2001 4RL -- lost tail lights and dash panel light

[T4R NEWBIE]

need the professionals!

Calling out the pros! That means you [MENTION=10169]TheDurk[/MENTION] and [MENTION=102597]IBallEngineer[/MENTION]. I just read this thread and it sounds similar to the problem I am having. Yesterday I replaced my front turn signals, corner markers, brake lights and reverse lights with LED bulbs. Also I replaced my headlights and fog lights with HIDs. Before I replaced everything all the light were working fine. However, I got pulled over for my running lights and tag lights not working. Luckily he told me to turn my hazards on and sent me on my way. When I got home I checked everything I could think of... bulbs, fuses, wire connections, I even changed all the LED bulbs back to halogens. Still no tag lights or rear running lights... The strange thing is that every other light works perfectly, front turn signals, rear turn signals, parking lights, fogs, headlights, back up light and brake lights. Also I tested the connections to make sure they are getting power. The rear brake lights get power when I hit the brake pedal but they do not get constant power with my headlights on as they should. PLEASE HELP!!!

 

[IBallEngineer]

Calling out the pros! That means you [MENTION=10169]TheDurk[/MENTION] and [MENTION=102597]IBallEngineer[/MENTION]. Yesterday I replaced my front turn signals, corner markers, brake lights and reverse lights with LED bulbs. Also I replaced my headlights and fog lights with HIDs. Before I replaced everything all the light were working fine. PLEASE HELP!!!

OK, clearly you crossed the flux capacitor with the johnson bar! Eat some cookies, that should fix it.

But if you want your lights to work, well, let's see.

Let me first clarify the problem. The ONLY lights not working are the tail lamps and license plate lamps. Is that correct? That means the front running lamps next to the headlamps DO work. If that is the case, you can rule out the tail lamp fuse and the relay. We will then move to the Junction connectors, there are 3 possible failures. Please confirm and we'll procede!

:couch2:

 

[T4R NEWBIE]

OK, clearly you crossed the flux capacitor with the johnson bar! Eat some cookies, that should fix it.

But if you want your lights to work, well, let's see.

Let me first clarify the problem. The ONLY lights not working are the tail lamps and license plate lamps. Is that correct? That means the front running lamps next to the headlamps DO work. If that is the case, you can rule out the tail lamp fuse and the relay. We will then move to the Junction connectors, there are 3 possible failures. Please confirm and we'll procede!

:couch2:

Yes that is correct. The ONLY lights not working are the tail lamps and the license plate lamps.

 

[TheDurk]

OK, clearly you crossed the flux capacitor with the johnson bar! Eat some cookies, that should fix it.

But if you want your lights to work, well, let's see.

Let me first clarify the problem. The ONLY lights not working are the tail lamps and license plate lamps. Is that correct? That means the front running lamps next to the headlamps DO work. If that is the case, you can rule out the tail lamp fuse and the relay. We will then move to the Junction connectors, there are 3 possible failures. Please confirm and we'll procede!

:couch2:

I'll get the popcorn.

I have one question:

Is there a trailer socket present?

 

[T4R NEWBIE]

I'll get the popcorn.

I have one question:

Is there a trailer socket present?

No there is not.

 

[TheDurk]

No there is not.

Thanks. Sorry, also, what year 4Runner?

You can reply in your thread...we might as well do this in there.

 

[T4R NEWBIE]

Thanks. Sorry, also, what year 4Runner?

You can reply in your thread...we might as well do this in there.

ok I rigged up the flux capacitor and im about to hit 1.21 gigawatts and jump back to my original thread.

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-g...g-lights-tag-light-dont-work.html#post1781865

 

[dbardell]

DASH LIGHT PROBLEM ANSWERS... if your center display lights are all out, check the tail light 10amp fuse bottom left of the dash as the dash lights are tied into this fuse. For the center stack there are two different Toyota bulbs to fix the different areas of the center stack. Several articles in this forum on how to replace. Some of you have mentioned that the temperature up & down buttons are out (as are mine). These are fixed ONLY by replacing the complete center knob assembly for $40 from Toyota. The bulbs are soldered in a circuit board inside the knob and your chances of repairing without damaging something else on the circuit board is not very good. Must have been a GM engineer... $40 for a light bulb.

 

[bobborino1]

Help me too please!

TheDurk and IBallEngineer,

I have been bugging TheDurk for a few days. I have a 98 SR5, auto trans with trailer socket. I lost my dash, park and tail lights all of a sudden a few days ago. I have replaced fuses with new ones under the hood, replace fuses on the interior, replaced the relay by the hood latch on the interior and even unplugged the trailer lights from the brain box in the rear drivers side behind the panel....nothing. I recently replaced the starter, replaced the front head lights and marker lights, and tried adding an after market key fob (by holding down on the little green button on the ecm under the drivers seat and trying to program the buttons, the key fob did not program at all). I am truly at a loss. When I noticed that the dash lights were out, they came on one more time before all went dark. Can anyone give me a clue as what to do next? I have a dimmer and head light, blinker stalk that I got from the junk yard. Ssssooooo.....what next?

 

[IBallEngineer]

TheDurk and IBallEngineer,

I have been bugging TheDurk for a few days. I have a 98 SR5, auto trans with trailer socket. I lost my dash, park and tail lights all of a sudden a few days ago. I have replaced fuses with new ones under the hood, replace fuses on the interior, replaced the relay by the hood latch on the interior and even unplugged the trailer lights from the brain box in the rear drivers side behind the panel....nothing. I recently replaced the starter, replaced the front head lights and marker lights, and tried adding an after market key fob (by holding down on the little green button on the ecm under the drivers seat and trying to program the buttons, the key fob did not program at all). I am truly at a loss. When I noticed that the dash lights were out, they came on one more time before all went dark. Can anyone give me a clue as what to do next? I have a dimmer and head light, blinker stalk that I got from the junk yard. Ssssooooo.....what next?

OK, I'll try to help you. You say you replace all those fuses, were any of them bad? Just want to know what sort of problem we have here. Also, have you used a meter or test light to confirm the fuses have power when they should? I'll give you some specific things to check after you answer those two questions for me.

opcorn: I love popcorn!

 

[TheDurk]

OK, I'll try to help you. You say you replace all those fuses, were any of them bad? Just want to know what sort of problem we have here. Also, have you used a meter or test light to confirm the fuses have power when they should? I'll give you some specific things to check after you answer those two questions for me.

opcorn: I love popcorn!

Yep, time to start probing. I am lucky enough to have some of the '98 EWDs; here is the Illumination circuit which shows the TAIL relay. I don't have the Taillight circuit, though. I'd say figuring out the state of that relay is the first mission.

 

[bobborino1]

None of the fuses were bad. I even used a fuse tester on them to be sure. A friend let me borrow his snap-on test light. When i get home tonight i will test the 10A fuse socket with the lights turned on, to see if it is getting juice.

 

[bobborino1]

None of the fuses were bad. I even used a fuse tester on them to be sure. A friend let me borrow his snap-on test light. When i get home tonight i will test the 10A fuse socket with the lights turned on, to see if it is getting juice.

 

[bobborino1]

Guys!!!! I got it fixed! I got a tester light and started going through the fuses and relays. I pulled the tail relay and checked the socket, all was well. I put it back in and nothing happened. I pulled the ECM relay on the front right hand side just to see since I was messing with the key fobs, nothing. Then I head a click on the ecm relay.....jiggled it and the tail relay and TADA!!! Lights! Thank you for all your help! I will definitely follow you guys and look you up if I need anything in the future. Thank you again.

 

[I_bRAD]

Looks like a fun one. Popcorns a-poppin'.

[MENTION=107269]abyss2829[/MENTION] Also please confirm if you get high beams when you flash your brights by pulling back on the lever. Don't forget any fuse marked TOWING or similar if you have it. Highly co-sign testlight/VOM fuse check--visual is NO good. One sided problems often involve that trailer converter thingy. Do you have a trailer socket?

Here is our 2000 DRL circuit and overall circuit just so we have them handy. Tail lights are on page 16 of the overall.

Hi Durk,

Do you know if this diagram applies to a '97 as well? Canadian truck with DRL if that matters.

I've got a similar problem as the original poster. No tail, no dash lights. Brake, signal, headlights (both hi and low) reverse lights all work. With trailer connected still get brake and signal, but no tail on trailer either.

All fuses are good. No power at tail fuse though. I'm assuming it's not the switch since the headlights work, but the warning chime doesn't work if I leave the keys in the ignition and the headlights on.

Going to attempt to find a short or bad ground or short in the trailer wiring next unless someone has a better suggestion...

 

[TheDurk]

Hi Durk,

Do you know if this diagram applies to a '97 as well? Canadian truck with DRL if that matters.

I've got a similar problem as the original poster. No tail, no dash lights. Brake, signal, headlights (both hi and low) reverse lights all work. With trailer connected still get brake and signal, but no tail on trailer either.

All fuses are good. No power at tail fuse though. I'm assuming it's not the switch since the headlights work, but the warning chime doesn't work if I leave the keys in the ignition and the headlights on.

Going to attempt to find a short or bad ground or short in the trailer wiring next unless someone has a better suggestion...

'97 is the black hole in my diagram collection. I have '98 and '96 (both incomplete) but zero for '97. But I can be confident in saying you next want to check the TAIL relay in the engine bay fusebox. It is upstream of the TAIL fuse and controls dash lights as well. There should be a few relays with the same p/n like fog or power outlets; swap with one of them.

If that's not it, see if it gets power. If it does, switch is likely culprit. Check that next.

 

[I_bRAD]

'97 is the black hole in my diagram collection. I have '98 and '96 (both incomplete) but zero for '97. But I can be confident in saying you next want to check the TAIL relay in the engine bay fusebox. It is upstream of the TAIL fuse and controls dash lights as well. There should be a few relays with the same p/n like fog or power outlets; swap with one of them.

If that's not it, see if it gets power. If it does, switch is likely culprit. Check that next.

Thanks, that's what I saw from the diagrams you did post and was going to check that tonight under the assumption the 97 would be similar. Hopefully it's that simple!

 

[I_bRAD]

'97 is the black hole in my diagram collection. I have '98 and '96 (both incomplete) but zero for '97. But I can be confident in saying you next want to check the TAIL relay in the engine bay fusebox. It is upstream of the TAIL fuse and controls dash lights as well. There should be a few relays with the same p/n like fog or power outlets; swap with one of them.

If that's not it, see if it gets power. If it does, switch is likely culprit. Check that next.

Relay is good. There is power to the circuit but nothing from the switching signal. Switch checks out OK (continuity between red/wht and wht/blk in "on" position")

I guess now to figure out where the wht/blk wire goes to... or doesn't go to as the case may be!

 

[TheDurk]

Relay is good. There is power to the circuit but nothing from the switching signal. Switch checks out OK (continuity between red/wht and wht/blk in "on" position")

I guess now to figure out where the wht/blk wire goes to... or doesn't go to as the case may be!

White/black can't be the problem. It is the ground for the whole stalk, so if it were bad, NOTHING controlled by the stalk would work. Test it for ground to see for yourself. It is a full-time ground. Try testing the red-white wire for ground at the stalk and then at the relay (Pin 1) when stalk is at ON instead of using continuity. The relay is triggered by switched ground, so ground at Pin 1 is what makes the relay trigger--as long as you have power at Pin 2, which should be full-time, straight from the big ALT fuse.

Do you have power at the relay on the coil side on Pin 2? I can't see how you would not but needs to be checked.

Finally, are you ABSOLUTELY sure TAIL fuse is good? Try swapping in a known good fuse. They can LOOK good and be bad--happens on this board all the time. Also jump 12v+ from Pin 5 to Pin 3 at the relay to see if lights do come on. That rules out any problem beyond the relay so we don't waste time.

It sounds like your colors match up with what I have for 1996, so here goes:

 

[I_bRAD]

White/black can't be the problem. It is the ground for the whole stalk, so if it were bad, NOTHING controlled by the stalk would work. Test it for ground to see for yourself. It is a full-time ground. Try testing the red-white wire for ground at the stalk and then at the relay (Pin 1) when stalk is at ON instead of using continuity. The relay is triggered by switched ground, so ground at Pin 1 is what makes the relay trigger--as long as you have power at Pin 2, which should be full-time, straight from the big ALT fuse.

Do you have power at the relay on the coil side on Pin 2? I can't see how you would not but needs to be checked.

Finally, are you ABSOLUTELY sure TAIL fuse is good? Try swapping in a known good fuse. They can LOOK good and be bad--happens on this board all the time. Also jump 12v+ from Pin 5 to Pin 3 at the relay to see if lights do come on. That rules out any problem beyond the relay so we don't waste time.

It sounds like your colors match up with what I have for 1996, so here goes:

Looks like the problem is the red/white wire.
I've got power at the relay coil, and if I short the relay (pin 3-5) I get tail lights and dash lights again. If I short the coil on the relay to ground I get tail light too. Resistance to ground from pin 1 is infinity when stalk switch is off, but still ~10Megaohms when on. Not sure how much of that is just due to poor contact between probe and terminal, but either way shorting it out deliberately seems to make everything work well.

Nothing seems too corroded on the inside connection, even though there's a leak from the windshield. Guess I'll pull apart the fuse block again and see if it's got a bad connection at that end. Hopefully that's the case as I don't want to have to run a new red/wht wire!

Thanks so much for the help! I hate electrical problems!