1990 Camry Tail Lights Don't Work???

My parents tail lights doesn't work when you step on it. I've changed the bulbs and that didn't work. What could possibly be the problem? Is there any steps I can take to check in order to find the problem?:confused:

we had that problem. is it all the lights? or just the brakes?

for us it was the brake lights and it was the switch under the dash that needed to be replaced

When I turn on the lights, the brake lights come on, but when I step on the brake pedal the brake lights doens't come on. I'll check the switch today. What else could be the problem?

It could be the stop lamp switch or the lamp failure indicator sensor (a little yellow box in the right rear Q panel)

Hope it helps.
Jeff

There is also a fuse for the stop lights according to my Haynes manual. A bad bulb could have taken out this fuse.

Mark

Thanks for the replys guys, I'll keep you posted on the progress.:D

I had the same exact problem, except that along with the brake lights not working......I was unable to shift from "Park" without depressing the override switch that is located on the shift column.

The problem automatically went away for a week.......but now I have the same problem.

Do you guys think it is the "Stop Light Switch" or that other thing that is located in the trunk?

Thanks.

I have the same problem. No tail lights, but have brake lights, backup lights, headlights, etc. I know there is a fuse box in the trunk for the tail lights (thanks Haynes manual) but I can't find it. Any suggestions? I think the fuse is blown, but ANY suggestions will be helpful now. I would prefer not to be pulled over by helpful fellow drivers or our faithful boys in blue to cheerfully inform me that these are out...

Thanks

Im having the same problem. Tail lights dont work. Fuse and relay both are fine. Wiring diagrams out of haynes driving me crazy. and there is no fuse in the trunk, only in the kick panel.

No fuse box in the trunk? My "Fellow Toyota Owner" who told me that is an idiot. Thankfully he's my brother...

I found the light failure relay in the trunk. I found ONE blown fuse when I used a tester (cheapo one from Wal-Martesque store). I changed it...joyful...FINALLY...maybe this is it!! Nope. All it did was make the light on the dash come on that tells me the lights are on. (Which hadn't been working) Now what??

Mr. Haynes...can you PLEASE make your diagrams any vaguer? :mad: :loser: :nono: :sly: :eek7:

I mean really! I followed them as best I could...but where ARE these things in the car???


DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW TO HELP US?? I"ve been pulled over twice in the last week...this has to get fixed!!

AM :mad:

here is the answer:

I just fixed my lights. You can do it too. Heres what you do, this works, no joking.Go into your trunk. You will need to find the green wire (not the black and white ground) that goes into your license plate illumination lights. Once you found it, you will need to splice a wire off of that about 8 inches long. The best way to do this is to get a tap connector that clips over the wire your tapping into and then accepts a male tab that can be attached to your bridging wire. OK, next step is to find the bunch of wires coming into the trunk from the back seat area. If your wires are like mine, there should be 2 green wires in this bunch. You will want to double check by disconnecting the connector that goes right to the tail light bulb on the trunk lid (the one below the reverse light bulb) Once its disconnected have an assistant hold down the brake pedal or prop it down. now test each of the four prongs on the hot side of the connector for power. the hot one is for the brakes, forget about it. and its not the ground so whatever wire is left is the tail light wire. follow that wire up to that main harness that comes into the back seat. once you found the right wire mark it or somethind. now bridge that green wire from the license plate bulb socket to the wire you just found. turn on your headlights. you might want to test the tail light end of your bridging wire before you plug it into the tail light wire to make sure all the connections you made are continuous. if you made a good bridge, it will work, and it wont blow anything out because mine worked out fine. any questions let me no. and dont sell your camry, cherish it

This is amazing! I'm having the exact same problem with my 90 Camry. All lights fine except for the tail lights. I brought my car to the shop today to have it checked out and they told me it was the headlight switch. They said they jiggled it and got the tail lights to come on. They also wanted to charge me over 300$ to fix it. After calling around and finding the part for $45 I've decided to try and fix it myself. I wonder if anyone knows how difficult this is....will I have to get into the steering column? I'll write more when I've changed out the part and let everyone know what happened.
I appreciated the post on running a wire from your license plate light, a friend of mine told me to do that exact thing but wiring kinda freaks me out. If the new switch doesn't work I will try the wiring thing. Wish me luck!!

This is amazing! I'm having the exact same problem with my 90 Camry. All lights fine except for the tail lights. I brought my car to the shop today to have it checked out and they told me it was the headlight switch. They said they jiggled it and got the tail lights to come on. They also wanted to charge me over 300$ to fix it. After calling around and finding the part for $45 I've decided to try and fix it myself.


Have you jiggled around the headlight switch and temorarily got the taillights to come on???

OK...it seems the shop was trying to screw me!! it was not in fact my headlight switch and all the jiggling in the world never got the tail lights on. It was in fact my tail light relay!! It took about 2 seconds to change out and cost me $25 used!! If anyone has this problem where all lights work except tail lights I highly recommend checking this out. I almost paid a ton of money for something that wouldn't have fixed the problem
The relay is on the left side wall of the trunk behind the carpeting. It is a yellow box a little bigger than a pack of cigerettes. All you do is get it unhooked from the body and remove one plug. You can open the relay and see if any circuits are burnt out. It was obviously burnt on mine.
Don't get screwed by some shady mechanic!! Check this out first!! It is so easy my grand ma could do it!!
Cheers,
Chris

It was in fact my tail light relay!! It took about 2 seconds to change out and cost me $25 used!!

BEFORE you changed the tail light relay, did you have to depress the "override" button on the shift column to shift from "PARK"?

I have 2 problems simultaneously. I have no Brake Lights. Secondly, I have to keep depressing that override button to shift.

I took apart my steering column looking for the stop light switch. After about 1 hour, I still was unable to find that stupid switch.

Maybe my problem is the not the stop light switch, but the relay you are talking about.

BEFORE you changed the tail light relay, did you have to depress the "override" button on the shift column to shift from "PARK"?

No sorry I didn't have either of those problems

I took apart my steering column looking for the stop light switch. After about 1 hour, I still was unable to find that stupid switch.

Maybe my problem is the not the stop light switch, but the relay you are talking about.[/QUOTE]

I don't know if that's your problem. My brake lights were working fine, it was just my tail lights that weren't working.
You should be able to remove the relay and check it out pretty easily. It's a yellow cigarette pack shaped box in the left wall of your trunk behind the carpeting. Just follow your wires. When you take it out pop off the cover and see if any circuits are burnt.
I'm really not sure if the relay works for just the tail lights or both the taillights and brake lights. It should be easy enough to check out though.

If that doesn't work you may want to try http://www.allexperts.com
They answered my question in about 12 hours and told me about the relay.
Good luck,
Chris

does anyone know where to get a wiring diagram for the lamp failure box? I have the same problem as everyone else with a burnt out something in the box, but is is pretty burnt and I can't tell if it is a resistor, diode, or jsut a wire. It seems like it should be pretty easy to fix the burnout with a little soldering.

its your brake pedel switch.... take apart the dash under the sterring wheel (the four screws, two located on each bottom corner, then take off the speaker cover, undo that bolt. Then the two plastic covers on each side of of the wheel have a bolt behind them). pull out that piece, and find your brake pedel up until you find that switch (its somewhere near the top). Undo that nut and unplug it and wist the whole unit out.

Hope that helps!

I am writing this after finally fixing a problem that started about 2 or some months ago.

THE PROBLEM:

Since on my car you have to press the brake to shift out of Park, that was not happening. I would have to manually press the override button on the column shifter in order to shift from park.
Secondly I had no brake lights at all. During night time driving I had tail lights, but no brake lights.

THE DIAGNOSIS:

I did the obvious, bulbs & fuses, but they were all ok. Someone mentioned the tailight failure box, and I took that apart and resoldered everything, but nothing happened.

I finally took apart the lower dash and tried to find the stop light switch. According to the FSM I have, it does not show it connected to the brake pedal. So I spent an hour taking apart that blue plastic box behind the front left speaker. It was getting late so I had to reassemle everything without finding the damn switch.

Today finally I found the damn thing and had already bought a replacement 2 days ago. It was a bitch getting it out and a bitch putting the new one on and realigning it.

But, Presto!. Now I have brake lights, tail lights and I can finally shift from park without the override.

Sorry for the long post!

yup, thats what i thought was wrong with mine, but my park release still worked so i ruled out that........ my problem was the light sensor box in the trunk had shorted out.

superdesi-it appears that you situation is different as your brake lights are in-op.The lack of brake lights and having to depress the button to shift out of park does point to the switch.Follow the brake pedal up to locate the switch.

superdesi-it appears that you situation is different as your brake lights are in-op.The lack of brake lights and having to depress the button to shift out of park does point to the switch.Follow the brake pedal up to locate the switch.
Joe, today I was able to find the switch and did the repair. All is good now. Thanks.

I know this is an old thread but I wanted to post because I had the same problem (no tail lights, all bulbs and fuses are fine) and I wanted to share my solution.

From what the dealership told me, if you have a 1988-1991 Camry, and you look in your trunk, on the driver's side, behind the carpeting on the side wall - you will find a small yellow box about the size of a pack of cigarettes. Disconnect that box from the wire harness, and use a flathead screwdriver to carefully open the lid. You will most likely see an obvious area that is black and chared a little left of the center marked with a printed number on the circuit board, like 1 or 2. There's the culprit!

You can either pay Toyta some un-Godly ammount of money to replace this POS part from the 80's, you can try to hunt one down in a junkyard for $5-$30 plus gas and time depending on where you find it, or you can make the repair yourself. Luckily the fix is easy as pie. . .

Firstly, if you are looking dead on at the wire harness plug the diagram goes something like this according to something I found on the internet:
---------------------------------------------------
: 01 03 05 07 09 11
: 02 04 06 08 10 12

: Pin 1 (Green) to Tail lamp Fuse ..voltage w/lights on
: Pin 2 (Lite Green) to Tail Lamps ..
: Pin 3 12v
: Pin 9 to Brake Pedal .. voltage when depressed
: Pins 11 & 12 to Brake Lights

: Short/Splice 1 & 2 for Tail lights on when lights are turned on.

: Short/Splice 9, 11, & 12 together for brake lights.

: Other pins are used for the lamp on the dash and power for the sensor.
---------------------------------------------------
*note: I, personally, don't have a Pins 09 or 11 on mine, so I came up with a slightly different solution. Read on.

OK! so all I did was remove the yellow box from the wire harness, and then I took a conductive sliver of thin metal and used it to bridge Pins 01 and 02; the two green ones that account for my tail lights.

Now, low and behold I had tail lights again! Only problem was that, in my case, I no longer had break lights. Ack! That won't do, so what I did next was simply insure that the bridge I made for the green (tail light) wires was short and non-intrusive. Then I opened up the yellow sensor box I removed ealier, got some needle-nose pliers and removed (twisted until they came out) the pins from the circuit board connector where it would have plugged in to the tail light pins, since I already have my metal bridge there on the harness. Once that is done I can reconnect the sensor box to the harness. You should now have tail and break lights. The only thing you won't have from now on is an indicator letting you know if a tail light blub goes out since you have essentially bypassed the sensor for your tail lights. Personally that doesn't bother me though. It's a free fix and it's really easy. I hope this helps someone :)

- Dustin

i just soldered a thin line of solder to fix the short in the yellow box. it was a free fix too :naughty:

Just want to thank everyone on this forum for saving me today!

I have a 1991 Toyota Camry with similar symptoms:
1. no brake lights
2. dashboard warning light is on (the rear light symbol)

I tried replacing the bulbs and the stop light switch above the brake pedal.
Both of these did not fix it.

(Note: the stop light switch is hard to reach if you're ~6 ft tall, I could only work with one hand in the area while the rest of me was in some sort of gymnast pose, so read on before you try replacing it.)

Then I read this forum. I found out that the little yellow box (the light failure monitor) buried under the left wall carpet in the trunk existed. I pulled it out and opened it up. There was a clear browning of one of the connections on the circuit board. As suggested on this forum, I soldered a thin piece of solder over the broken connection. PROBLEM SOLVED!!!

The total cost was $11 for the replacement stop light switch; I wouldn't even need it if I didn't break the old one before taking it out! lol

N.

A puzzle I need help with....

1994 Camry - Recently the lamp failure indicator light came on in my dash, indicating I need to replace a rear brake bulb(s). It comes on after starting the car and turning the headlight switch to either 1st or 2nd setting, and stays on until the headlight switch is turned off.

I have replaced ALL the rear bulbs (just to be very clear, every single bulb in the rear of my vehicle is new), and I have verified that each light is working. There is NO light out in the rear (and none out anywhere else in/on the car for that matter)

I have replaced the lamp failure sensor(auto wrecker), checked all fuses, and removed and cleaned the ground wire near the trunk latch.
Inspection of the lamp failure sensors shows them to be identical with no burn marks. Both have a slight browning on the circuit board in the exact same area, but it is very minor and there is continuity between all traces.

The dash light still comes on.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

I have the same problem. No tail lights, but have brake lights, backup lights, headlights, etc. I know there is a fuse box in the trunk for the tail lights (thanks Haynes manual) but I can't find it. Any suggestions? I think the fuse is blown, but ANY suggestions will be helpful now. I would prefer not to be pulled over by helpful fellow drivers or our faithful boys in blue to cheerfully inform me that these are out...

Thanks

I have an 89 Camry with similar problems. The problem was resolved by changing the lamp malfunction board in the trunk. On the drivers side rear, pull away the felt carpeting. The board is yellow colored and to find it trace it by following the harness. I bought one from a junkyard for $30.

I know this is an old thread but I wanted to post because I had the same problem (no tail lights, all bulbs and fuses are fine) and I wanted to share my solution.

From what the dealership told me, if you have a 1988-1991 Camry, and you look in your trunk, on the driver's side, behind the carpeting on the side wall - you will find a small yellow box about the size of a pack of cigarettes. Disconnect that box from the wire harness, and use a flathead screwdriver to carefully open the lid. You will most likely see an obvious area that is black and chared a little left of the center marked with a printed number on the circuit board, like 1 or 2. There's the culprit!

You can either pay Toyta some un-Godly ammount of money to replace this POS part from the 80's, you can try to hunt one down in a junkyard for $5-$30 plus gas and time depending on where you find it, or you can make the repair yourself. Luckily the fix is easy as pie. . .

Firstly, if you are looking dead on at the wire harness plug the diagram goes something like this according to something I found on the internet:
---------------------------------------------------
: 01 03 05 07 09 11
: 02 04 06 08 10 12

: Pin 1 (Green) to Tail lamp Fuse ..voltage w/lights on
: Pin 2 (Lite Green) to Tail Lamps ..
: Pin 3 12v
: Pin 9 to Brake Pedal .. voltage when depressed
: Pins 11 & 12 to Brake Lights

: Short/Splice 1 & 2 for Tail lights on when lights are turned on.

: Short/Splice 9, 11, & 12 together for brake lights.

: Other pins are used for the lamp on the dash and power for the sensor.
---------------------------------------------------
*note: I, personally, don't have a Pins 09 or 11 on mine, so I came up with a slightly different solution. Read on.

OK! so all I did was remove the yellow box from the wire harness, and then I took a conductive sliver of thin metal and used it to bridge Pins 01 and 02; the two green ones that account for my tail lights.

Now, low and behold I had tail lights again! Only problem was that, in my case, I no longer had break lights. Ack! That won't do, so what I did next was simply insure that the bridge I made for the green (tail light) wires was short and non-intrusive. Then I opened up the yellow sensor box I removed ealier, got some needle-nose pliers and removed (twisted until they came out) the pins from the circuit board connector where it would have plugged in to the tail light pins, since I already have my metal bridge there on the harness. Once that is done I can reconnect the sensor box to the harness. You should now have tail and break lights. The only thing you won't have from now on is an indicator letting you know if a tail light blub goes out since you have essentially bypassed the sensor for your tail lights. Personally that doesn't bother me though. It's a free fix and it's really easy. I hope this helps someone :)

- Dustin

I have the same problem. 89 Camry already replaced 1 lamp malfunction board in trunk. My new symptoms are all tail lights work fine but I have no brake lights. In daytime travel no lights work when brake is depressed. At night all lights light up so it looks as if brake is always on. I read the post but got lost when you started to short out the pins. why did you short out pins then reconnect the lamp PCB?

OK...it seems the shop was trying to screw me!! it was not in fact my headlight switch and all the jiggling in the world never got the tail lights on. It was in fact my tail light relay!! It took about 2 seconds to change out and cost me $25 used!! If anyone has this problem where all lights work except tail lights I highly recommend checking this out. I almost paid a ton of money for something that wouldn't have fixed the problem
The relay is on the left side wall of the trunk behind the carpeting. It is a yellow box a little bigger than a pack of cigerettes. All you do is get it unhooked from the body and remove one plug. You can open the relay and see if any circuits are burnt out. It was obviously burnt on mine.
Don't get screwed by some shady mechanic!! Check this out first!! It is so easy my grand ma could do it!!
Cheers,
Chris

i have the same problem with u, and i already found the yellow box, my question is how u unhocked the box ? in my camry it's very difficult to unhock it ? thx ...


edow

i have the same problem with u, and i already found the yellow box, my question is how u unhocked the box ? in my camry it's very difficult to unhock it ? thx ...edow

After you undo the screws holding it in place, simply press down and disconnect the 9 pin connector to it.

Well here is what I came up with.

I located the yellow box.
http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/503/299469Pic_053.jpg

Opened it up.
http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/503/299469Pic_047.jpg

Found the prob.
http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/503/299469Pic_044.jpg

Fixed it.
http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/503/299469Pic_052.jpg

Hope it helps.

Oh and have you guys never heard of posting pictures or what?????

j/k

This was just for an intermittent brake light problem. Don't know why it burned out like that but it did. Hopefully it'll last another 20 years before burning out again, and it was alot easier than finding and paying for another one, or paying some mechanic to replace it. Seems like the same thing could happen for the rest of the tail lights that are run through that switch. Just something to check out.

1988 camry wo alltrac.

i have 87 camry with same tail light problem. I located the yellow tail light failure indicator box and it was obviously burned out. I found one at a junk yard for $20 and replaced it and the lights worked for about 5 seconds and then the new light failure indicator burned out as well. aparently i have a short but I have not had any luck finding it. I'm just thankful I didn;t spend the 200 dollars the dealer wanted for it. any help?????

G.I.Jer - if it's not too much trouble, I'd love to have a close up picture of the other side of the 'yellow box' circuit. Apparently something shorted and burned out a resistor to the point that I can't tell what the value of the resistor is supposed to be.

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/500/300316P2140042.JPG

or if someone could just tell me what resistor it is. Any help would be much appreciated!

here ya go man, sorry but it looks like it's not much more than what you are already looking at on yours. Prob a short in the wiring.



http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/503/299469Pic_010.jpg

thanks for the pic. It looks like it's just a wire. i figured there was some component there before that was burnt to a crisp. If i ever find the short, hopefully i can just resolder this connection. however, i'm about ready to just give up and only drive during daylight.

I have a 94 camry wagon... Anyone know where this little yellow box would be since there is no trunk. I searched under the spare tire well and nothing. My manual is useless....

Well I'd guess in the same place or near the same place. Behind the carpet on the LH rear QP. Just a guess.

Just i case anyone looks here and is comfused like i was and without brake lights. You can take the yellow box apart as shown in some of the pictures in the post and solder a jumper between the 4th pin from the right on the top and the last pin from the right on the bottom. i would have edited in pain but im not that smart . You will no longer have the light to show that you brake lights are out but who needs it anyway.http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/503/299469Pic_044.jpg

can someone tell me in lamins terms how to wire around the box?

I know this is an old thread, but it is the only one i can find that addresses my problem. I have no brake lights, the fuse in the panel is fine, the stop switch apears fine since i am able to shift. I pulled out the "yellow box" and it looks fine is the any way to test it or are there other places i should check? thanks, Ross

I know this is an old thread, but it is the only one i can find that addresses my problem. I have no brake lights, the fuse in the panel is fine, the stop switch apears fine since i am able to shift. I pulled out the "yellow box" and it looks fine is the any way to test it or are there other places i should check? thanks, Ross

Just because you are able to shift the lever box, does not mean your stop switch is fine. Take it out and check the continuity. It is most likely the problem. Call me on my cell if u need further help.

I know this is an old thread, but it is the only one i can find that addresses my problem. I have no brake lights, the fuse in the panel is fine, the stop switch apears fine since i am able to shift. I pulled out the "yellow box" and it looks fine is the any way to test it or are there other places i should check? thanks, Ross


Have you checked the loom of wires inside the trunk by the driver's side trunk hinge? The wires inside there have a tendency to fray and break from all the flexing they are subjected to as the trunk is constantly opened and closed over the years. Just open up that loom of wires and looked for frayed or broken wires. Repair as necessary.

Mike

1987 Camry with no tail lights. Tail light Fuse is good. All other lighting on the fuse is OK (glove compartment, rear lic plate, side markers...). Brake lights and backup lighs ok too. Found this thread on the web and gave it a shot.

Getting the yellow tail light sensor box out was a puzzle on an 87 Camry. There is a bracket spot welded onto the backside of a bulkhead on the driver's side of the trunk, that slips into a clip on the top of the box, and the unlocking mechanism is unseen even with bright light and inspection mirror. There is a catch on the box that must be pressed down pretty hard to release the box from the bracket. You can see just the catch through the connector hole in the yellow box cover on the left
http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/503/299469Pic_053.jpg

I just wiggled the box until the bracket popped off, leaving a small hole in the bulkhead. I drilled a hole in the bracket and reattached to the bulkhead with a self tapping screw. Won't have that problem again.

The wire (a fuse?) in my light sensor showed signs of heat but not like this one.
http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/500/300316P2140042.JPG

Did not see anything wrong with the box so I reassembled and plugged back in, and it worked!

Wiggling the wire bundle Mike G wrote about did cause the lights to flicker so I need to do a closer inspection there.

I have a 1987 Toyota Camry. The brake lights stopped working.

I replaced both brake light bulbs and the brake light switch above the brake pedal. This only cost me about $15 but it didn’t solve the problem.

After reading this forum thread, I found the yellow box in the trunk. It appeared to be in excellent condition, inside and out. No burn signs of any kind on the circuit board. But, I decided to replace it anyway because I had already replaced everything else associated with the brake lights.

I first visited the local after-market parts stores and none of them had the part in stock. Second, I visited the Toyota dealers in town and they all wanted $193 for the part. Since I wasn’t 100% certain this would solve my problem, I decided $193 was too much money to spend on a guess. Finally, I visited a local salvage part dealer who sold me a used Light Failure Sensor ( aka yellow box) for $16 with a 30 day return option.

After installing the used Light Failure Sensor, my problem was solved!

Thanks to all for bringing my attention to the Light Failure Sensor. According to my repair manual, this part doesn’t even exist.

Thanks again!

G.I.Jer - if it's not too much trouble, I'd love to have a close up picture of the other side of the 'yellow box' circuit. Apparently something shorted and burned out a resistor to the point that I can't tell what the value of the resistor is supposed to be.

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/500/300316P2140042.JPG

or if someone could just tell me what resistor it is. Any help would be much appreciated!
Just thought I'd post this up for all potential future people who might have the same issue as me.

Friend's car, 1990 Camry 4-cylinder.

Brake lights worked fine but parking lights would not come on in the tail lights nor the trunk lights. Checked all the fuses, reset all the breakers, but to no avail still.

Reverse, hazards, and everything else worked fine. I did change out a pair of 1157 bulbs (one was burnt out on the driver side tail light) and a 194 bulb in the front.

The above picture is EXACTLY what was wrong with his lamp failure circuit board.

I called the dealer and it was $193 + tax! :screwy:

So I figured I'd whip out the sodlering gun and as noted above it looks like it's just a wire...so I just plopped a bunch of solder on the connection and whammo everything worked! Only thing is the dash "LIGHTS" warning light is on...so I told my friend to replace the circuit board with an eBay special if the light bugs him.

Wanted to say thanks to everyone who posted on this thread. Very helpful!
:werd:

OK...it seems the shop was trying to screw me!! it was not in fact my headlight switch and all the jiggling in the world never got the tail lights on. It was in fact my tail light relay!! It took about 2 seconds to change out and cost me $25 used!! If anyone has this problem where all lights work except tail lights I highly recommend checking this out. I almost paid a ton of money for something that wouldn't have fixed the problem
The relay is on the left side wall of the trunk behind the carpeting. It is a yellow box a little bigger than a pack of cigerettes. All you do is get it unhooked from the body and remove one plug. You can open the relay and see if any circuits are burnt out. It was obviously burnt on mine.
Don't get screwed by some shady mechanic!! Check this out first!! It is so easy my grand ma could do it!!
Cheers,
Chris


Chris,

I had simular issues recently on my 89' Camry and found out that mine was solved by replacing the sockets that houses the bulbs. I was told that the metal contact was shorting out. Consider changing these out also. Your car is one year apart from mine so perhaps the same parts need replacing in the future if the issue comes up again.


rimfire,22

This forum has been really helpful, I have a 1990 Camry and am having a problem with the brake lights.
1. The brake lights don't work
2. The rear light signal on the dash is on

I have checked the fuses and replaced the stop light switch, no help. It seems that the problem might be in this mysterious yellow light relay box in the trunk... however I've taken up the carpet on the drivers side and can't locate it... is there any chance that my model (manual, cruise control) does not have this relay? or am I just not looking in the right place?

From my earlier post in this thread:

"Have you checked the loom of wires inside the trunk by the driver's side trunk hinge? The wires inside there have a tendency to fray and break from all the flexing they are subjected to as the trunk is constantly opened and closed over the years. Just open up that loom of wires and looked for frayed or broken wires. Repair as necessary."

I would check this out first before assuming it's the relay box in the trunk. Problems with this loom of wires are more common.

Mike

OK great, the problem is fixed, I finally found that yellow fuse box and there was an obvious burnout on it... I dont have any soldering equipment so I just Jerry Rigged it with some speaker wire and electrical tape to bypass the burnt relay... now my brakes work like a charm.

I just wish I hadn't wasted the time and money on the stoplight switch... if you're having similar problems (none of your brake lights work) I would suggest checking out the lamp failure sensor box before repairing the stoplight switch... Thanks to everyone who posted, this forum saved me a ton of money...

The good news is yes, there is something you can do........be sure to check all your fuses first, to make sure none are blown. If your fuses are OK.....then the best place to go next is for the Yellow:wink: Box (Toyota Lamp Failure Box) in the rear trunk....just pull away the carpet all the way on your left side. The Yellow Box is right above where you may think the gas cap would be on the inside of the trunk.
It is a little tricky to detach the Yellow Box.....but bear in mind there is a wired connection that goes directly into the back of the Yellow Box, if you press on the wired connector it will release easily.
Go to your nearest Junk Yard you'll find the Yellow:wink: Box (Toyota Lamp Failure Box) for about $5 Bucks or so. Try to by two just in case. I saved $275 Bucks compared to a quote from an Auto Electrical Specialist in my neighborhood. Good Luck! Be sure to give thanks to the man upstairs:).

Note: My 4cyl 1990 Camry DX has 255,000 plus miles and still running strong, will push 120 miles per hr easily, and hold it.

OK, so the whole jerry rigging with speaker wire only worked for 1 day... So I had to find the part at a junkyard, it cost 25 bucks, but it's better than paying a dealer to fix it... anyway, my brake lights are working great... thanks for the help everyone...

i have tore my trunk apart looking for that yellow box. someone described it as being above the gas cap but its not there. can someone take a picture and show me where it is located in the trunk? and i have a 1990 camry. is there some models that this box is in a different location?

thanks in advanced

Hello! This thread was excellently helpful as I had the same problem! My tailights were out, but brake lights, side marker lights and eveything elese worked fine. Fuses were good, changed out all the bulbs, but still no tailights. Came on here, read the thread, took out the yellow box, had a burned out wire just like one of the other posters on here. Went to RadioShack, bought bread board wire connctors, soldered it in and my tailights worked!! Only problem is, now when I hit the brakes, the whole left side goes out! No lights at all on left side with the brakes applied! But when the brakes are not applied, the tail ights are just fine!?!? If I dont have the lights on, and I hit the brakes, they both go on perfectly! Anyone know off the top of their head what could be the problem? I checked all my wiring throughout the trunk and all seems to be fine. I do have the left license plate light out and havent checked it, I know the tailights/brake lights are all daisy chained, could it be that that left license light is the prob?? ANy help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks a million!

Onece I face same problem then I realized that the lights in the center assembly (trunk) have a double filiment, one for the brakes and one for the tail lights. Althought the brake lights were working the tail lights filiment was not. The problem is in the harness on the left side of the trunk lid. This is the second time I have had a short there because of the constant movement of the hindge. Hope this may some useful to you.

Onece I face same problem then I realized that the lights in the center assembly (trunk) have a double filiment, one for the brakes and one for the tail lights. Althought the brake lights were working the tail lights filiment was not. The problem is in the harness on the left side of the trunk lid. This is the second time I have had a short there because of the constant movement of the hindge. Hope this helps.

I had a similar problem with my brake lights with my '88 camry. All of my brake lights stopped working, but the dashboard warning light did not come on. I opened up the yellow light failure box in my trunk and I didn't see anything noticeably wrong with the circuit board. I pulled out one of the tail lights (1157) and the dashboard warning light lit up. My problem turned out to be the brake light switch located at the very top of the brake lever. It cost me 16.95 at Advanced Auto Parts. Make sure you specify whether or not you have cruise control. It’s a pain to put in, but having a headlamp will make it a lot easier. Just loosen the lock nut that is hard to see and unscrew the switch from the bracket. I hope this helps with anyone else having a similar problem.
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I have a similar problem. The Tail light in the trunk are working when i turn on parking lights but when I press the Brake pedal the Brake light filament of tail light doesn't work. I've checked the relay box in trunk and all the fuses.
The harness of one of the tail light had a little rust so i took it out cleaned it and put it back in. but the TAIL light warning light in the indicator panel still lit up as i press the brake pedal.

Any suggestions where should I look for the problem ??

just to add to my above post : its a 1991 Camry Australian edition. and exploring a bit more I found an unconnected socket in the truck from the wires leading to the fuse box. there is no place to connect it so why is it there ? cud that be the problem ?