I'm a little embarrassed to have to ask, but it's cold outside so I don't want to waste any more time trying to figure it out.

How can I get to the front blinker light bulb/socket on my '97 Ranger?


It will intermittently (maybe 1/3 of the time) not light the bulb in the right front blinker (and, of course, flash faster).

When it first did it I assumed it was a burned-out bulb, but now that I see it's an intermittent issue, I'm thinking it's more a corroded socket.

Either way, I couldn't figure out how to get to the damn thing. Seems like with the fender, rad support, and all that, it would be easier if the lens came off from the outside...but I coudn't figure out how. And it's dark and cold. Cold enough to make plastic brittle, so I didn't want to mess with it.

Anybody know?

On my Ranger, there's two little metal clips you have to pull up on to remove the headlight. Maybe it's the same for yours? If not, maybe removing the air box will gain access to the socket?

The '97 is different from yours, though by how much I'm not sure.

To change a headlight bulb, I can just reach down behind the radiator support, and twist out the bulb. It's a little tight on the left, because of the battery, but you can do it if you're careful.

When you say "remove a headlight"...are you talking about the whole light assembly, or just the bulb? And if it's the whole assembly...does the blinker light come off with the headlight?

I completely overlooked the fact that you said blinker. I was thinking about the headlight. The marker light mount on your 97 shouldn't be any different than mine. Ford didn't change the Ranger that much.lol.

On my Ranger, you have to remove the headlight to access the bolts that hold the marker light to the grille support panel. If your Ranger has a plastic cover in front of the rad support that covers the open area between the support and the grille, remove that. Then, see if you can spot what holds the light in it. On my truck it's two little L brackets that you pull up on which releases two clips for the headlight and allows you to pull the light assembly out. Once you do that you can see the bolts that hold in the marker light.

Fordzilla80 said:

The marker light mount on your 97 shouldn't be any different than mine. Ford didn't change the Ranger that much.lol.

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They changed the front end twice...

Though, actually, the one in the middle is more different, and yours and (both of) mine probably are pretty similar. And, now that you mention it...that's probably the ticket. Seems like an awful lot of work to change a blinker bulb, but...

Have to see what the weather's like tomorrow. I'm not messing with that stuff when it's single digits. Plastic is just too durn brittle at those temps.

Well I mean as far as how things are held together.lol.

But hopefully the weather holds out for ya man! Good luck with it!

Got it apart.

Turns out all I needed to do was take off one nut (nothing in the way) and then wiggle the light assembly off the truck.

Unfortunately, it looks like I'm gonna have to replace the socket...hope it's a cheap part.


EDIT: I fixed my horn, too. One of 'em rusted off it's bracket earlier this summer, and I just yanked it out of the truck so it wouldn't bounce around while I drove...but I didn't bother to do anything with the wiring. Once I looked at it for half a second, I realized I could just connect up the horn that's still in there, and leave the other one on the floorboard, and it'll work. Unfortunately, it's the high-note that's still in there. Ah, well...it is rather a sissy truck, I suppose.

john112deere said:

Unfortunately, it looks like I'm gonna have to replace the socket...hope it's a cheap part.

Click to expand...

Only parts house open on Sunday afternoons didn't have/couldn't get the right part...looks like Napa has it, for $15.

*FYI, a '76-'84 GM taillight socket will fit nicely into the corner lamp, and appears that you could splice it into the factory wiring readily enough...but it won't clear the fender.

Dang man, sorry to hear that. Glad it was easy to get to though.

Fordzilla80 said:

Dang man, sorry to hear that.

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Eh...whatever.

The only reason that truck's still sitting out front is because I like it. I don't need it, and it doesn't really do ANYTHING useful that the '09 doesn't do as well or better.

So...it's here because I like it. And, when I start to get irritated with stuff like this, I remind myself that I do have the option to send it on down the road. Turn it into a few hundred bucks cash and drop my insurance payment some, too. Even if I'm not ready to do that, remembering it does make it pretty hard to ***** about it, ya know?

I hear ya man. I have the same relationship with my F100.