I repaired my opera lights last year successfully. These lights contains electroluminicent tape (el tape) which basicly is a phosphor covered tape which glows steadily when supplied with AC power . The down side of this is that they slowly degrade and eventually break from the suns UV rays. ( we are talking 10-15 years, which is why most of these on older vehicles are broken since long) Before you do anything, check that your inverter is working. These lights run on 110V AC which is supplied from an inverter located on a left hand side beam behind the carpeting in your trunk. I ordered some EL tape for 2$ on ebay and it came with an inverter as well. If your inverter is shot you can modify the new inverter which came with the tape using the contacts from the old inverter and plug in right in. In my case both the inverter and the EL tapes were dead. If so, do the following: When you have the light assembly out of the car, take a fine and sharp knife and gently, very gently pry the plastic lens away from the housing and remove the light strip inside. Take your new EL tape and cut it to fit inside the housing. Use a soldering iron to gently solder the old connectors onto the end of the light strip. There is a copper strip running through the length of EL tape, make sure to solder one connctor on to the right side of this copper strip and the other to the left side of the copper strip. When the above steps are done, use the small inverter that came with the EL tape and a 9V battery to test operation of the lights before assembly on the vehicle. Before sealing off the light assembly take some clear tape and seal of any cut edges on your new EL strips, You can allso put clear tape lengthwise over the EL strip to protect it somewhat more from UV rays. Then use a clear super glue to glue the lenses back onto the housing and wait for it to harden. Next, use some clear silicon to seal off the assembly from moisture, this is a crucial step if you want your lights to last. Assemble your new lights back onto your vehicle! If you decide to to this feel free to contact me for more help!
Honey I thank you so much for explaining everything I just need a site that sells the white light bar with light brightness as it comes from the factory
Had the same problem and wish I had the add of this wonderful and helpful presentation. I converted the lights to LED strips could not find replacement bulbs. Just order the LED, Drill out the old scoket, put the old cover back on over the new LED's seal then reassemble. The LED are much brighter and you can go with which ever color youcan get away with.
Bruce Pillow thank you. I think I understand what you're saying for the most part, but do you have a way that I can see yours? I'm a little unsure of how to do what you are explaining.
Nice, I repaired mine on my 91 years ago and installed LED on my 88 Brougham... those lights failed after the 1st year when the car left the dealer.... it's an easy fix... you have to take the strip apart...
That kind of odd to me,.. Cause my '01 Grand Marquis has same light setup but my light panel has 2 wires going directly into bottom of my light. not from the backside or in a socket!
Damn dude youres are alittle more compicated to get to like i have a 1984 cadillac deville and its just one screw pop out the old in with the new adleast you did end up getting it
This is actually not a bulb. It's a fiber optic electrostrip. The "wire" that goes to it is a fiber optic cable. The cables carry light from other light sources like the headlamps, tail lamps or turn signals, which is why they look dimmer than an actual light. These cables can also run the vigilite system for fender turn signal indicators, door lock cylinders, and the headrest turn signal indicators you see in your rear view mirrors. This was to tell you whether or not your turn signals were working without having to get out of the car and check. You have to be very careful when removing them so as not to break the fiber optic cable which is actually a cable run of glass/plastic cable. Once broken, it'll have to be repaired to get it to work again. When they stop working it's usually because either the cable is disconnected from the light source, the bulb from the light source is blown, (headlight, turn signal or interior door bulb) or if they all went out at the same time, check the inverter module usually located in the trunk passenger side wheel well. th-cam.com/video/1_oNaikH02I/w-d-xo.html www.ebay.com/itm/1979-1992-GM-Roof-Opera-Light-Coach-Lamps-Inverter-20213140-Cadillac-2-/352097108655
William White Jr One of the best and most detailed explainations of opera light operations. I've owned many cars in the 70's, 80's and 90's that had factory opera lights. Some were actual bulbs that would burn out while others were fiber optics. The GM cars were mostly fiber optics as you described earlier. But Fords and Chryslers were mostly just bulbs. Mostly I found the inverters would go bad that powered the light strips. But I did have one on my Delta 88 that the actual light strip went bad due to the housing separating. Very few videos on TH-cam about this kind of repair.
I agree. I really like the "light" option that GM/Cadillac used. It sucks that its so hard to find lens replacements as they get cracked and weather beaten over time.
William White Jr Thanks for the reply. As you can see in the video, his whole lighting assembly, that piece that he thinks houses a bulb but does not is just a one piece replacement part. Unless the inverter is bad, he need to hunt down that passenger side opera light assembly. If he checks with his local Cadillac dealer, they cn maybe find one still sitting on dealership parts department shelve somewhere. They can do a dealer locator search of ALL GM DEALERSHIPS to see if anyone still has that in their inventory. I find alot of obsolete or discontinued parts that way. Some dealer in the middle of nowhere has it sitting in their parts department covered in dust, still new in the box from 1991 that they never sold. Sometimes the parts department doesn't even know they have it in inventory until I call about it. Its not as hard as you think to find what you need if you know where to look.
Instead of putting in a led strip u should be able to just look up the part number on the back and get another original. May cost more but it'll be original.
I always wanted a Cadillac Brougham like this one.
I repaired my opera lights last year successfully.
These lights contains electroluminicent tape (el tape) which basicly is a phosphor covered tape which glows steadily when supplied with AC power . The down side of this is that they slowly degrade and eventually break from the suns UV rays. ( we are talking 10-15 years, which is why most of these on older vehicles are broken since long)
Before you do anything, check that your inverter is working.
These lights run on 110V AC which is supplied from an inverter located on a left hand side beam behind the carpeting in your trunk.
I ordered some EL tape for 2$ on ebay and it came with an inverter as well. If your inverter is shot you can modify the new inverter which came with the tape using the contacts from the old inverter and plug in right in.
In my case both the inverter and the EL tapes were dead.
If so, do the following:
When you have the light assembly out of the car, take a fine and sharp knife and gently, very gently pry the plastic lens away from the housing and remove the light strip inside.
Take your new EL tape and cut it to fit inside the housing.
Use a soldering iron to gently solder the old connectors onto the end of the light strip. There is a copper strip running through the length of EL tape, make sure to solder one connctor on to the right side of this copper strip and the other to the left side of the copper strip.
When the above steps are done, use the small inverter that came with the EL tape and a 9V battery to test operation of the lights before assembly on the vehicle.
Before sealing off the light assembly take some clear tape and seal of any cut edges on your new EL strips, You can allso put clear tape lengthwise over the EL strip to protect it somewhat more from UV rays.
Then use a clear super glue to glue the lenses back onto the housing and wait for it to harden.
Next, use some clear silicon to seal off the assembly from moisture, this is a crucial step if you want your lights to last.
Assemble your new lights back onto your vehicle!
If you decide to to this feel free to contact me for more help!
How do i test my inverter,imagine you explain it someone who has no clue? Or can i ask at autozone for help?
Gonna try mine pretty soon, thanks!
Honey I thank you so much for explaining everything I just need a site that sells the white light bar with light brightness as it comes from the factory
Had the same problem and wish I had the add of this wonderful and helpful presentation. I converted the lights to LED strips could not find replacement bulbs. Just order the LED, Drill out the old scoket, put the old cover back on over the new LED's seal then reassemble. The LED are much brighter and you can go with which ever color youcan get away with.
Bruce Pillow thank you. I think I understand what you're saying for the most part, but do you have a way that I can see yours? I'm a little unsure of how to do what you are explaining.
Link to the led strips? Thanks
Thanks, a rare Brougham, glad you posted!
Happy to help.
Thanks for the video man hard to find videos for these older cars
Nice, I repaired mine on my 91 years ago and installed LED on my 88 Brougham... those lights failed after the 1st year when the car left the dealer.... it's an easy fix... you have to take the strip apart...
Great video if I had a 1991 Cadillac brougham D’elegance. Great job. Enjoyed watching it
Brother from another mother helped out. Thx for posting
Hell yeah! Thanks man. I’ve been pondering how to do that for a bit.
damn that was like a massage with no happy ending!
Val Tito ahhhh....hell yea!!....lol!
Thank you so much very informative I learned a lot
Glad I could help!
And no imagine those operas for 90-92 are easy to get,i looked now 2 years for a set for my 87. Those are unicorn rare,i was looking forever.
Thanks for the info
This was very good. I was gonna go and ask the dealer ship ( Cadillac).
That kind of odd to me,.. Cause my '01 Grand Marquis has same light setup but my light panel has 2 wires going directly into bottom of my light. not from the backside or in a socket!
Good video g im changing mines too that's why im watching...
Word up!
Thank you.
Your welcome!
Thanks so much for this video
Fred Ellis no problem.
Yo thx for as much as u could, sadly I cant even do that much cuz my passenger door won't even open and that's the one I needa get to
Thanks Holmes
Damn dude youres are alittle more compicated to get to like i have a 1984 cadillac deville and its just one screw pop out the old in with the new adleast you did end up getting it
Did you ever figure out that light situation on the caddy ❤ look up Kevin Goins ct6 Cadillac
Good video
This is actually not a bulb. It's a fiber optic electrostrip. The "wire" that goes to it is a fiber optic cable. The cables carry light from other light sources like the headlamps, tail lamps or turn signals, which is why they look dimmer than an actual light. These cables can also run the vigilite system for fender turn signal indicators, door lock cylinders, and the headrest turn signal indicators you see in your rear view mirrors. This was to tell you whether or not your turn signals were working without having to get out of the car and check. You have to be very careful when removing them so as not to break the fiber optic cable which is actually a cable run of glass/plastic cable. Once broken, it'll have to be repaired to get it to work again. When they stop working it's usually because either the cable is disconnected from the light source, the bulb from the light source is blown, (headlight, turn signal or interior door bulb) or if they all went out at the same time, check the inverter module usually located in the trunk passenger side wheel well.
th-cam.com/video/1_oNaikH02I/w-d-xo.html
www.ebay.com/itm/1979-1992-GM-Roof-Opera-Light-Coach-Lamps-Inverter-20213140-Cadillac-2-/352097108655
William White Jr good info. I'll look into it. Thanks!!
William White Jr One of the best and most detailed explainations of opera light operations. I've owned many cars in the 70's, 80's and 90's that had factory opera lights. Some were actual bulbs that would burn out while others were fiber optics. The GM cars were mostly fiber optics as you described earlier. But Fords and Chryslers were mostly just bulbs. Mostly I found the inverters would go bad that powered the light strips. But I did have one on my Delta 88 that the actual light strip went bad due to the housing separating. Very few videos on TH-cam about this kind of repair.
I agree. I really like the "light" option that GM/Cadillac used. It sucks that its so hard to find lens replacements as they get cracked and weather beaten over time.
William White Jr Thanks for the reply. As you can see in the video, his whole lighting assembly, that piece that he thinks houses a bulb but does not is just a one piece replacement part. Unless the inverter is bad, he need to hunt down that passenger side opera light assembly. If he checks with his local Cadillac dealer, they cn maybe find one still sitting on dealership parts department shelve somewhere. They can do a dealer locator search of ALL GM DEALERSHIPS to see if anyone still has that in their inventory. I find alot of obsolete or discontinued parts that way. Some dealer in the middle of nowhere has it sitting in their parts department covered in dust, still new in the box from 1991 that they never sold. Sometimes the parts department doesn't even know they have it in inventory until I call about it. Its not as hard as you think to find what you need if you know where to look.
Good idea. Thanx.
where the hell is the fuse for these lights? I pulled them all... one by one!
What up my dude! Still rolling the cadi I see!
image5280 What up big pimpin!!!!!.....yup still rolling caddy style!
Did you ever get it fixed! I have this same problem with my 92.
Alvin Brooks not yet. Haven't had time to.
Instead of putting in a led strip u should be able to just look up the part number on the back and get another original. May cost more but it'll be original.
Thank you. It's put up for the season but in the spring I'll look into it.
This Rick Ross