# Buick Tail Light, Back Up Light, or Turn Signal? **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Tags:** buick\ **Created:** [February 27, 2020, 3:31pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/buick-tail-light-back-up-light-or-turn-signal/159793 "2020-02-27T15:31:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![seebear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@seebear](https://community.cartalk.com/u/seebear)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2020, 3:31pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/buick-tail-light-back-up-light-or-turn-signal/159793/1 "2020-02-27T15:31:15Z")
I’ve been looking at Buicks lately, as a good friend has only driven LeSabres/Park Avenues over the last 15 years. I rode with him in the Park Avenue, yuck, too soft for me. Of the current Buicks, I like the Opel/Regal. My question is about the even softer ride old Bucks, @ 1968 - 73? To the right of it’s name, what kind of light was this, were they red, white, or amber? A supplemental tail light? ![1970-buick-electra-225-custom](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/3/c/3c2d27aac1f290cd8aafd893902acb353d39f93b.jpeg) Thanks for the response ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2020, 3:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/buick-tail-light-back-up-light-or-turn-signal/159793/2 "2020-02-27T15:33:53Z")
Post a photo, I’m not sure what you mean. ---
**Author:** ![seebear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@seebear](https://community.cartalk.com/u/seebear)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2020, 3:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/buick-tail-light-back-up-light-or-turn-signal/159793/3 "2020-02-27T15:48:00Z")
Thanks for the reminder; uploaded, but not posted, I apologize. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2020, 3:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/buick-tail-light-back-up-light-or-turn-signal/159793/4 "2020-02-27T15:56:54Z")
That looks like a turn signal with an amber bulb. Ha, I even remembered the stock number, 1156A: ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/5/6/56e5d231182f8d555bb6d45140932276beb9098c.png) ---
**Author:** ![seebear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@seebear](https://community.cartalk.com/u/seebear)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2020, 4:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/buick-tail-light-back-up-light-or-turn-signal/159793/5 "2020-02-27T16:00:12Z")
Amber turn signal on a 1970 American car?! In that era, I saw them on European, and Japanese cars, not American cars. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2020, 4:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/buick-tail-light-back-up-light-or-turn-signal/159793/6 "2020-02-27T16:04:46Z")
Working at a gas station in the early '70s I remember replacing those bulbs… Took a look, amber was required in front, allowed in back starting in '63. ---
**Author:** ![old\_mopar\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/6bbea6/32.png) [@old\_mopar\_guy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/old_mopar_guy)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2020, 10:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/buick-tail-light-back-up-light-or-turn-signal/159793/7 "2020-02-27T22:32:00Z")
It’s just part of the taillight, a styling trick to maximize the perceived width of the car. ---
**Author:** ![seebear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@seebear](https://community.cartalk.com/u/seebear)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2020, 10:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/buick-tail-light-back-up-light-or-turn-signal/159793/8 "2020-02-27T22:54:46Z")
Thank you old\_mopar\_guy, this answer makes a lot of sense. GM wanted them (Buicks, Caddys, Olds) to be the largest passenger cars, outside of a limousine. 225 inches long, and as wide as an NFL field. Buick was the car to buy. We weren’t so concerned about MPG at the time either. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2020, 10:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/buick-tail-light-back-up-light-or-turn-signal/159793/9 "2020-02-27T22:58:58Z")
But it is amber (bulb), clear lens, so it’s a turn signal, right? ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2020, 11:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/buick-tail-light-back-up-light-or-turn-signal/159793/10 "2020-02-27T23:01:50Z")
> [@old\_mopar\_guy](#): > > It’s just part of the taillight We are looking at the lamp on the quarter panel extension, the turn signal, it is separate form the taillight. ---
**Author:** ![Bugmenot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@Bugmenot](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Bugmenot)\ **Post date:** [February 27, 2020, 11:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/buick-tail-light-back-up-light-or-turn-signal/159793/11 "2020-02-27T23:55:38Z")
Those appear to be the backup lights. ![1970 Buick Electra Backup Lens](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/c/4/c4765f1b7c4ae50016e180b7868020ed15272cf4.png) A couple sources verify that the p/n on the box is the backup lens. ---
**Author:** ![old\_mopar\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/6bbea6/32.png) [@old\_mopar\_guy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/old_mopar_guy)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2020, 12:14am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/buick-tail-light-back-up-light-or-turn-signal/159793/12 "2020-02-28T00:14:01Z")
They were 80" wide, any wider would have required truck clearance lights. ---
**Author:** ![circuitsmith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/circuitsmith/32/40376_2.png) [@circuitsmith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/circuitsmith)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2020, 12:42am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/buick-tail-light-back-up-light-or-turn-signal/159793/13 "2020-02-28T00:42:43Z")
Back in the day you were big stuff in the 'hood to drive a deuce-and-a-quarter. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2020, 4:58am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/buick-tail-light-back-up-light-or-turn-signal/159793/14 "2020-02-28T04:58:32Z")
I think you’re right @Bugmenot , it’s the backup light. Wonder why it looks like it has an amber bulb in there?