9/20/20 Small Problem With Excursion, Big Solution Parked Next To It?

   I know I am always talking about my Excursion, I love the thing, but lately it has been giving me a bit of a problem.  The right turn signal light in the front has a short or loose bulb assembly.  I have opened it up three times now, twice to change the bulb and once to try and tighten the metal clips that "grab" the bulb. At first, the bulb went out, fine, they are sixteen plus years old.  I replaced it and it quickly went out.  I thought "great, it was a dud."  So, the next day I replaced it with another bulb from a different pack of bulbs I had bought for the rear signal light awhile back.  This too went out after a drive.  It does this irritating blinking sound like 2-3 times faster than normal, so you can tell when it isn't right.  At this point, I decided to go back to Advance Auto Parts and see if they had a better solution or better bulbs.

    The guy told me to check the bulbs, they are probably still good and it is the light assembly that over time opens up and gets loose which in turn leads to the metal clips not having good contact so it seems that the bulb is burned out.  I took this advice, opened it up and noticed the filament wasn't frayed like they get when a bulb burns out.  I then took a flathead screwdriver and went at the metal clips that make contact with the metal on the bulb.  This worked for about 4-5 days, but today the problem came back, again.  It is intermittent, sometimes it works fine, sometimes it doesn't which just makes it more annoying.  What to do?

    The easiest solution by far is to just say fuck it and start driving Wife's Telluride, it looks so delicious sitting there all shiny and new in the driveway not getting used while Wife drives around in the Ecosport, our tiny back-up SUV which we got so she wouldn't put 30,000 miles a year on our new family vehicle.  It just doesn't seem fair, it is her "baby", the Telluride.  I am kind of waiting for Boy to get a job so I can stop paying for his Edge and maybe get me a new F-250, although Wife is already balking at the idea.  I just keep saying "hey, I was cool with letting you get the nicest Telluride you wanted, I didn't flinch or say no."  It seems fair she should return the favor, it's all I am saying.

    I will probably just fix the Excursion by replacing the lamp assembly if I can't figure out how to tighten the metal clamps, it is such a perfect vehicle, I am even thinking of repainting the roof where it is faded and starting to look rusty, like an old balding man.  With the leather in the front seats replaced, it still looks great, it has some scratches from door dings, but for 16 years I think it has held up just great.