Melting Taillights....

[Stang Girl]

Ok, I have posted on several other boards about this and no one has seen or heard this on a Ford Mustang. My 2004 Mustang taillights are melting. Yes, melting, right where the bulbs are. They're all warped and misshapen. These are the original taillight assemblies with original bulbs. Noticed it yesterday.

Did call the dealer and they told me to come in, even though my warranty expired over a year ago. They have never heard of it and there are no Techinical Service Bulletins on it either.

Just craziness... :wow:

[J]

POST PICS

[Stang Girl]

I tried, but with the red, you really can't see the damage. The most damage is on the furthest outside sections of the lights. (This is happening to both assemblies.) It has melted and is warped angling into the inside of the assembly.

I will try different angles or lighting when I get home tonight. I can also post what the dealer says.

[coopdog21]

Ok, I have posted on several other boards about this and no one has seen or heard this on a Ford Mustang. My 2004 Mustang taillights are melting. Yes, melting, right where the bulbs are. They're all warped and misshapen. These are the original taillight assemblies with original bulbs. Noticed it yesterday.

Did call the dealer and they told me to come in, even though my warranty expired over a year ago. They have never heard of it and there are no Techinical Service Bulletins on it either.

Just craziness... :wow:
im starting to hear this,but most of the time people are using the tailight tint. i would suggest switching to the led bulbs that produce less heat ,if your in a major traffic area, that could be the cause

[Stang Girl]

Thanks...I went out and looked at them again. The driver's side is much worse. Looks like the passenger side has just started.

[crimsonblack]

Have the bulbs ever been changed? If the wrong amp bulbs were installed they will burn hotter and cause the plastic to melt. There are bulbs that look identical but have different internals. A .5 amp bulb stuck in a 1.4amp connection will burn brighter, but also become hotter than the normal bulb. Over time, if the bulb fails to burn out it will get hot enough to start warping/melting the plastic. You have to be extremely careful when replacing the bulbs with the exact style bulbs removed.

[Stang Girl]

Have the bulbs ever been changed? If the wrong amp bulbs were installed they will burn hotter and cause the plastic to melt. There are bulbs that look identical but have different internals. A .5 amp bulb stuck in a 1.4amp connection will burn brighter, but also become hotter than the normal bulb. Over time, if the bulb fails to burn out it will get hot enough to start warping/melting the plastic. You have to be extremely careful when replacing the bulbs with the exact style bulbs removed.

Nope, it's the original bulbs with the original assemblies.

[crimsonblack]

Still might want to check the voltages and amps on the bulbs against what someone else is running or contact your local ford dealer. There is a chance that the originals are wrong and it's taken this long to affect the plastic. The bulbs could be old and running hot as well. It's worth the check. If nothing else go down to Pep Boys or Autozone and get some less amperage bulbs to install - or like someone else suggested and get the new LED style.

On another side of things is to actually check the voltages at the taillight connections. If there is a surge (what should be say be 12volts normal is now registering 15 to 18 volts the bulbs could run hotter as well creating just enough heat to gradually melt or warp the plastic. This is a good possibility since both taillights are doing it. Cover you bases and for now get a lower voltage/amperage bulb if available for now.

[Snake]

check your voltmeter,if you're putting out more than 14 1/2 volts your regulator could be acting up and as stated above, be pumping out more than it should'
Put a voltmeter on your battery terminals and see what your voltage is with the engine running.
around 14 1/2 is OK.
should read around 11.7 with engine not running.
With higher voltage all your lights will run brighter,which means your integral regulator in the alternator could be on the way out.

[02BlueStang]

this is actually very interesting.....I have blacked out tail lights on my stang and about a month ago I noticed a divit in the lenses that I had never noticed before....I told myself that it wasnt normal and that there was no way it could have been there when I installed because I would have remembered something like that....Then I checked the other side and sure enough it had the same divit in the lens so I figured that was normal...

Im willing to bet that the lens has melted inward and left the divit in the lens....Anyone know of a link where to buy LED tail light bulbs and if there is anything that needs to be done modification wise so that they work like stock ones?

[02BlueStang]

I have the same thing on my tail lights...affects the outer most face of the lens right where it starts to curve to keep the lines of the car....small divit in the plactic inwards towards the light....Im going to switch out my bulbs and see if it might be that they are getting old and running too hot...I have never changed the bulbs in the tail lamps and my guess is that is probably what is happening....

[auriansmustang]

^^^^^^^^

that is why you should have got removable covers like us :)

[Stang Girl]

Ok, here are some pics...they aren't the best, but I am trying to take pics of red lights and if you turn the assembly a certain way...you can't see it. This is the driver's side...it's the worst of the two.

http://www.explorerforum.com/data/500/38784taillight6-med.jpg

http://www.explorerforum.com/data/500/38784taillight5-med.jpg

http://www.explorerforum.com/data/500/38784taillight4-med.jpg

http://www.explorerforum.com/data/500/38784taillight2-med.jpg

http://www.explorerforum.com/data/500/38784taillight1-med.jpg

You can't see the damage on the passenger side through the pics. You can see them in person and feel them.

Again, all 3 sections of the assembly, both driver's side and passenger side have damage. The idea of someone trying to melt it came up, but there are no marks on the outside and the lenses are smooth. The inside of the assembly is fine and the silver background is fine.

When Jeff gets home, I'll have him check the voltage levels, but all the wiring and the bulbs look fine. I told another friend from the EF board that I was going to call Mythbusters to see if they could help. At this point, I am at a total loss.

[Stang Girl]

UPDATE: Went by the dealer on the way home. Stumped them completely. They thought that I meant the inside by the socket was melting when I talked to them over the phone. They actually noticed that the passenger side assembly is bubbling out towards the top of the lens, away from the bulb. There suggestion was to check the vent holes to see if they were clogged. My favorite remark...due to the miles on my car, even if it is a defect, Ford will not be responsible. :hmmm:

Anyway, get home, take my trunk apart and pull out the driver's side assembly since that one has the most damage. Took the pics you see above.
Through IM, talked to my friend with an '04 Mach I for over an hour. He threw everything out that could possibly think of.

Voltage is running correct, no problems with my brake switch, no corrosion around sockets or bulbs. Wiring looks good. It's a mystery...anyway, my wonderful boyfriend says he has seen this with Camaro's.

At this time, I am just going to keep an eye on them or any problems that might arise and start saving my money for Cobra taillights. :drool:

[auriansmustang]

that sux....good luck with em.....looks kinda dented from what i see too.

[CallawayGT]

It IS possible ford screwed up and put in the wrong bulbs.Hell, they put a directional tire on backwards on my 01 cobra.

[Frosty]

I can't imagine what would cause that. All u can do now is keep an eye on it. I know on my 2000 GT, the filament on the reverse bulbs became so thin, that when I replaced the back with some Carbon Fibers, it literally melted away in my hands and I had to replace the bulbs to, that may be a direction to go in, if those are stock bulbs back there, then the heat off the bulbs may be getting to your covers literally unblocked.

[02BlueStang]

yep same thing with mine....

and I had the covers before (GTS Blackout)...IMO they look tacky and I got tired of them fading with the sun...Also it is hard to see brake lights through the covers and the chance of getting rear ended is much higher with them... I would never go back to covers.....

Im changing my bulbs out to new ones and picking up an Optima Yellow Top in the process, might as well get something new to the stang in fixing something old...

Anyone know which Yellow Top I should go with, there are quite a few...I am going deep cycle and was thinking the D35 Yellow Top, any suggestions though?

[Stang Girl]

Well, not much else has happened. Dealer is giving me the run around. I have too many miles for warranty but my concern is that this is a defect/safety issue that Ford needs to take responsibility for. Especially if my car goes up in flames.

I bought new bulbs today, just in case, but a friend of mine who used to work for an attorney specializing in the lemon law, told me to make sure that I only buy the bulbs from Ford so they won't try and use aftermarket bulbs for the reasoning behind the meltdown..

Another friend is wondering if Ford switched manufacturers or something between the 03 and 04 model years, and they use thinner plastic...I don't know. Just want my baby to be safe and sound and not worry about having to use my new fire extinguisher.

Anyway, keep everyone posted...

[stolenheron]

holy s*** that looks nasty, good luck with getting it all sorted out. i had never heard of such a thing before