3rd Brake Light Melted!

[aj213121]

While I'm off work I am doing all the repairs I can on my truck and I now got to my 3rd brake light. Opened it up and the whole socket is fried along with the plastic on the bottom being melted. Does anyone know where I can find the correct socket part # or replacement? and also does anyone know why this might have happened?

 

[Fredness]

LED Conversion

Since the socket is gone, might as well splice in a new assembly...

 

[Mr. Alligator]

Those stock lights are neon, I think. It is sort of an odd high powered system with a ballast in the line. The parts that break or wear out are the bulb, and high powered ballast. Stock stuff that works is hard to find, and unnecessarily complicated. Remember, this stuff is about 20 years old.

The best solution: go to a salvage yard and get the third break light lens, which includes the bulb. Although this was not intended to be disassembled, you can bake the whole thing in the oven (200 degrees for twenty minutes, or something like that). This will soften the glue holding the plastic together, and you can split the lens case. Discard the old obsolete bulb. Replace it with a LED strip. Get the brightest you can find at any auto parts store. You will be able to cut the strip to size. Glue it in place, and glue the lens back together. Bypass and discard the old ballast, or whatever that thing is (has a warning printed on it about dangerously high voltage). Wire in your newly assembled LED unit, and you are set for another twenty years, after which people will wonder why was anyone messing around with funky old LED lights....

As I recall, There are very good write ups on this site and maybe videos on YouTube for the specifics of the refit.

Good luck with the project. You will be glad to have a third brake light again.

Mr. Alligator
1997 Explorer/435,000 miles.

 

[koda2000]

I don't think Ford continued using the stupid (but kinda cool) neon HMSL after '97. The regular Explorers used an array of LED's beginning in '98.

As far as I know, the '03 Sport Trac used the same HMSL as the '01 and '02 ST's, which used a regular bulb (#922 IIRC) in the red center and 2 more regular bulbs on the clear sides for the cargo light.

If the socket melted, perhaps the brake light was stuck on for a prolonged of time and overheated (due to a sticking brake light switch). If the side sockets melted, perhaps the cargo lights were left on.

Look on eBay for a used unit. I think, though I'm not positive, that the F150 P/U's used the same HMST/Cargo Light assembly. If you have access to a salvage yard, finding a replacement there would be the least expensive way to go.

Here's a link to a brand new one, but used one's go for about 1/2 the price and one from a salvage yard would be even less expensive.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ford-Explor...ash=item3f6355b752:g:3SAAAOSwrnNXP3Rt&vxp=mtr

Tip: Replace the regular bulbs with LED's. They will not generate enough heat to melt anything.

 

[aj213121]

Awesome thanks for the input! Is the assembly sport trac specific only? Like would one from a regular explorer fit?

Edit: sorry just say the f150 comment. I'll look into that more thanks!

 

[Mr. Alligator]

I don't think Ford continued using the stupid (but kinda cool) neon HMSL after '97. The regular Explorers used an array of LED's beginning in '98.

As far as I know, the '03 Sport Trac used the same HMSL as the '01 and '02 ST's, which used a regular bulb (#922 IIRC) in the red center and 2 more regular bulbs on the clear sides for the cargo light.

If the socket melted, perhaps the brake light was stuck on for a prolonged of time and overheated (due to a sticking brake light switch). If the side sockets melted, perhaps the cargo lights were left on.

Look on eBay for a used unit. I think, though I'm not positive, that the F150 P/U's used the same HMST/Cargo Light assembly. If you have access to a salvage yard, finding a replacement there would be the least expensive way to go.

Here's a link to a brand new one, but used one's go for about 1/2 the price and one from a salvage yard would be even less expensive.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ford-Explor...ash=item3f6355b752:g:3SAAAOSwrnNXP3Rt&vxp=mtr

Tip: Replace the regular bulbs with LED's. They will not generate enough heat to melt anything.

Koda2000 always has good answers!

I did the "split the salvage yard casing and insert LED strip using liquid nails for glue" fixture my 97 Explorer XLT. You just need the bulb and lens assembly from a salvage yard. Cheap, relatively easy, and very effective.

If you try to replace with stock neon parts, I think you will need to buy the ballast AND the bulb. Your units will each be twenty years old, and I have no idea how you could figure out whether the bulb and/or the ballast was bad. LEDs solve it. No more part in your truck that is labeled "danger, beware, caution, high voltage".

Good luck

Mr. Alligator

 

[swshawaii]

DON'T buy the Recon LED whatever you do. Would be a nice bolt on solution, too bad the QC sucks.

http://www.mysporttrac.com/shared/msgboard9e.asp?BOARDNAME=MSG&VIEW=1330039

http://www.mysporttrac.com/MySportTrac/projects/LED3rdBrakeLightProject.pdf

 

[koda2000]

I removed the ballast and neon tube from my 97 Sport's non-working third brake light and replaced the guts of the light with a waterproof LED strip from SuperBrightLEDs.com. Cost me about $12-$13 all in.

 

[koda2000]

Awesome thanks for the input! Is the assembly sport trac specific only? Like would one from a regular explorer fit?

Edit: sorry just say the f150 comment. I'll look into that more thanks!

Sport Tracs (and maybe F-Series Ford pickups) only.

 

[Mr. Alligator]

I removed the ballast and neon tube from my 97 Sport's non-working third brake light and replaced the guts of the light with a waterproof LED strip from SuperBrightLEDs.com. Cost me about $12-$13 all in.

Yes, I think that is the best! The brighter the LED, the better.