Sorry about the wait, John.

I think that your idea of a bad lamp is probably on target.

I can tell you how it works on a '99 Forester:
- Open and prop up the hood.

- Use a Philips driver to remove the screw you'll find just past the top
edge of the headlight, where the headlight and the left turn signal
housing meet.

- Gently pull the left turn signal housing straight forward (along the
car's direction of travel). It should release easily.

- Twist the bayonet style lamp mount to release it from the turn signal
housing. Now you have access to the turn signal bulb and socket to test
them or replace the bulb.

- Take care when reassembling the turn signal onto the car that the
ball-shaped pin on the housing mates with the socket you'll find low and
close to the headlight.

I hope this helps. Much easier than tearing apart the front end. :-)

- Stefan

Nobody knows how to replace a left front turn signal??? I tried searching
the web, no luck.

For a while now I've had a left turn signal acting erratic. Mostly a fast
signal, sometimes slow with a short 'on' cycle, kinda seems to track with
the idle speed, but not always. Right signal works fine.

Looking at the left front lamp in my driveway the bright light is good, but
the dimmer one never lights. Is that the problem....a bad lamp?

I tried to get it out to test the bulb and check the socket, but can't
figure it out without tearing apart the front end. This is a '99 OBW. The
top screw is easy, but then what?? Are there online instrux somewhere? Or
should I be looking at some other thing here?

-John O