What would cause this to happen, it has done it twice. First time I noticed it was when I bought the truck. I found another bulb holder at the junk and it happened again. I'm using a 12v bulb. If you can't see the pic clear the black is melted plastic.





Thanks for help.

 

Looks like it is arcing, maybe the contacts aren't tight against the metal.

 

I used some foil(temp) to make the contact. It helped but I find myself slaping the damn thing.

 

Check with Paul Grant, see if he has a replacement in better shape.

 

And don't feel lonely, this is a very common electrical problem from breaker panels to outlets to controls system to car and trucks. A loose connection has some arcs, which deposits or creates carbon on the contacts. Now the amps going thru the carbon make it heat up, and even on a "slow boil" it will eventually discolor the metal, melt adjoining plastic, even cause wire insulation to pull back away from the connector. It also causes a voltgae drop to the powered device, and things like motors, starters, fans, door lock motors don't like that, and in some cases they burn up as well. Need good clean contacts and firm. Places like bulbs do well with vaseline or bulb grease or dielectric grease, it keep the air from oxidizing the contacts depending on which metal they are plated with. Could also be impacted by high amp draw bulb, more unusual because bases are frequently different.

 

Thanks guys, I need to wait till payday. For now the foil worked(crosses fingers). Cheapest new set cost 90 each . I got her to stop leaking oil and coolant, now this. Fix one thing and more crap breaks .

Just checked Paul's site he has the 96-99 lights. If I get one, it wouldn't match the left side.

 

Call my friend Lincoln! He surely has a few of these:
Here is his website: Contact Us - Landroverboneyard.com Phone is: (505)-263-2136

 

If you are using the foil to "build up" the contact area, consider doing the same thing with solder. Just use a soldering iron or gun and keep adding dabs of it, as long as it flows and does not make a "cold" joint. You may have to invert socket to get solder to "sag" in desired direction. A lot of bulbs depend on a blob of solder as one of the base contacts. Also you might be able to use a generic socket from parts store and engineer something. We won't tell, and the light will look the same from outside...

 

Thought about this, thanks man