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Third Brake Light replaced but not working Revisited….

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by Michael Crestohl, Apr 7, 2024.

  1. Michael Crestohl

    Michael Crestohl Junior Member

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    Hello, Priusfriends!
    To expand on this thread…
    I have the same problem as described by the OP. My third brake light does not light up as it should when the brake pedal is pressed.
    Replacing the LED light did not cure the problem. It still doesn’t light up
    My poor Prius will not pass the Mass. State Inspection until it does. I am not allowed to drive it until it is fixed.
    I am wondering if this cheap and dirty fix I dreamed up might solve the problem without any serious repercussions or unpleasant consequences.
    Here is my proposed solution. Does anyone see any flaws and errors in my thinking.
    I would like to try connecting the LED light bar in a parallel circuit configuration to the base wiring of the rear stop lamps. The LED requires 12 Volts DC, and to my way of thinking, should not load down the circuit because the led light draws very little current
    Is there any potential here with my logic to cause any damage to the electrical wiring system or one of the components that this elementary attempt to fix this problem might cause?
    Any advice or warnings gratefully accepted.
    Sincerely,
    Michael CRESTOHL,
     
    #1 Michael Crestohl, Apr 7, 2024
    Last edited: Apr 8, 2024
  2. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    So when you say doesn't work is it should what is actually happening back there or can you see Is there garage door or something you can pull up against does the light come on sometimes Is it intermittent like a failed ground when you say you replaced that lamp how did that go I have one laying out on a spoiler right now on the trunk of a car I think I took the third light out and the wires run down and go down a corner of the spoiler and into the hatch area under that black plastic panel with the hand grip to pull it down or whatever that's for so maybe there's an intermittent ground or something like that All of the brake lights on the car LED if I'm not mistaken so adding one more LED or the three that go in that third brake light shouldn't cause too much of a commotion but isn't that the way it's kind of wired anyway I'll have to go look when the sun comes up but I have a hatch completely open right now and everything clearly visible so I'll try and take a look at how this could go intermittent so in other words if you give the third eye brake light in your car right now straight 12 volts or even use a 9 volt battery for the two terminals does it light up consistently the third eye brake light in the spoiler while you have the hatch half up and you're sitting there with the two wires touching the 9 volt moving it away touching it again does it consistently light up? Then it would seem your problem maybe what the body control module or something along those lines a loose ground behind that black panel aren't there a few in Massachusetts when I live there grounds would get very rusted. Grounds good actually get separated from the body of the car pretty easily in that weather when when I live there anyway they had to be checked pretty regularly but this was many years before 21 computers in a car and or the Prius was even a thing.
     
  3. mr_guy_mann

    mr_guy_mann Senior Member

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    No problems with your idea. The stop lights in the body are wired in parallel to the center mount stop light. All 3 get power (blue wire) from the stop light switch. They have different grounds (white wire with black trace).

    I might want to look at the wiring for the tailgate where it flexes up near the hinges. It can break there after bending hundreds of times over the years.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    Tombukt2 likes this.
  4. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    Yes right up there under the headliner That's a good call I didn't know those things flex that bad of course I haven't had any problems with my brake lights or anything like that but usually I'm looking at those grounds back there especially if I'm in a state like Western Massachusetts we're funny business and rain and rust is a known problem.
     
  5. Michael Crestohl

    Michael Crestohl Junior Member

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    ----USA----
    Here is how I resolved the problem. The part number from Toiletota is
    81570-47041 and the MSRP is $233.59. Street price seems to be around $175.00. EBay aftermarket prices (Dorman) seem around $120-140.00. eBay prices range from $30.00-75.00,used but tested.
    My problem was not the light. I wasn’t getting 12 Volts to the light when the brake pedal was depressed.
    Looking at the wiring diagram just gave me a massive migraine.
    I looked at this as I would wiring in a trailer lighting cable. Here is what to do.
    Wire Third Brake Light in series with rear brake light. I used two wire tap connectors that just clip onto the wires. The blue wire coming from the light is +. Check polarity before applying the power.

    Connector R17, Rear Combination Light Assembly LH
    Connector S18, Rear Combination Light Assembly RH

    Terminal 1 – Brown – Tail/Marker Light
    + Terminal 2 – Blue – Stop (Brake) Light
    Terminal 3 – Yellow (Left) or Green (Right) – Turn Signal
    Terminal 4 – Red – Back-Up Light
    - Terminal 5 – White-Black – Ground
    ---------

    | 1 | 2 |

    ---------

    | 3 | 4 |

    ---------

    | 5 | 6 |

    ---------
     
  6. Tombukt2

    Tombukt2 Senior Member

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    Yeah no issues with that I'm just trying to figure out how you're not getting power to the third brake light through the normal channels of the normal wiring that's provided in the car? Is this thing completely separated and the body control module lights it up as a third party light that has nothing to do with the rest of the brakes? Don't know the way you solved it just like connecting up the power that runs through my receiver to my trailer absolutely personally I would just like to figure out why I have to do this which I haven't so we haven't got there yet and no pulling out tons of wiring diagrams is not going to be a thing for me because other people who specialty that is should be able to come along and well make it all better.