When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Since I bought my 1985 DLX Longbed pickup, I noticed that when my passenger side tail light is lit, the light from the tail bulb bleeds through and also illuminates the white reverse reflector as you can see in the images below.
The issue does not seem to affect the driverside which look likes it has been replaced. When I take the reflector cover off it looks like the internal reflectors are very different between the driver and passenger side. Does anyone know which of these is the correct OEM tail light? Does anyone else have the problem of having the reverse light appear to be "on" while only the tail light bulb is lit?
Passenger side with tail light bleeding through into white reverse reflector Passenger side with tail light bleeding through into white reverse reflector Driver side. When the tail light is lit, no bleed through into reverse reflector Driver side. When the tail light is lit, no bleed through into reverse reflector Passenger side internal Driver side internal
Last edited by Yompkins; Dec 16, 2025 at 08:37 AM.
Reason: Marking issue as resolved.
If it’s like my 91 I have a piece of plastic that attaches to the lens in the middle that isolates the bulbs, possible you are missing that piece, driver side may be aftermarket and they extended the reflector to butt against the lens instead of having the separate piece. If that makes sense
If it’s like my 91 I have a piece of plastic that attaches to the lens in the middle that isolates the bulbs, possible you are missing that piece, driver side may be aftermarket and they extended the reflector to butt against the lens instead of having the separate piece. If that makes sense
Interesting.... when I bought this from my great grandpa last year, there were some tail light bulbs in the glove box along with a red rectangular reflector. Do you know if the piece of plastic in yours was a semi-transparent red reflector material?
The piece I think was gray at some point in its life but it’s kinda brownish grey probably from the heat of the bulbs and 30 years later. It is solid and not transparent. Here is an image I pulled from eBay to give you an idea of the piece I’m talking about. Pay no attention to the part number on this pic not sure if it’s correct for your year, just showing you the piece I have, it’s the part in the middle of the pic.
But to get that piece by itself will be a task, decent full replacements aren’t bad on eBay, I also see some full units that are OEM but they want the covered in gold price, heck if you wanted to keep it simple you could almost customize some sort of material to separate the reflector….
Last edited by Discombobulated; Dec 15, 2025 at 02:32 PM.
Dec 15, 2025 | 08:17 AM
