On the passenger side of my truck, the little clear trianglular reflector lens has come off -- the one that sits next to the headlight. This is attached to the turn signal housing. No big deal, replace the housing.

I've seen some references that the 1997 Dakota uses a different housing than the 98+ Dakota and 98+ Durango. The difference, from what I read on one eBay auction, is that the small corner marker bulb is different. This was from an auction that was selling a '97 light, and saying that it'll only work for '97, and not other years.

I'm considering a set of clear turn signal lamps, with an orange side marker where the marker bulb is. But they're listed genericly for 97-04 Dakotas. Will this work on my '97? For that matter, will any 97-04 OE turn signal housing work?

Thanks much.

 

I have a 99 and they worked. I am pretty sure that they will work.

 

Interestingly, I ran acrossed another reference to a 1997-only light:

http://www.carpartswholesale.com/cpw...eadlights.html

If you click on the combination housing for 1997, you can see that they claim it fits 1997 only:

http://cpwstore.carpartswholesale.co...ght+3331130ras

It appears that I may have to find one for 1997 in particular, unless the aftermarket ones have become "generic" to work with either style.

 

The only difference I see is maybe a more crystal housing versus mosaic one...

 

As I recall from the one eBay auction, the difference is in the turn signal housing itself...and it's apparently the side marker light (a small 194 bulb I believe). It said that the bulb housing was different on 98+, and that his auction item would fit a 1997 model only. I'll have to try to find that again, to see if he's got it re-listed. That link above seems to at least support that statement. I think the headlight housing itself, just the headlight, would work for 98-04, but the turn signal housing may have a slight difference. I think I'll just play it safe and find a '97 housing. All that's wrong with mine is the clear triangular reflector that sits next to the headlight has popped off; there's not even a bulb behind it. I'm sure it'd pass inspection, but I want it to be right.

 

I think i might know the bulb your talking about, if you want to just buy a hole set both sides, they usually come with the side one (as long as it is specified 1997-04) The one i bought i had to splice in the side marker. But it wasn't a big deal. I think that is the only difference. That was what was different on mine (just the bulb holder actually, the bulb was the same)

Chris

 

Chris, thanks a lot -- that confirms it for me. I'll be on the look out for that difference. I think I decided that I'd rather have the stock orange turn signal housing anyway. Still got yours, and wanna sell it? Passenger side.

 

I got it somewhere. I think thats the only part that was good! lol. But for me to ship would probably cost a lot unless you live in canada.

 

Okay, yeah, maybe. I'll keep scouring eBay.

 

I'm going to post a follow up, and totally confuse the heck out of myself (I already am).

So after deciding that I really need to look for housings off a 1997 model, I found a pair on eBay and bought 'em. They got hereand, wouldn't you know it, the housings were DIFFERENT from what's on my truck. My side marker bulb holder has a 4-point keyway, and has a few sealing ribs and a larger sealing "flange" on it. Hard to describe. It fits into a raised lip on the bulb housing to form a water-tight seal.

The housings I got, supposedly from a 1997 model, use a more standard arrangement. It has only a two-point keyway, and the housing is flush where the bulb holder twists in. This is the type of housing that has a small rubber seal, like on a headlight bulb.

I was able to modify my bulb holder by Dremel-ing off two of the keyway points so it'd fit into the new housing. However, it doesn't seal well, because it's designed to fit down into the raised lip on the bulb housing -- but that lip isn't there on these different housings.

So it works temporarily, but I plan to buy some generic168/194 bulb holders and swap those for what's on the truck. It'll provide a good seal. It'll be a lot cheaper than trying to find ANOTHER set of 1997-only bulb housings. I don't know whether the housings I got weren't really from a 1997, or if they had changed the bulb holder type by January 1997, which is when my truck was built, to the "1998 and later" type.

Either way -- yes, there is a difference. And somehow, even though I ordered 1997 parts, and my truck is a 1997 model, I STILL missed it!