Instrument Light Sockets?

[dachrist]

So this past weekend I pulled my dash apart to change the lights to LED's and to fix the lights in the radio and in some of the switches. Some of the dash lights were so "stuck" in the plastic holders that I ended up in destroying two of the plastic lamp sockets. No problem, I thought, I have seen these before down at the local Crappy Tire (Canada, eh?). So I went down there and picked up the generic dashboard socket. Problem is, the replacement socket contacts do not line up with the dashboard contacts when they are twisted in. So, where can I pick up some proper replacement sockets?

 

[SunlitComet]

dealer or prpoer parts store. I have never heard if sockets that would not line up?

 

[xX Mavr1ck Xx]

If you scroll down to the bottom of this page below and under "168/194 Miniature Wedge Base Sockets" and the twist lock one is what you're looking for. I believe these should line up, because I ordered leds for my HVAC controls and they came in the twist lock sockets from superbrightleds and they worked.
http://www.superbrightleds.com/cgi-bin/store/index.cgi?action=DispPage&Page2Disp=/mini-wedge.html

 

[dachrist]

You see how in that pic on the link how the metal tabs are at 90 degrees to the plastic "ears" on the twist lock? Those are like the ones I picked up from the store. The ones ont he truck are not 90 degrees out, they are more like 45 - 30 degrees. So when you push in and turn with the new one, the metal tabs move away from the contact strip.

 

[Jaycenk]

are you sure you don't just rotate the contacts in the bulb socket to the correct position in the socket so they will line up with the strips on the gauge pod? I not talking about putting the bulb socket into the dash and only turning it so far, I am talking about the copper contacts in the bulb sockets them selves.

 

[dachrist]

Thats just it...when you first put the new socket in, the contacts are on the strips. But when you rotate the connector to "lock it in", the contacts move away from the strips so they are just on plastic.

 

[ScottyBoy]

The twist lock bases I used on my cluster were the same way. When fully locked in position, the metal was no longer in contact with the circuit board. I just turned them back just a tad before fully locked position and they work fine. They have not come loose or anything. They have been in my cluster for well over a year.

 

[dachrist]

Cool, I'll try that. Gotta take the dash apart again to fix the radio lights anyways.