No splice/cut LS15 LS109 bulb socket replacement Chevy Venture Pontiac Montana 2nd Gen Olds Silhouette Trans Sport

No splice/cut LS15 LS109 bulb socket installation

In the process of installing my replacement turn signal side marker light bulb sockets in my 2000 Pontiac Montana I realized that they can be installed without cutting or crimping wires. These are notorious for crumbling to bits when you try to replace your burned out bulbs as the plastic has degraded and become brittle over the years.

For most people, replacing the bulb is one thing, but cutting and splicing wires is another. If you can’t mount the sockets you will probably get condensation in the housing/assembly and melting around the hole where the bulb is resting, so you don’t want to drive around with dangling bulb sockets. With this trick you can swap out the bulb socket almost as easily as swapping out the bulb.

Right after I ordered my replacement sockets YouTube user “Can’t Kill Me” replaced them on his Chevy Venture with crimp-on butt connectors:
https://youtu.be/jiYlyjQEejo

This is literally the same van as my Pontiac but with a Chevy badge and I also planned to cut and splice with butt connectors… until the socket basically disassembled itself when I tried to remove the bulb. This happened because the clips holding the socket together broke away more brittle plastic and it all crumbled apart, but I soon realized I could unclip the two parts of my replacement sockets without damage. I used a set of tweezers to retract the clips.

The second-gen Oldsmobile Silhouette and Pontiac Trans Sport are also the same van but these sockets are found in a lot more GMC, Chevrolet, Buick, etc vehicles. I know they fit 3157, 4157, and 3457 bulbs… maybe others but some get hotter than others and you want to make sure your sockets can handle it.

My van specifies 4157NA bulbs, which are the dual-filament natural amber krypton bulbs which are slightly brighter and higher wattage than the compatible 3157. That said, my aftermarket TRQ replacement housings are already hazing at the top after a few months so I don’t think they are tolerating the heat. It may be prudent to switch to dimmer but longer-lasting 3157NA… or LED 4157NA equivalents.

ACDELCO GM ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT MULTI-PURPOSE LAMP SOCKET
GM Part # 12083689 or 88953357
ACDelco Part # LS15 or LS109

Some aftermarket sockets:
Handypack HP4170

Dorman 85882, 645-907, DOR2051419

Edit: Just found a Rumble user who replaced them on the same van. Hopefully you won’t end up paying too much for OEM and having to cut like he did - https://rumble.com/vg5c7n-2003-pontiac-montana-parts-unboxing.html