No Tail lights

[scarney1988]

Problem: Tail lights (running/parking) circuit in-op

Story: All brake lights work when brake pedal is depressed. Turn Signals work. All fuses OK. Head light switch actuates relay properly, I can hear it clicking and I swapped a known good unit in as a CYA. Power flows back to magic box AKA Tail Lamp failure yellow box. Power does not exit to tail lights. Magic box guts appear to be intact. I switched the magic box with one out of another camry (working fine in other car) and it fixed the problem for a few minutes.

That is as far as I got because I had to leave, my tools are at my job.

My plan of action for tomorrow:

1. Re-inspect fuses
2. check for power going to magic box
3. check for power leaving magic box
   1. Inspect magic box if not
4. check for power to lights
5. If all of that is good, then ill just go out and try to get rear ended and collect a few hundred dollars

Any suggestions....?!?!?!

[white90dx]

It would be good to carefully inspect the wiring to the trunk lid (around the hinge) and inspect/clean the grounds for the tail lights while you are at it.

-Charlie

[Mike Gerber]

^ What white90dx said. That loom of wires attached to the driver's side trunk hinge is exposed to a lot of flexing over the years, as the trunk is constantly opened and closed. Open that loom and look for freyed or broken wires. Repair what you find.

Mike

[scarney1988]

Problem solved. Component malfunction inside magic box. Soldered in a wire in its place.... boom. lights work. Like to thank my power probe for the help.

Can someone please take a picture of the guts of a good board (front and back)?

Thanks for the suggestions. I inspected the loom anyways, and I can see the one light green wire is fatiguing. Going to solder in an exstension at a later date.

[scarney1988]

I should have noted that both the trunk lid mounted lights and the body mounted lights were inop. Hence my interest the magic box. Again, thanks for the help.

[white90dx]

Originally Posted by scarney1988

I should have noted that both the trunk lid mounted lights and the body mounted lights were inop. Hence my interest the magic box. Again, thanks for the help.

We were asking about the wiring to try to prevent future box falures... not because it would also directly affect the rest of the lights.

Glad to hear it is at least temporarily fixed.

-Charlie

[scarney1988]

Understood sir. I welcome all thoughts and ideas when I ask for help. In fact, I did inspect that loom. Guess what? The insulation of one of the wires is obviously cracked. I will be fixing that as a pre-emptive effort shortly. Thanks again for the help.

Sean