Why Chrysler? WHY?!!

I have a saying, "Ya can't say the name Chrysler without the word cry."

The 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee we own is our beater vehicle. It hauls mulch back from Lowe's, carries a Christmas tree home, and does all the other dirty work we don't want the Honda Pilot to do. Several months ago I started getting a "rear lamp failure" message. I thought it was the license plate light but after replacing that bulb I still got the message. This week I noticed it was actually a small side marker light on the right rear that was the problem. I replaced it, all good now.

But the other day the left turn signal started blinking really fast and after I turned the signal off the indicator lamp on the dash glowed at half brightness. ANOTHER blown bulb! Yep, front turn signal. No problem I thought, I'll get a new one. The owner's manual says it's a type 1295NA. I went to Walmart, didn't have them. I went to PepBoys, their computer shows that it was indeed a 1295NA I needed but that they didn't stock it. It looks like that bulb might be a discontinued model.

So I surfed the web and found someone mentioned on a forum to use either a 3497 or 1196NA. The 1196NA will work and costs $3 but it would still have that fast flash. The 3497 would work also but costs $8. I couldn't see the difference in the wattage of the 2 bulbs so I bought the cheaper one. Yep, it flashes fast now but at least I have a turn signal.

Gotta love Chrysler!