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driver side brake led stopped working.

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by hormosapiens, Jul 31, 2014.

  1. hormosapiens

    hormosapiens Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 28, 2013
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    Location:
    north Jersey
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    Hello all.

    Prius 2004 with 86K miles. My brake led light on the driver side stopped working completely the other day. For some time now (6 months) i knew the top led of the brake light was not working, but yesterday I discovered that the whole led is failing. tail and parking light on the same assembly are working fine. I pulled off the plastic door inside the trunk and I checked connections for faulty ones but everything was tight in its place. Is there anything else I can do before preparing to go to the "butcher" dealer?

    I have seen videos of how to replace the assembly DIY, and I might try that after buying the part on ebay.
    but I am also thinking to go to local mechanic with assembly and pay him the labor.

    guys give me ideas.
    Thank you in advance.
     
    #1 hormosapiens, Jul 31, 2014
  2. dorunron

    dorunron Senior Member

    Joined:
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    Location:
    Houston, TX
    Vehicle:
    2013 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Unfortunately, as I understand it you have to replace the entire tail light assembly that also contains the brake light LED's. If you don't want to pay the stealer, you have a few alternatives. Search online for replacement parts. New OEM is the best item you can get. AutoNation, Olathe Toyota, and a couple other's come to mind. I prefer to order from TOYOTA Parts at AutoNation Toyota Gulf Freeway Parts | Genuine OEM Toyota Auto Parts and Accessories - Houston, TX

    You might be able to find the item on Ebay and or Amazon. Do a Google search on the item.

    Another alternative is to see if you can find a used one of the same year model or a similar unit as the appearance changed with various year productions of the Gen II Prius. You can look for these in local junk yards, used parts dealers, as well as various online venues.

    IIRC, what happens is one or more LED's will burn out. The unit is not readily serviceable like the tail light, turn signal, or back up bulbs are concerned. Rather it is more than one row of LED's that are mounted within a plastic enclosure. A few dedicated individuals have posted here on PC where they have dismantled their assembly's, located LED's and then replaced the one's that are bad. However that also requires delicate work which involves baking and separating the entire light assembly for access to the LED array as well as the circuit boards within the unit. Sure, anything can be fixed, but is the cost of time and labor worth the effort.

    You are not the first to have this problem. The easiest fix is to replace the entire tail light assembly. It is held in place by several fasteners which will be revealed once you remove the plastic interior panels on the side of the rear end. There is also a weather tight gasket back there. It is a DIY job, but can be labor intensive. Whether you are willing to do the work yourself or pay the man as the saying goes is up to you and your budget.

    I do wish I could say there is a quick fix. Unfortunately, it appears to me that there is none at this time.

    Best of luck to you,
    Ron (dorunron)
     
    #2 dorunron, Jul 31, 2014
    xpcman likes this.
  3. hormosapiens

    hormosapiens Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 28, 2013
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    Location:
    north Jersey
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    Thank you for your reply. actually that is what I am doing. searching around for a used one. Called toyota dealer and they said 55$ for labor to just replace the whole assembly.
    I was hoping maybe some wiring or connection problems, but as I do my home work I begin to realize that I have to replace the tail light assembly.

    thanks again.
     
    #3 hormosapiens, Jul 31, 2014
  4. hormosapiens

    hormosapiens Junior Member

    Joined:
    Jan 28, 2013
    44
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    Location:
    north Jersey
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    The part just arrived. Its made in Taiwan from Depo. there is a problem with the parking light. the whole block of the parking light is moving inside the assembly. If you shake the assembly the whole block is moving inside and its not fixed to its place like the reverse block or the left turn signal.
    I bought it on amazon so I think I will return it and ask for my money back or they can ship another one. but I am not sure yet, if this is how it is supposed to be. later on I will compare with the original assembly. Any idea?
    Thanks
     
    #4 hormosapiens, Aug 7, 2014
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