Blown reverse light

[dangerranger]

My car had the rightside upper reverse light out. When i went to replace it i noticed the plastic socket had melted some. I stuck in the new bulb anyways and it didn't work. I'm thinking i will replace it with an aftermarket taillight assembly, but could there be something in the wiring or something that caused this in the first place?

sorry if this is in the wrong place.

[RickHigginsHtbr]

you spent too much time driving in reverse, do more u-turns. j/k, but more of a freak thing that just happens to some lights. There's no wiring inside the tails, so check the harness before you put aftermarket tails in.

[kody]

Post should be in the Problems and Solutions forums but anyways I'm thinking the melted socket isn't indicative of a problem in the wiring harness but rather in the socket itself due to condensation or ingress of water. Either way I would replace the socket before replacing the entire assembly and, with the car in reverse and your foot on the brake, have someone meter the socket for +12 Vdc. Good luck, keep us posted.

[tenspeed]

Is there any possibility that the reverse light was stuck on for an extended period?

A melted socket indicates either heat from the bulb or a bad electrical connection like Rick and Dion mentioned.

[dangerranger]

Thanks guys, i actually noticed this when my lower right back-up light went out. The reverse light might not have even worked when i bought the car. Maybe it had been stuck in reverse? I'll check it out again when i get home next weekend.