1st gen unicorn(?) taillight harness question

Howdy all,
Turns out that somehow I ended up with a unicorn(?). Discovered that my brake lights had an intermittent connection issue. My truck has the old style GE 1156/1157 bayonet type base bulbs, with the corresponding large bulb socket, and the lovely solder bead type contacts which have worn down enough that I am having to build them up to ‘repair’ the issue. So I am looking to find out when they changed to the wedge type bulbs. Anyone know off hand what the Toyota number would be for all 3 of these socket, back up, brake and signal?
I ordered a pair of harnesses from the Toyota Parts Deal site using my VIN and got 2 of these: they have the wedge type base.

They have a 2 pin connector to connect to the vehicle harness, my truck has the connector below.

This is what my truck has on it currently: 6 pin 5 wire connector (looks like one from an earlier model? Maybe even a 94 or earlier( I have tried to find what the older 1st gen harness looks like and all I get is the whole assembly, I will try a different dealer site to get another option)


This is the back of most of the taillight housing: 6 pin 5 wire connector, (looks like the harness to the taillight is a lot newer)


So I would like to change the harness/sockets out to wedge type, and am hoping that I might be able to find the Toyota number for these current sockets so I can find a cross reference number to upgrade to the wedge base bulbs , then eventually switch them to LEDs. I would be open to just replacing the sockets, actually preferred to replacing the whole taillight assemblies, which I replaced a few years ago. Given the off road mileage and all the wear caused by vibration, I think maybe wedge bulbs might be the best way to go?

So there is the question for all the older wiser Tacoma heads out there..

 

UniCorns R0CK!

 

I must admit I have no clue what your talking about

 

Well thank you for trying at least. Maybe this will make more sense.

That isn’t all that surprising, it is my native tongue LOL...

That said, I am basically tired of having to rebuild the little solder dabs that seem to make up the female bulb socket contacts.

After a bit more research I did find out that some of the early Tacoma’s had the 6 pin connector for the tail light harness, I am basically looking for the newer wedge type bulb sockets (push in type) as opposed to the push in and twist(1/8 turn or less) old style GE base bulb sockets which always seem to get loose either by the spring in the socket getting weak= bad contact, or the contacts getting worn= bad contact.

old type GE bayonet base reverse light bulb:


New style wedge base bulb:


Right now I have the old style bulb sockets and taillights to match. I am planning to start collecting parts to upgrade to the newer(push in type bulb) wedge bulbs.

Looks like I need a primer on tail light bulbs.....

If I could get the stock part number for the old sockets then I could cross reference a possible newer socket to fit the old taillights and use the new bulbs.
Eventually replace the taillights if necessary but I would prefer not to- budget wise.

Then be over halfway to changing them over to the LED wedge base bulbs in the future.

 

Been through a 1996 and 2- 1999's that had the Bayonet style sockets. I don't think you have a unique setup there. I think I've only once had a problem with those sockets, what are you doing to them to burn them up so much? Dielectric grease works wonders.

 

They didn't switch away from this style of bulb until the second gen. All 1st Gen use the same rear bulbs

 

I was confused by your bulb descriptions

I think your going in the wrong direction I have swapped many of the newer style bulbs back to the old style far more problems with the new style. Having just swapped out tail lights on a 2020 Chevy

Any of the sockets can corrode given enough winter chemicals over time. Nothing some CRC and a fitting brush will not fix.

Not sure what your problem is being caused by I have some harnesses from the early eighties still going strong

If anything I swap out for LED lights not bulbs

 

The harness you have is for the third brake light.. the stock lights should indeed be bayonet style. And the harness you have new is for 921 bulbs in the third brake light

 

Thanks for the responses all, lots of good info, I appreciate it.

What I am seeing in the bayonet type socket is a wearing down of one or both of the little round contacts that match up with the 2round contacts on the base of the bulb. On older rigs (with metal sockets) I have dabbed a bit of solder to build the socket contacts up. Not sure if I can get away with that on the plastic socket, might just try to find some replacement sockets, I suspect that the Toyota ones would probably hold up better.

I don’t remember when I replaced the taillights if the harness came with the taillights, could just be the contact points in the cheap socket wearing down.

I drive lots of miles on gravel roads(commuting and recreational on varying quality road- lots of vibrations) I have found the aftermarket stuff doesn’t seem to hold up to the use. So I thought maybe the wedge base might do better. I’ll chase down so Toyota ones probably the best option.

As far as going LED, I just want brighter brake lights, every time I go to town, on dry days with lots of dust or just driving in the lower 48, a lot of folks drive like fools and I want to be visible when braking. Really would prefer not to test out the rear bumper....

 

I suspect it is just vibration from lots of off road/gravel road mileage. Not including the CONUS driving, my mileage is about 60% gravel and 40% paved motocross track-AlCan and Alaska interior highways.
It is also likely that the sockets that are on the truck have been replaced either when I first got it, when I replaced both my headlights and taillights( I can’t remember for certain, if so the harnesses had to have come with the taillights) or before I purchased it. It is mainly an intermittent contact issue that has landed me a fix it ticket in the past.- replaced bulbs then. Noticed that one side was out driving across Washington last week.

 

That is a good point, I don’t have much practical experience with the newer wedge base bulbs, the only vehicle I have ever owned that is newer than my Tacoma is my 01 Ram 2500 CTD, and I don’t drive that in and out of the park after I basically replaced the entire front steering parts group.

So I’m kinda leaning that way myself, would like to get Toyota replacement sockets, as I have had some issues with aftermarket stuff on previous vehicles. Perhaps Dorman might be worth looking at or maybe Super Bright LEDs?

 

The whole back of the tailgate could be one big brake light it would not help !!

Hard to see what is in front of you when your looking down at your phone and typing instead of driving .

 

AGREED!
Hence the homemade bumper and leaving the hitch in(might as well make being as expensive and painful as possible- it has never either cheap or pain free in my experience) as well as front armor with an air horn(not quite as loud as a good one but it does wake some folks up!)

With that being said, truly it is mainly to be more visible in crap weather- which we have in spades, both up at home and here in the inland NW.

 

Sometimes we forget just how far apart things can be up there.

I could see it would not be uncommon to do a easy 60,000 miles a year if you go anyplace at all.

 

the sockets are built into the tail lights when you get them. I've never removed the actual sockets to replace bulbs. I've had OEM and DEPO (current) without an issue thus far

edit:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/DEPO-Red-C...42784&fits=Year:1998|Model:Tacoma|Make:Toyota

 

Some aftermarket lights don't have removable sockets like the OEM lights. You just take off the lens instead to get access to the bulbs. The DEPO ones definitely aren't removable, but I used to have a set of Altezza style lights that had removable sockets.

But yeah, since all the replacement tail lights attach at the 6 pin harness you can pretty much use any first gen lights you want, bayonet or wedge.

 

interesting, I always figured since the lense just pops off once you remove the screws just twist out the bulb and put a new one in, no need to mess with the socket

 

Surprisingly, I don’t log a ton of miles just because of the distances and fuel not being very cheap, and you make a town trip and that equals a lot of stops to fill your list out, and Fairbanks isn’t laid out with all the places one goes in the same spot. For fun I generally just go bike riding on the local network of dog mushing trails, or the power line road, works for me.

Like they say, we don’t measure distances in miles but in hours. I live about 2-1/4hrs out of Fairbanks, (closest big town/city) so trips can take all day easily, and as there are two military bases up there, we see a lot of drivers with little or no winter driving experience which can make things interesting. Add old crap roads in town, and a few stretches of paved motocross track(frost heaves), a random moose encounter or two and away we go!

life in the great land is always entertaining!!

 

Mainly I suspect it is due to sand and grit, and silt (and possible submersion- I found 3/4” of sand underneath the console along with a slight bent frame horn- thinking the PO got it stuck in a creek somewhere in western Colorado where I bought it )hard telling how many owners preceded me, I did find the back ‘seat’ speaker grills held in with drywall screws so……. Those little silver bumps in the socket do actually wear down, I saw that a lot working in my father garage as a teenager. Going to try to splice in some sockets I found on eBay and work on saving up for some new taillights.