My brake lights and tail lights in my 89 Toyota Camry keep going out, They just wont stay on. I thought i narrowed the issue down to the lamp failure sensor but i opened it up and checked the circut and everything seems fine, it almost looks brand new . I found that if i wiggle the lamp sensor box a bit they will cut on but once i start moving the car, after a while they stop working . I checked all the fuses, brake light switch is fine, new bulbs. Anyone else have this problem how do i fix it?
The circuit board on the rear lamp out module probably has crack that canât be seen without a magnifying glass.
When I had my Camryâs, when I went to the junk yard I made sure the Camryâs were checked out to see if they still had its module. And if it did, I grabbed it. I didnât have to pay for them because the counter people didnât know what they were. so they didnât know what to charge me. But they also said that they came with no warranty.
And if youâre going to try and get one from the dealer, make sure youâre sitting down when they tell you the price.
Thatâs why I grabbed them!
Tester
Youâre probably right,hereâs something else though. All my lights worked perfectly until i switched out the bulbs a few days ago now suddenly i have this issue.
Did you put the correct bulbs in or did you put LED bulbs in ?
https://www.walmart.com/ip/SYLVANIA-1157-Long-Life-Mini-Bulb-Pack-of-2/54633842 these are the bulbs i put in . The bulbs the came with the car when i bought it were these https://www.walmart.com/ip/SYLVANIA-2057-Long-Life-Mini-Bulb-Pack-of-2/54633846 .
The 1157 is a bit âbrighterâ or a little more wattage - on one filament. Either bulb should work. Since you state that it was working fine previous - I would go to a local store; and purchase a couple more bulbs. And just change them out again. Make sure something isnât slightly wrong with the new bulbs you have installed. If the problem still exists⊠Yes it could be a cracked board. However - you mentioned wigling a wire⊠I did some work on a truck once which would not start. Turns out it was the Negative Ground Cable - which LOOKED fine - was internally corroded; and bad. Once we replaced that cable - everything was fine. Your bulb sensor box has a wire going into it⊠it could be LOOKING fine - but actually vibration over time has messed it up. If possible - you could unsolder the wire connections and solder in some new good wire; and splice that in a little upstream from the existing wire - to make sure that you donât actually have a broken wire at the box - which is just looking fine⊠But since it was all working fine before you replaced the bulbs - I would be looking hard at the new bulbs and the bulb sockets, and wiring around the sockets, etc. before messing with the lamp sensor box.
I think Iâd start by replacing the lamp sensor box.
âŠbut knowing how hard it is to diagnose electrical problems and how old this car is, Iâd be tempted to just rewire the whole system, particularly because you might have more than one failure.
In that case Iâd check the bulb contacts and the installation of the bulbs. The contacts might be bent to where they are only loosely connecting with the bulbs. If theyâre multi-stage bulbs, you might not have them installed correctly, or pushed so hard that you bent the contacts.
You can buy a cheap circuit tester if you donât have one. It will look like an ice pick with a wire coming out of the handle with an alligator clip on the end. Attach the clip to a grounded piece of metal on the carâs body and use the tool to test the light bulb socket contacts to see if theyâre getting power when they should.
If they all worked âperfectlyâ, why did you replace them. Just asking. One of those âIf it ainât broke, dontât fix itâ things.
I fixed the issue earlier today by wiring around the sensor box,