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'66 Impala Tail Lights

3K views 3 replies 2 participants last post by  Big Dave 
#1 ·
The wiring in my '66 is kind of sketchy and one of my tail lights needs a new bulb socket. I'm wondering how the tail lights are supposed to look when they function properly. I think they will work fine once that bulb socket is fixed I just want to make sure they are in the right order.
 
#2 ·
Four light bulbs despite the six lenses used in the bezel (or six round lights on the '65). Back-up lights were separate from memory. A nice customizing touch is to put an LED bulb in the empty lens and wire it with the others. This way you don't need a separate flasher to trip the turn signals.

Big Dave
 
#3 ·
Thanks a lot Big Dave! Turns out my wiring wasn't as sketchy as I thought. I think some of the bulbs need replacing. The part about the turn signals and backup lights was giving me a hard time. I got one side working right using three bulbs I know are good.I think I'll probably just get 6 LEDs to replace the stock bulbs. It would have taken me FOREVER to sort things out without your help!
 
#4 ·
You have to use a different turn signal flasher. The one you have relies upon the resistance of the filament to cause the bi-metal strip to heat up and open and make the lights blink off. The metal cools and closes to turn the light on again. The constant opening and closing causes the lights to flash for a turn signal and is the source of the noise you hear clicking while the turn signal is on.

With an LED light you need either a computer to count on it's finger and toes to set a fixed period of time to turn on or off (decay counter), or a little motor that rotates with half of a disc set to conduct the other half insulated so the lights are off. this is because LED lights don't offer much in terms of resistance. Almost all of the power is converted into light (you get a max of 18 lumens per Watt out of an incandescent bulb, 70 lumens per Watt out of a fluorescent bulb, and 105 lumens per Watt per watt out of an LED).

Basically you get light instead of heat out of an LED bulb. Who knows may be a an incandescent bulb could save your life if you were buried in an avalanche with those tinny little dash lights acting like heaters.

Big Dave
 
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