Help needed - puddle light issue

[hoppyjr]

Hey folks, I could use some advice with my puddle light issue. Here’s the situation:

2022 Off Road Premium, with 360 camera. I’m talking about the downward facing lights inside the exterior mirror housing, that are supposed to illuminate when you unlock vehicle or open door.

They worked fine when new, they continued working fine with I installed Diode Dynamics LED bulbs. After just a couple months one was dead and the other side significantly dimmed, as if it was almost dead. Within weeks it too was completely dead.

I picked up some new VLED’s bulbs and installs today. Neither side puddle lamp is working. I flipped bulbs 180° to ensure it wasn’t a polarity issue, still no joy.

There is no setting in the vehicle settings menu.

I can’t find a fuse labeled for this function, although I did read somewhere that Toyota added a fuse from 2020 onward.

I know some with say to go with the Meso lights, but that isn’t an option with the cameras. It also would not matter as power comes from the same place.

Does anyone know which fuse it might be or have any other ideas?

Thanks for any suggestions you may have.

Hoppy

 

[Humble Leader]

do they work with the stock light bulbs in ?

 

[flyrv9]

First disconnect the battery. Then check all the fuses on both fuse blocks, that you can easily get to, with a meter on the ohms scale with the fuse removed (one at a time). Toyota is famous for not labeling all the circuits each fuse covers. Then if you are unsure of any LED's polarity, don't install it; and never play bulb swap with the battery connected. I'd remove all LEDs and reinstall the original bulbs (after verifying all fuses are good) and reconnect the battery - then see what works and what does not. Why all this caution? Because the computers that control the lighting circuits are very sensitive and can be easily damaged by changing bulbs (and other components) with the battery connected or the vehicle on or running.

 

[hoppyjr]

do they work with the stock light bulbs in ?

They do not.

 

[Axix23]

If all the fuses are good, it’s possible the stock wiring was fried with the affer market led bulbs.

 

[hoppyjr]

I’ve read that Toyota changed the wiring for 2020 and up, does anyone know the slot for this fuse?

 

[osugsxr]

I’ve read that Toyota changed the wiring for 2020 and up, does anyone know the slot for this fuse?

can you post pic of the fuse panel labels,
Thinking either user error in placing bulb back in (bulb bad?) or fuse blown.

 

[hoppyjr]

can you post pic of the fuse panel labels,
Thinking either user error in placing bulb back in (bulb bad?) or fuse blown.

New bulbs, tried two sets. That isn’t the issue.

Fuse panel label doesn’t show anything related to “puddle” “foot lamp” (Toyota also calls it that sometimes) or any other abbreviations that would match.

 

[osugsxr]

New bulbs, tried two sets. That isn’t the issue.

Fuse panel label doesn’t show anything related to “puddle” “foot lamp” (Toyota also calls it that sometimes) or any other abbreviations that would match.

yes that is expected of the fuse panel labeling...... would check the fuse labeled "Door d" and maybe other labeled door....

have you tested voltage to it?

 

[hoppyjr]

yes that is expected of the fuse panel labeling...... would check the fuse labeled "Door d" and maybe other labeled door....

have you tested voltage to it?

Thanks, but none of the fuse labels appear to say anything that would associate.

Haven’t tested voltage yet. I was hoping someone here has bumped up against the issue and knew which fuse handled this. It seems there was a change in 2020, as prior years were not fused and issues resulted.

 

[Humble Leader]

Thanks, but none of the fuse labels appear to say anything that would associate.

Haven’t tested voltage yet. I was hoping someone here has bumped up against the issue and knew which fuse handled this. It seems there was a change in 2020, as prior years were not fused and issues resulted.

ok this is what I would do.

- check if any other mirror functionality is affected. the power tilt/move and the defogger and the turn signals if you have them built in
- if the above are all working except the puddle lights, then disconnect negative and positive battery terminals and wait 10 minutes. put the OEM bulbs back and make sure the bulb leads are not crossed and there is no damage to the socket (and nothing inside the bulb is damaged). attach positive, then negative battery. start car let it everything reset and then test the lights again
- if that doesn't help. then get a test light and test every single fuse in the engine bay and under steering wheel
- I suspect step 2 or 3 will solve for your problem. but if it doesn't there's more detail below

in the 2017 MY at least the puddle lights are controlled by the main body ECU (see pic below). I don't know if the wiring diagram is different for 2020 MY, rigtec can probably help with that. if the wiring hasn't changed and there are no fuses blown then the issue is somewhere in the wiring on the main body ECU

Hi gundretd,

Here below is the wiring plot of the Puddle lamps (Foot Lights) that you've requested. However, if you noticed, they're integrated into the Main body ECU compu network, meaning that without cutting their wires out of this circuit there's no way to control them using another circuit e.g., rear plate lights... Exactly what 1engineer said, they're designed to operate on a momentary basis; they won't stay on as they're wired. So to use an independent switch to control them you would have to canabullize the MB-ECU wiring: "and who knows what will happen as a result"!



'Best to you',

rig

 

[hoppyjr]

I figured it out.

I downloaded Carista and under the “Lights - Exterior” section, found an item called “Exterior Light Control” and it was on “disabled” setting, so I changed to “enabled” and saved. Now the mirror puddle lamps work as designed.

The strange thing is I don’t see that setting in the vehicle menu settings within the radio - so I’m not sure how they became switched off, but they work now.

Really odd.

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

[Humble Leader]

I figured it out.

I downloaded Carista and under the “Lights - Exterior” section, found an item called “Exterior Light Control” and it was on “disabled” setting, so I changed to “enabled” and saved. Now the mirror puddle lamps work as designed.

The strange thing is I don’t see that setting in the vehicle menu settings within the radio - so I’m not sure how they became switched off, but they work now.

Really odd.

Thanks for the suggestions.

I wonder if the LED bulbs had something to do with it. different voltage or something and the computer disabled as a precaution . much better outcome than having a wiring or ECU problem. for some reason toyota doesn't like to give us access to a bunch of customizable features

 

[hoppyjr]

I wonder if the LED bulbs had something to do with it. different voltage or something and the computer disabled as a precaution . much better outcome than having a wiring or ECU problem. for some reason toyota doesn't like to give us access to a bunch of customizable features

I realize most all LEDs are made in China, but within that there are different grades or quality. VLED’s bulbs are designed & tested in the USA, then made overseas. I don’t ever buy the cheap off brand stuff. FWIW the bulbs that burned out quickly were Diode Dynamics, which they claim are made here in the USA.

I played with it more last night and it seems connected to the “exterior light timer” setting in the menu (in the radio). Setting the exterior light timer to off, meaning no delay, turns off the puddle lamps too. I’ll leave mine on 15 seconds.