rear lights warning light on dash

[aussie_gen1]

ok, this is a good one....
a couple days ago, the rear light warning light on the dash came on, while i was pressing the brake pedal. ok, i thought, a brake light has blown. To test that theory, i turned the headlights on, and then the dash warning light went on EXCEPT when i pressed the brake pedal!
When i got to my destination, i checked the brake, tail and reversing lights, all worked fine, so i thought no more about the dash warning light, which was on permanently...
after a couple of days, i noticed that when i press the brake pedal, the parking, tail and dash lights come on!
What the hell is going on?

[Kep]

When I read the first part of your question I thought to suggest that you go through all of your lamp sockets and check for corrosion (even though the lights come on the bad lamp circuit might react to increased resistance of a corroded contact). However, at the end I can only think of a bundle of chafed wires that somehow are interacting with each other (maybe they pass over a sharp edge where they go through the trunk). I guess that I would suggest isolating the circuits and testing across them with an ohm meter and try to find one or more shorts.

Just a thought,
Kep

[aussie_gen1]

thanks, yeah, i sorta thought about it, and guessed it has to be a voltage leak to the park light circuit. could be in one of the wiring loom connectors too, i guess. well, i have a look when i got time

[CassMori]

I'm having the same issue with a 90 DX wagon, all the parking/dash lights come on when the brake is pressed. When the lights are turned on, the 3rd brake light comes on with the rest of the lights, and the brake lights seem to be on also (very little change in brightness when pedal is pressed). I haven't yet had a chance to look at the wiring (just recently aquired the car), so I'm looking for hints as to where I should begin. Could this be the wire bundle that goes into the liftgate, or possibly the steering column combination switch? Or some other area of failure?

[Variety=Spice]

it's much more likely a bad ground somewhere.

[turbokid88]

if you go into the truck pull the drivers side panel off of the fender wall there is a little yellow box back there. thats the warning lght box that tells you you have a light out. change the box and the problems go away..

[TBayToyotaBoy]

Originally Posted by turbokid88

if you go into the truck pull the drivers side panel off of the fender wall there is a little yellow box back there. thats the warning lght box that tells you you have a light out. change the box and the problems go away..

That's true, I've had to replace mine before. Only it doesn't solve their wierd dash light problems. As I understand it, they're saying that pressing the brake pedal is causing the dash lights (not the idiot/warning lights) to come on, as well as the rest of the driving and park lights on the exterior of the vehicle. That's more than a problem with the yellow relay box, it's a nasty ground/cross somewhere in the harness.

[CassMori]

that's what I was thinking - although I will probably try swapping the failure sensor w/ a spare I have, as well as the switch on the brake pedal, as I have been told it might cause similar issues, just to eliminate those as problems if nothing else. I've checked all the main grounds (the ones in the engine bay), and the harness into the liftback, but haven't had time to check anywhere else yet. Any idea where other main ground points in the Camry wagons are located? The diagrams I have are not exceptionally useful. Any well known wiring failure points for the Camry?

Sorry to sound like such a noob, I'm used to dealing with Supras & Celicas, Camrys are new for me

[aussie_gen1]

hey, waddaya know, it fixed itself

[Tommy]

wierd dash light issues are often associated with a failing alternator.

[aussie_gen1]

cool, i'll keep an eye on it

[CassMori]

my problem is resolved, it turned out it was the brake light switch that was bad.

[smkdwnn]

Originally Posted by CassMori

my problem is resolved, it turned out it was the brake light switch that was bad.

I have the same problem. Is the brake light switch by the pedal?

[CassMori]

it is near the top of the brake pedal arm. not terribly difficult to get to, but unconfortable. However, my problem came back - turned out it wasn't the switch after all. I got to checking the driver's side tail light, since I hadn't yet, before I started to look for the light failure sensor. I noticed a wire taped up, and under it, some insulation missing. So, I checked the bulb & socket also - the contacts on the base of the bulb had melted, and run together. I switched out the bulb, and cleaned up the socket contacts a little, and everything seems to be working for now, using the original brake switch. Hopefully this time it will last longer than one day

[nuron]

CassMori, do you have any clue as to where the light failure sensor is? The manual had it near the backseat area but that drawing is too vauge, as when I tried to look for it through the trunk I didn't see anything. I brought this problem up in my cluster swap thread and diagnosed it as related to the brake lights. One of the rear bulbs and its socket had a lot of oxidation (?) on it, unlike the other bulbs next to and the opposite side of it. The reflective film was worn out too. It was working fine though.

I didn't know what to clean it with so I wiped the socket a little bit and replaced the bulb with an amber (:p) one that my dad had. The warning light was still on though, and I checked all the wires and they seem to be okay. I figure it might be the brake switch or the sensor.

Where is the switch at in this picture?
The bar on the right is the brake pedal arm.