dash/brake lights (1 Viewer)

[gothodgie]

Ok here it is...
When i step on the brake pedal my dash and running lights come on and they go off when i let off the brake... I also noticed the other day that when the running/head lights are turned on that the brake lights stay on all the time...

could it be moisture related?
brake light switch?

I have searched until my head feels like it is going to pop and didn't really find anything with the same symptons as what i am having... i found a lot of "flashing dash light" threads but nothing like what i am experiencing...

any advice/suggestions are greatly appreciated...

thanks

 

[gothodgie]

after some advice from the 80 section i came up with this....


after futher investigations it is only the front turn signals, dash lights and brake lights that come on when i press the brake pedal...

also the brake lights are coming on when i turn the running lights on...

i removed trailer harness wiring and converter box... no help

inspected wiring inside both quarter panels and everything looks ok...

all bulbs look good in the back and light up as they should with the lights off...

i'm going to keep looking and unhooking stuff to see if i can make the problem go away...

any other thoughts/suggestions are greatly appreciated...

thanks

 

[zebrabeefj40]

Couple thoughts:

1. When did the issue start? Just after a trail ride? Did you smash a part of the harness?

2. I know the bulbs "look good" but did you pull them all out and reseat them? This sounds like a dual filament bulb is touching both contacts at once in one of the sockets and backfeeding a different circuit. I usually blame a bad trailer convertor box for that but you already cut that out.

3. Is the wiring under the dash for the brake and turn signals mashed together around the column somewhere? Maybe you accidentally knocked the wiring into the moving parts and shorted them together there.

Good luck! At least it is a somewhat consistent issue that you can play with. Occasional electrical issues are a PITA...

Nick

 

[gothodgie]

yea it started just a couple days after i backed into a tree... it was not a very hard hit, but i did basically only hit the left rear tail light lens...

i didn't swap bulbs to do the check i did... i unplugged the tail/brake light clusters inside the quarter panels and i still got had the same problem when they were unplugged... I'll get some new bulbs and try again, maybe i missed something... I wonder what the chances are that it is in the 3rd brake light? that is the only thing i didn't unhook when i was messing with it...

i got a new brake light switch, but i don't want to have to crawl under the dash if i don't need to...

Thanks Nick... only a couple people in the 80 section seemed to have any clue about what the problem is... maybe the post was too techy for the 80 section ... lol

Hodgie

 

[gothodgie]

found the culprit... i had to jump one wire around the plug where the wire pulled out... it was a wild goose chase...

that plug is in the left side quarter panel under/behind the jack...

 

[zebrabeefj40]

I see Toyota didn't learn from putting a plug there for 11 years in the 60 series Cruisers. I had the same issue with the FJ62 I used to drive. Ended up cutting it out in Jim C.'s driveway a couple hours after I bought the truck. My brother was following me and calling off the lights that were failing over the course of a couple miles driving...

Nick

 

[yOHda]

Just ventured in here and saw this problem but you already found the culprit.

I had the same problem with the same connector. I ended up cutting it completely out redoing all the connections with weathertite connectors, solder, heat shrink, etc. I ended up replacing some of the wiring as the corrosion had started to travel up the wires. I keep extra toy wiring from previous projects I've had.

It took forever, not because its a hard job, but because there is no room. Havent had a problem since though.

Good luck!

 

[gothodgie]

Just ventured in here and saw this problem but you already found the culprit.

I had the same problem with the same connector. I ended up cutting it completely out redoing all the connections with weathertite connectors, solder, heat shrink, etc. I ended up replacing some of the wiring as the corrosion had started to travel up the wires. I keep extra toy wiring from previous projects I've had.

It took forever, not because its a hard job, but because there is no room. Havent had a problem since though.

Good luck!

yea it's really hard to get to and my fat hands don't help... i'm going to have to empty the back of my truck in order to get enough room for my fat ass to get in there and do a good job sealing it up...

 

[Mattnatti]

to get enough room for my fat ass to get in there

Damn, I have had that problem a couple of times myself.

 

[itbrokeagain]

Ok so I have a question. The right tail light on my 91 occasionally doesn't work and the turn signal shorts out occasionally. Possibly an issue with this connector

 

[gothodgie]

Ok so I have a question. The right tail light on my 91 occasionally doesn't work and the turn signal shorts out occasionally. Possibly an issue with this connector

after what i went thru to find this, i would say yes... very possible... but there are a couple more plugs between that big plug on the the left and your right side tail light that could be the problem.... you could see the corrosion easily on the upstream side of the plug where the wires/pin go into the plug...

If there is any kind of opening on the bottom of your quarter panel the moisture will find it's way in there...

 

[fj40fax]

I am currently having this problem and when I undo the big connector, the problem goes away. But my connector looks perfect, no sign of corrosion and I don't see any smashed wires. I guess I'll have to do the same and crawl in there and replace the connector and possibly some wires. After this connector they all drop out the bottom of the quarter panel so there is not much wire to work with.