Drl sockets 2003 gmc

[Ninja_Lawn_Guy]

I had to change the bulbs AGAIN and this time I noticed that all the white plastic on the sockets is now yellow brown and burned...even melted the bulb...what fhe tuck? just regular 3157 or 4114 bulbs...nothing crazy, just put parking light orange bulbs in as a cool looking replacement this time, as they were cheap and on hand in the garage. Plus they will probably run cooler than bright white ones, and cheap so if they burn up..oh well..

Think maybe a 15 amp fuse is too much for them?..are they a 10?

[leolkfrm]

check the alternator voltage, burning out bulbs can be a sign of high voltage!

[BernieB]

Originally Posted by Ninja_Lawn_Guy

I had to change the bulbs AGAIN and this time I noticed that all the white plastic on the sockets is now yellow brown and burned...even melted the bulb...what fhe tuck? just regular 3157 or 4114 bulbs...nothing crazy, just put parking light orange bulbs in as a cool looking replacement this time, as they were cheap and on hand in the garage. Plus they will probably run cooler than bright white ones, and cheap so if they burn up..oh well..

Think maybe a 15 amp fuse is too much for them?..are they a 10?

The fuse rating has nothing to do with how much voltage or current the bulbs draw, provided the draw doesn't exceed the fuse rating. In other words, if the bulbs are drawing 7 amps, and you have a 10 amp fuse, putting in a 15 isn't going to change anything, they'll still draw 7 amps.

The only purpose of a fuse is to protect the system/wiring in case of too much current flow, such as due to a short.

Leo does make an excellent point though, in that higher than normal charging voltages can cause problems like you're seeing. I'd put a good voltmeter on the system and see what the voltage is, both at idle and while running at normal speeds.

And, one last point, putting in those yellow bulbs might be a violation in some areas, particularly where DRL use is strictly enforced.

[wild bill]

this is a common problem ,they have to replace the socket's all the time .the big problem is that the drl bulb's are on all the time to make the power's that be happy .not to many people wanted them when they came out ,couldn't wait to disable them .

[Ninja_Lawn_Guy]

my gm buddy has yellow drls in all his 4 vehicles and says he gets more looks than problems. As for the draw I thought it might be high and thought maybe it had something to do with voltage...thanks guys

[BernieB]

Originally Posted by Ninja_Lawn_Guy

my gm buddy has yellow drls in all his 4 vehicles and says he gets more looks than problems. As for the draw I thought it might be high and thought maybe it had something to do with voltage...thanks guys

As long as you're using the correct fuse, as marked on the fuse chart, I wouldn't worry about the draw. Unless the fuse blows of course.

What you could try doing is looking for a lower wattage bulb. Generally those bulbs are rated around 55 watts. If you look around you might find some rated for less, or maybe even LED's (though they probably won't be legal). Oh, and try to avoid Halogen or Xenon bulbs, as they run hotter than regular bulbs. This is true of most of the "brighter and whiter" bulbs.

[Ninja_Lawn_Guy]

Yeah, the fuse DID blow, melted actually before I replaced it and the relay...They seem ok for now, we'll see if it melts it again...as for the white or bright, that's why I switched em...too hot... I'm using 3157 na turn signal parking bulbs.

[BernieB]

Originally Posted by Ninja_Lawn_Guy

Yeah, the fuse DID blow, melted actually before I replaced it and the relay...They seem ok for now, we'll see if it melts it again...as for the white or bright, that's why I switched em...too hot... I'm using 3157 na turn signal parking bulbs.

If the fuse blew then you've got a problem, provided it was the correct fuse to start with.

If the fuse just melted a little then it's probably that the bulbs were wrong and drawing too much current. If it blew "hard", and turned black, you have a hot grounding out somewhere.

What you might want to try, though they aren't legal for "on-road" use in most places, is a white LED 3157

You can find 'em on eBay easy enough (I suggest looking for ones with a lot of LED's and good brightness) and they draw far less current than your normal incandescent bulbs, and give off almost no heat.

[Ninja_Lawn_Guy]

It was black and melted on one side, but it was arching due to the little plugs were it slides in being wide and not touching...have since pinched them tighter and the fuse went in firm.