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Prius II brake light out - electrical issue?

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by JoJo_NC, Aug 21, 2012.

  1. JoJo_NC

    JoJo_NC Junior Member

    Joined:
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    2004 Prius
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    Newbie here, bought a used 2004 Prius with 121K in June. Noticed recently the passenger side brake light is out. I'm talking about the brake light, with the LEDs, not the rear taillight (though that's out too on the other side, lol).

    Imagine my surprise when I find that replacement bulbs are going for $75 on ebay! For a brake light, seems a bit steep... They don't even mention replacement in the manual, so either they never expected them to go out, or you're just supposed to bring to the dealer for replacement?

    Is there a chance this is an electrical issue? the other lights on that side - turn signal, etc - are still working. Have others had experience with replacing the brake light?

    thanks in advance.
    J
     
    #1 JoJo_NC, Aug 21, 2012
  2. Britprius

    Britprius Senior Member

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    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    I am fairly certain that the rear stop lamp led's cannot be changed without changing the complete rear light unit. It may be worth trying to dismantle it to see if you can replace the led's (soldered in) as you have nothing to loose. The front lights can be dismantled by baking them in an oven "do a search" but I have not come across anyone that has repaired the rear.

    Obviously check the fuses and also check for 12volts at the connector for the rear light with the brake pedal pressed.

    John.
     
    #2 Britprius, Aug 21, 2012
  3. Wayne

    Wayne Active Member

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    There is indeed a chance this is an electrical issue. The 12V battery is on that side in the rear, and if I remember right I had to unplug the passenger-side rear lights to replace it. I experienced intermittent lights on that side after my swap, so worth checking. Maybe your connector is loose or cocked.
     
    #3 Wayne, Aug 22, 2012
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