Rear Lamp Socket Assemblies

Tail light tailight lamps brake

Added:
There are aftermarket assemblies available. Some info/review is here.

Tail light Repairs or Replacement
https://sprinter-source.com/forums/showthread.php?p=763924#post763924

Dorman 923-031
https://www.dormanproducts.com/p-28229-923-031.aspx

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Generally before I take my vehicles in for the annual New York State safety and emissions inspection I check things over. This time for my 2004 I was a bit busy. The brakes are good. Tires are good. I've kept up on things... I took it in.

Oops. Top brake light worked. Neither lower brake light was coming on. It also needs an outside left tie rod end, but I probably wouldn't have checked that anyway.

Brake lights.

The shop said that they'd chase things down, but it could take time depending upon what was the problem. I thanked them and said I'd pay the cost so far and pick up my van.

Back home I removed the rear light assemblies and used a screwdriver in the back access hole to lever the plug in connectors clear. In the shop I connected my 12 volt source to the negative steel trace bar. Touched the positive to running lights, top and bottom lit. Touched to reverse, that was fine too. Touched to brake... nothin'. Wiggled the lamp around on the driver side unit, got the brake filament to light. Tried the same on the passenger side... nothin'.



Further inspection on the passenger side showed that a pressure connection from the lamp base contact to the steel trace wasn't making contact. I tried a few things, but that one wouldn't conduct. I decided to use a "U" shape of nickel wire (on hand) to force in between the lamp base contact and the trace. All lit as it should. Wiggling didn't cause any problems. I used a similar wire "U" on the driver side. All worked as it should.

Anyway, both lamp assemblies are OEM. My thought is that since 2004 the connections have degraded. Likely one quit before the other, but the timing was similar.

The other lamps have similar pressure connections. After the repairs I sprayed them all with WD40.

I don't expect anyone to use my repair methods. My purpose here is to make owners aware that as heavy duty as the OEM trace assemblies appear, they can have problems over time. New rear lamp assemblies are available OEM or from Dorman.


Edit: My 2016 repair is still working. 20170929, 20181017. 20190911

The driver and passenger side boards are identical. That allows the sides to be easily swapped to see if a problem is associated with a given assembly. To disconnect the plug, first un-clip the cable support, then look for a hole in the back of the assembly. I insert a screwdriver into that hole to lever the plug loose.

Some additional rear lamp assembly information and repair can be found here.

ABS ESP Traction Lights On Brake Light Fuse (#5?) Blown Shift Locked
https://sprinter-source.com/forums/showthread.php?p=99430#post99430

Rear Lamp Socket Assemblies
https://sprinter-source.com/forums/showthread.php?p=493351

https://www.amazon.com/Dorman-923-031-Tail-Circuit-Board/dp/B002ZTPNF6/ref=au_as_r?_encoding=UTF8&Make=Dodge|40&Model=Sprinter 2500|2424&Year=2004|2004&ie=UTF8&n=15684181&newVehicle=1&s=automotive&vehicleId=1&vehicleType=automotive

My NAPA tie rod end replacement part will be installed tomorrow morning. (Completed. Easy install.)

vic

Added:

Aqua Puttana said:

...

A possible temporary solution if you have trailer light capability is to use some magnetic trailer lights.

http://www.harborfreight.com/ Search "magnetic trailer light"

Often $9.99 with a coupon.

I carry a set with me at all times. In a pinch they will work for my trailers or possibly for other problems. I don't trust the magnets so I tape or wire them into place. They set nicely on a step bumper.

vic

Click to expand...

Here's what I recommend for a NAS aka NAFTA T1N:
Top Lamp = Brake/Tail = 1157LL 12V 21W/5W)
2nd down = Backup = 1156LL (12V 21W)
3rd Down = Turn = 1156LL (12V 21W)
Bottom Lamp = Tail = 5007LL (12V 5W) - Do not use more watts or it will appear that the brake lights are on.

Had the same symptoms and thought I had a short. Looked carefully at the board and could not see any issues with the contacts. Drove me crazy for most of a morning checking fuses and grouds, even swapped the two boards one for the other. I finally noticed that the filament patterns in the bulbs was different (good side to bad). I must have inadvertently switched bulbs on the good side putting a one contact bulb in a two contact spot weeks ago replacing a burnt out bulb! That was enough to drive all of the electronics in the van crazy. Once I switched it out for the correct bulb and cleared the codes all was good.

Couldn't believe that such a simple mistake could cause so much havoc with the entire electrical system.

Was there a change from 2003 to 2004? Mine has one brake light on both sides (top most, the only dual-filament bulb), the bottom most bulb is a 5w running-light only. I actually used the otherwise unused post for that socket to power my backup camera. And I'd have to pull mine again, but I was reasonably sure that I didn't have any sort of pressure contact, it was all solid (but I honestly didn't pay a Whole lot of attention beyond getting the correct bulbs in the different spots ~ I only had 5 working bulbs of the 8 used)

Slightly off topic, on a 2006, is it possible to replace the the tail light cover (my backup light lens has a hole in it)? Can it be repaired? Seems excessive replacing the whole assembly.
Suggestions appreciated

Although the parts catalog has a picture (and item number) of the lens existing separately from the socket assembly, the part number section says that the lens is a part of the socket kit.




(further digging may find other answers).
There's always the used parts markets...

--dick
p.s. parts catalogs and service manuals available at: http://aie-services-2.net/Sprinter/

Brian. said:

... And I'd have to pull mine again, but I was reasonably sure that I didn't have any sort of pressure contact, it was all solid (but I honestly didn't pay a Whole lot of attention beyond getting the correct bulbs in the different spots ~ I only had 5 working bulbs of the 8 used)

Click to expand...

I'd assume 2003 is the same... Is your's definitely OEM?

My 2004 OEM assembly has a pressure or slip in contact point to the metal trace. You need to look very closely in the areas that I have pointed to in the above picture. It is not obvious that there is an area of contact there.

vic

brassarl said:

Slightly off topic, on a 2006, is it possible to replace the the tail light cover (my backup light lens has a hole in it)? Can it be repaired? Seems excessive replacing the whole assembly.
Suggestions appreciated

Click to expand...

I have used a piece of scrap lens to glue over small holes. I did that on my travel trailer because the OEM lens are no longer available. That saved me the troubles involved in replacing the custom wrap around units.

Amazon has Sprinter replacement units.

https://www.amazon.com/Depo-334-191...automotive&vehicleId=1&vehicleType=automotive

vic

orb said:

...

Couldn't believe that such a simple mistake could cause so much havoc with the entire electrical system.

Click to expand...

An incorrect lamp can bridge or distort the contacts and cause some real problems. It is easy to do.

I've noticed on a few Sprinters where the single filament 5 watt running lamp has been replaced with a 21 watt lamp. That doesn't cause electrical issues, but it makes it look like the brake lights are on all the time.

vic

Autostaretx Dick aka The Sprinter Service Manual Research King has provided some useful schematics and diagrams in this post.

no brake lights but third brake light works
https://sprinter-source.com/forum/showthread.php?p=591552#post591552

vic