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Any idea how the floor light socket comes apart?

dyeager535

dyeager535

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I'd like to remove the terminals and clean them up, getting some intermittent function out of it.

Looking at the pictures (easier than what I could see in the truck!) makes me think you have to do something with the slot in the last pic.

These are obviously unusual compared to the blade-style connectors that have the little locking tab.

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there may be a lock tab in the rectangle on the bulb side. probably push the tab and pull on wires
 
Kind of what I was thinking. Can't clearly see it, and this thing is in a terrible position without enough cable to reach anywhere I can comfortably work on it.

How about the bottom terminal? It's the same idea as the exterior 1157's etc. in the tail lights and so forth, I never did spend much time trying to figure out how you can remove them.
 
Taking a sec look at first pic there might a cover coving the whole back of the plug.
 
Two ways it might come apart. All references are for the middle pic. See if that’s a small tab where you insert the bull that can be moved with something like a screwdriver. I think that’s the same one Wes mentioned. Second, the outside of the socket where the bulb goes - see how it’s beveled? Makes me wonder if there’s a lip below it compresses the two sides inward and it clicks in place. Again use a screwdriver and press inward to see if it moves working your way around.
 
I'll double check, but I'm 99% sure the whole assembly is one piece. Kind of hard to see from those pics, but it's just weird in general...at least two of the contacts appear to be joined by a solid piece of brass, you might be able to make out the tiny slot between two of the terminals on the back.

I've had problems with this thing for years, but since I started messing around with the ash tray and trying to add a phone holder and plugs, I wanted to deal with this if I could.
 
Fooled around with it a bit more. This has got to be one of the worst-designed pieces on the truck.

It is one piece. No disassembling.

The way you think you might release that square-ish terminal is not, as best I can figure out. Can't see into it well enough to see how it could possibly lock, but forcing it is out of the question. Tried a jewelers screwdriver to see if I could hit a tab or something, but if its in there, I couldn't find it.

The contact for the bottom of the bulb is some sort of plated steel. Saw some chunks of rust fall out and thought that odd, got a very good look at the contact and could see the plating is coming off, and it's rusty underneath. That springy-flat bottom contact appears to maybe have "teeth" that bite into the plastic as it's installed. Got it to move some, but it was starting to get more difficult and felt something was about to break, so I left it.

So its still a jiggle-the-wires to make it work kind of deal. Made zero progress on it, but wanted to update with what I found, or didn't.
 

Light, Courtesy Kit

Haywire Inc - Automotive Aftermarket Wiring Components
www.haywireinc.com

Pianless has them too, but the wires are the wrong color

edit: I know nothing about haywiring co. just using my Google fu
 
Not a terrible price for two, floor lighting helps for sure when you drop something.

Be interesting to see the back side of that housing to see if they made it better.

Wonder why GM didn't just crimp all the same color wires together and chose instead to do it at the socket?
 
I have a cut up harness that would have that connector if you want to spice in a pigtail.
 
I'm sure at some point I swapped in some LED strip/panel type lights under the dash and the lighting was way better. They must have burned out or something. Anyway, my point is - why would you choose to swap in something today that's a hot bulb in a black plastic reflector when we have so many options?
 
Blue85 said:
I'm sure at some point I swapped in some LED strip/panel type lights under the dash and the lighting was way better. They must have burned out or something. Anyway, my point is - why would you choose to swap in something today that's a hot bulb in a black plastic reflector when we have so many options?
Click to expand...

Actually it's already an LED bulb which gives off good/great light, but it's bugged me for awhile how finicky the socket is, and I like to know how things work and are assembled.

It's an interesting setup, as I recall, if that bulb doesn't work, your interior lights using the dimmer switch will not work, but they will if you open a door.

I wouldn't know this, except I don't like opening my door in the rain and snow so I can see lol.
 
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