The passenger tail light on my 1995 Scamp 13' was not working. I cleaned the contacts with steel wool, but that didn't work. I flipped the bulb around and pressed it to the contacts and that made it light up. I then flipped it back around to the correct position and that fixed it, until I turned off and on the tow vehicle, then it wouldn't come back on. Tried this several more times with the same result. Not sure why the bulb will light up when it is flipped around, but not when it is seated correctly.
Anyone else have this issue? Any suggestions?
That is a two filament bulb. If one of the filaments is bad you will get the result you are getting.
Sadly I've tried several new bulbs with the same result, I don't think that is the culprit. Thanks though.
Steve Greentree
The other filament in that bulb is for the brake light and turn signal/emergency flashers. Do they work? Does the other bulb in the pictures work? Also there is a spring inside the socket behind the contacts. This spring allows the contacts to move in and out and it pushes the socket contacts against the bulb contacts. In order for the socket contacts to be pushed against the bulb contacts there has to be slack in the wire because the wire has to move with the contacts. By your pictures it looks like the wire may be too tight not allowing the contacts to move out against the bulb contacts. Check the ground too. The fixture is grounded by that rivet and after all these years may not be making a good connection. Hope these"stabs in the dark" help!
I agree with athern2 that the ground/ pop rivet may be your issue. Since one filament is much brighter the current draw would be more when the bulb is turned on in one direction. Since it is the passenger taillight it is at the end of the wiring run except for the right rear running light, so use of scotch locks should not be in play with this light. But without actually checking things out it is just a WAG. I think 1995 was the last year for the top hat tail lights. I have a stack of these used top hat lights in my barn, for you to go 14 years with no grounding issues with your top hat lights you were lucky.
Top Hat tail/brake lights are very hard to see during the daytime and even at night. I researched Scamp accidents for about two years quite a few years back. The majority of Scamp accidents were rear end collisions. (About 8 out of 10.) FWIW I would replace your tail and plate lights with brighter LED light fixtures. (I was using school bus lights.)
Eddie