93 Corolla: speedometer backlight out and won't shift out of park

[foomanji]

Driving home my 93 Corolla, which has been very reliable, a couple nights ago, suddenly the backlights for the speedometer/oil temp and the air conditioning (but not the low-fuel light, clock, radio, cabin overhead light, or low/high beam headlights) went out. Oddly, I was able to get them to come back on for a couple seconds each time I braked moderately hard, but that stopped working after about the fourth time. Car still drove me home fine the 10 minutes I had left.


This morning I got in to go to work and the engine starts fine, but it won't let me shift out of park (by pressing in the button on the auto tranny shifter). Oddly though, the console correctly toggles the "O/D OFF" light as I toggle that button on the shifter.

Any idea what's up? I'm thinking dying fuse or loose wire. Thanks!

[daniel2002p]

I am going to guess you blew the brake light fuse, check that first, because when you press the brake the safety releases the shifter to be shifted, and if it never gets the signal from the brake lights it doesnt do it.... check all the fuses and replace as needed

D

[miss_biss]

I'm almost 100% It's a fuse. You should still be able to get outta park by pushing the shiftlock overide button..if your car has one. Otherwise replace the fuse.

[tashirosgt]

This could be a serious problem. On the '90-'92 models the fuse that serves the AT unlock (so you press the brake pedal to unlock it) also serves your brake lights! When you replace it, go by the fuse Amps that are marked on the fuse panel, not by the Amps written on the old fuse.

[foomanji]

Thanks so much for the informative responses!! From the posts so far, it sounds like it's the brake fuse. I'll get a pack of new fuses (and go by the fuse box label, not the old fuse). I'll also test (with a friend's help) whether the brake lights are working.

[foomanji]

OK, several of you are correct that it has something to do with the fuses. I inspected all 10 fuses in the fusebox in the driver footwell. The STOP and TAIL one were blown. Both were 15A on the box and plugged in (blown).

I replaced both, restarted the car and pressed in the brake pedal, and they both blew again.

Again, I replaced both fuses, restarted the car and pressed in the brake pedal, and this time only the STOP one blew. My friend observed that the brake lights did not light up, at least not for any noticeable amount of time. I could not shift out of park.

I replaced the STOP fuse with a 20A (I know this is a bad idea, so I was only going to leave the car on for 30 seconds), restarted the car and pressed in the brake pedal. My friend observed that the brake lights lit up but only for an instant until the fuse blew. I could not shift out of Park.

I replaced the STOP fuse with a 30A (again, just to test briefly), restarted the car and pressed in the brake pedal. My friend observed that the brake lights lit up for the 10 seconds I held the brake down until I let up and shut down the car. Also, I could shift out of Park finally.

What could cause the STOP circuit (and the TAIL circuit .. I guess they are related) to be overdrawing?? The car is completely stock except for an aftermarket stereo I installed months ago, which is on a different circuit and which ran fine throughout the tests above regardless of the STOP and TAIL fuses.

Thanks for your continued help!!

[AVANT]

A wire is probably loose somewhere after your brake fuse causing a short. Electrical problems are the worse to figure out coz it can really be anywhere

[thespud]

Short Circuit somewhere.... Have a look down all the wires and connectors of the brake system. Has to be there somewhere...