[canucklehead2004]

I have a dash light on, checked manual and it indicates this dash light means I have a rear tail or brake light issue. I checked all of my park/running lights, they all work. Check the brake/signal lights, they all work.

back up & licence plate lights all work.

what do i need to do to eliminate this dash light from being on?

anyone else ever have this light come on when no bulb was burnt out?

 

[curry.style]

Sometimes if a bulb is on it's way out the system will read higher resistance on that bulb and throw a light. Wait it out for a week or so and you'll probably have a bulb blow.

 

[canucklehead2004]

one bulb looked darker so I replaced it, but it still worked. maybe another will pop. i didn't want to burn out warning light on dash.

 

[BMR]

Sometimes corrosion in a bulb socket or on a bulb base can cause this. The resistance goes up just enough to trip the sensor. Check all of them. ...PITA, I know. If not that, there's a sensing module that sometimes goes bad. I forget where it is?... in the trunk, I think?... left side, up where the wire harness comes in?

 

[beantickler]

You have a break in the wiring that runs to the 3rd brake light in the trunklid. It is usually right where it has to bend constantly where it comes off the trunklid and into the trunk. Peel the tape or black wire cover off and you will find it im sure. We used to see these all the time!

 

[canucklehead2004]

DOH!! I never even thought to look, but i'll check to see if this model has the cyclops light in the back window area. Is that what you mean by 3rd brake light?

i only have 80K miles, but i suppose that doesn't matter. I did ram a huge bag of hockey gear in their the other day and had to squeeze and push & jam to close trunk, so maybe that did it? man these trunks are small (compared to big boats of the old days... 1974 Caprice Classic??).

 

[beantickler]

No... You have tail lights and reverse lights on the trunk lid. There will be a set of wires that will go from the trunklid to the trunk. These are the wires where you will find the break.

 

[canucklehead2004]

thanks, I will check the trunk wiring. If a wire was broken, wouldn't that cause one of the 2 brake lights to not work? I only noticed 2 brake lights, one each on either side of the licence plate. is there a 3rd brake light somewhere?

 

[beantickler]

That circuit checks for abnormal resistance. Make sure you have correct bulbs first. Next step and most common is the wiring I told you about coming off the trunk lid. If the bulbs are correct I am sure it will be a broken wire.

 

[canucklehead2004]

it turned out to be the cyclops bulb (GE 921 bulb), in the rear window area. I completely overlooked checking that one. replaced bulb, dash light is gone.

i'll keep the other info in mind for future reference.

 

[Camry Blues]

2001-2001 Defective wiring

that Toyota Camry has a defect in it's wiring harness that runs along the drivers side to the trunk entering near the drivers side trunk hinge. I had the same problem. Took it to the Toyota dealer and they said all lights seem to be working. The visual check was during the daytime so they missed that the license plate and trunk tail lights were inoperative. It wasn't till I did online research more malfunctions started to occur. My check engine light came on and the transmission drive selector seemed to display that my gears got crossed up. I do remember throughout the year I did smell like something electrical was burning in the car but thought it was coming from outside the car. In a recent visit to get my car smog checked the mechanic said he overheard me talking to Toyota about getting reimbursed for the the repair. Toyota claimed it was out of warranty and had not had any recalls or other owner complain about the defective wiring. He then told me he had repaired about ten(2000-2001) Toyota Camry automobiles with the same problem with the worst seeing the harness burned to the drivers side as it goes to the dash. FYI pass it on. I drove one year without license plate and trunk lights which could have been cause for getting a ticket or accident. I tell everyone I know... now that I know...Pull back the cover in tje hinge are and look for broken/singed wires.