I've checked the line for shorts - none at all.......

For some reason my lic. plate lights like to burn out, but when they do, the whole end of the wire and socket burn up into a fused melted clump. I've had to replace the last section of wiring (thank god there's a quick change plug about a foot from the end where the lights are) repeatedly and it's starting to get costly...

The dealer checked the system for me once - got it as a freebie as I'm out of warrenty - and found nothing also, I'm at a loss - and about to say the heck with it and leave them out... LOL

 

Could the meltdown be from the wrong bulb? Make sure you are using the correct bulb. A 2004 truck uses a 168 bulb for the license plate which is also the bulb that is used in the side marker lights and cab clearance lights. Wal Mart has a computerized bulb finder that should tell you what you need.

Is the fuse for that circuit the correct rating? The fuse isn't causing the meltdown but I would think the fuse should be blowing before any meltdowns occur. The fuse holder should have a diagram of the fuses required and their amp ratings but I can't be sure for a 99.

If the bulb is correct and the fuse is around 10 or 15 amps then I'd say you're getting a short somehow during the installation of the new harness. The location of the meltdown is also the location of the short (again, assuming the correct bulb).

 

Kinda odd, typically the lisc lights are tied in to the same corcut as the running/parking lights. If your not blowing fuses that rules out shorts I would think unless someone put in a 500amp fuse and the wires melt before the fuse pops, highly unlikely, sounds like a bulb issue. Is it melting the bulb socket?

 

It is odd - I've checked the fuse and it's the correct one, else I think the parking lights would have gone bad too. Funny part is that it's only the right one and not the left. When I got the new harness section (it's only about a foot long) the parts guy at the dealer looked it up on the comp and we double checked it and it was the right one and had the right bulb, but this one too decided to do the same thing. I checked the hole in the bumper and there's no problem with the fit - the hole is a little more than big enough for the socket and there's no bur's that could possibly poke through the wire or rubber cup.

I may just pull the whole thing out and put a 50k candle power spot light on it instead! LOL

 

Are you also finding moisture inside the lens?

 

Have you by chance pulled the good one out and compared bulbs? Sounds like something I would come up against

 

mine did the same thing, looking at the bumper from the rear, the bulb on the right burned out, when i started to remove it to replace the bulb, the bulb, and socket both just crumbled in my hand. I still have the left bulb and have not tried a new light yet.

i too have a 1999. strange.......

 

Same on mine but a 98. From the rear, right hand side. Melted into a lump. Any ideas?

Paul

 

sounds like this is a typical problem to me....... i think my bro in laws truck did the same thing, its an 01

 

Yup.. as you face it - the right side, all three (original and 2 replacements) melted into a solid clump - no way to get the light out without breaking it.......

 

The reason they melt is due to high resistance. once a connection to the bulb gets poor it will create heat and can melt the socket. what i would do on a replacement is to make sure the bulb fits tight in the socket. put some dielectric grease in the socket. and make sure you have the correct bulb.

 

sounds like a plan...
should have been the correct bulb from the factory, and still a mystery why it seems to be the right hand bulb on all of these trucks.......

 

Just curious ... is the right-hand bulb at the end of a series? I.e., the wires from the harnes go to the left bulb and then on to the right, terminating at the right bulb? Or do both connections come right out of the wiring harness?

I bought my truck used, and it had an aftermarket bumper, with one license plate light. It, too, was fried. I bought a complete replacement setup, and wired it in myself, after cleaning up the hole in the bumper (it had some rust built up, preventing a good contact). Since then, I've not had any troubles.

From everything that everyone has said, it does sound like a resistence problem, or perhaps too much voltage is flowing through there, but the wires should fry first in that case. I can think of a couple of solutions:

1. use the dielectric grease;
2. leave the lamp out -- as long as one of them is working, the cops and (if applicable) state inspectors should be happy;
3. Use an aftermarket setup on both sides to keep it looking decent. You can get them just about anywhere. It might require some drilling to get the holes the right size, or not. Not too familiar with the stock bumper design.

If you use an aftermarket setup, and it still fries, I'd just go with the one light if I were you.

Good luck!