improved light boards are
probably still a good idea if you can afford it!

- Videobob
VIN# 5278
http://www.dfwdmc.com