[Green Dragon]

Hey guys, I'm been lurking for months now, I've had my Camry for about 4 months now and the other night some assholes drove by and smashed my center light panel with a bat or something. I'm looking to replace it and have searched a bunch on this site. I've seen the thread about the CF panel replacement for $100 but I'm looking to get one used. I also hear a OEM replacement is about $250

Question is -->
Would a 1993 Camry 4 door center panel fit my1994 LE V6? I still haven't figured out how to tell if my camry is a Gen 3 or 3.5. I assume Gen 3 and thus I assume it would. Could someone in the know just shoot me a yea or nay? Thanks

 

[kmorphosis]

you have a gen 3..

92-94 gen 3
95-96 gen 3.5and yay it would

 

[Green Dragon]

Thanks alot! I thought so just wanted to check before I bought it. For some reason through my reading of this forum I thought I saw someplaces that some 1994 are Gen 3.5. No more stupid questions from me.

 

[Green Dragon]

I just got an all black one, which should look good against my dark green. I was thinking of having the red panel painted anyway.

 

[jaguar]

should fit,

that's a clean looking car, got any more pics ?

 

[Green Dragon]

That picture is a photoshopped version of how I want to change mine. Right now mine is stock, and I'm going to start working on changes later this summer. I'll try to get some photos up soon and later after changes.

Here's a picture with the new black center panel:

 

[Phi]

It'll fit. However, the contour will be slightly different than your outer taillights. Nobody will notice unless they took real close.

FYI- Bluemeanie is selling
http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/t42801.html

 

[Green Dragon]

Well I got my panel today in the mail and man it looks like it has been sitting in a junkyard for a while, it's all dull, a little scratchy and faded looking black. After searching extensively I am going to get some Plastx and I think it should make it pretty good. (plus I'm gonna clean off those dreary headlights)

One thing I notice right off the bat is on this '93 panel there aren't red brake lights to the inside of my white reverse lights like on my '94 red panel. Is it a problem if I can't connect these to anything? Any suggestions on what I can do with these electrical brake leads?

I'm going to try and install it tonight after I shine it up bit.

 

[jaguar]

there aren't red brake lights to the inside of my white reverse lights like on my '94 red panel. Is it a problem if I can't connect these to anything? Any suggestions on what I can do with these electrical brake leads?

on my car, these inside red lights are fog lights,
my brake lights are on the outer light-blocks where also the turning sigsnals are

*edit*
as a suggestion, i say, if the leads are indeed from your brake lights, check the outer light blocks if you can fit another bulb in there ...(but i think i'm right about the fog lights)

 

[Green Dragon]

Fog lights? why would you have fog lights on the rear of your car? I don't have a fog light switch that I know about, maybe I'm not thinking this through.

When I have my brake pedal down, these red inside lights light up on my existing '94 rear center panel... I'm pretty sure. As for wiring them to the taillights I think that would be tough since I'd have to open my trunk and the wires would have to be snaked around pretty far.

 

[jaguar]

yeah, fog lights on the rear of the car, it's actually as important as having front fog lights when you think about it...

on top of that it's even mandatory in my country

anyways, you can run a pretty long wire, so don't worry about that,
just check out how many, and which lights go to your taillights

 

[Green Dragon]

Thanks Jag. Rear does make sense kinda (so they can see you) but I think it's a european thing. I don't think fog lights are stock on Camry's here, maybe I'm wrong, but it seems most people have to install them on the front. And I don't recall any fog light switches in my car.

Anyone from the states have input on this or am I asking a stupid question?

 

[jaguar]

yeah, it's on every car around here,

i use it to annoy tailgaters


anyways, now that i think of it, are your brake and driving light in the same place ?

 

[jaguar]

Just take the bulbs out and isolate the wires so you dont short anything and youre good to go.

and drive without brake lights ?

 

[Green Dragon]

Thanks Ufo, I figured that was the case, just wanted to know about shorting anything out.

Jag- Brake lights are still on the corners and in the upper rear window.

I just finished cleaning my new piece with Plastx and what a big difference, I'm sold on this stuff. Installing later....

 

[Green Dragon]

So I took out the broken 94 panel and realized that there was just one electrical plug on ends for both the brake and reverse light. It fit, so I figured I'd just plug it into the replacement 93 panel with no brake lights. It's back on the car, the reverse lights work but I have this orange indicator light in my dash that shows the car with brake light problems. It's on all the time.


My question is, should I take out the lights and wiring from the 94 panel, cut the brake light wires, wrap them and hope the reverse light housing fits in the 93 panel like the 94. Will this take care of that indicator light? Is this what you meant Ufo?

Or is there another solution? :hammer:

 

[Silver Streak]

That light on the dash is a warning light. There's a few ways of getting rid it.

A) take out the dash bulb
B) keep the rear bulbs in and let them hang in the trunk
C) Install resistors to mimic a lightbulb so the dash light doesn't turn on.

I say go with option B.

 

[JohnCWms27]

where did you get that center piece?

 

[Green Dragon]

I got it off of Ebay from a guy in Miami for $40 with shipping. I'm going to experiment with the extra brake lights, maybe put red LEDs in them and either set them up in the reverse squares or do some sort of clear cut out near the center Camry letters. Anyone have any other ideas?

 

[Green Dragon]

Ok, Resurrecting this thread!

So I've been living with this rear tail light indicator on for a year plus now, and I discover recently that my brake lights work but not my tailights! NOt good. I put the original reverse lights and tailights (hanging loose) back in the center panel. So now the indicator light on my dash is gone which is great news and I expected this to fix my tailight problem. Wrong, I've replaced all the bulbs, checked the fuses and my tailights still do not work. It's the 4 dual light bulbs that don't work- The ones on the outside coners and the ones just hanging loose in my center panel, they only work when I hit the brakes.

SO I've been searching for answers and I think it may be bad grounds, however I have no idea where these grounds are or what they look like, what do I need to do with them? clean with steel pads?. - Any HELP?