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Brake Lights

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by romad, Sep 10, 2015.

  1. romad

    romad 2004 Prīus Base Former Owner (Sold 13 May 22)

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    2004 Prius
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    Today I noticed that all 6 leds of the right brake light are out. What might cause this? I could not check it out because I had to go down to Sacramento but plan on looking at it tomorrow.
     
    #1 romad, Sep 10, 2015
  2. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    A bad/loose wiring harness connection. Also, check the connection from the wiring harness connector to body ground.
     
    #2 Patrick Wong, Sep 10, 2015
  3. romad

    romad 2004 Prīus Base Former Owner (Sold 13 May 22)

    Joined:
    Jun 28, 2006
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    Location:
    Prescott, AZ
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
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    N/A
    OK, I checked the R10 connector and there was voltage on the body side of the the connector. I then reconnected it to the combination light assembly and checked the outgoing side of its pin and there was voltage. Since the brake light leds can't be removed from the assembly (the tail, reverse, and turn incandescent bulbs can be replaced), it looks like a new assembly is in order. However, because to remove the assembly requires removing the rear interior trim to access the nuts, I'll let the dealer do it. I don't have the time to do it myself.

    Edit. I found a video that shows how to remove the assembly:


    So I'll do it myself. since I found the light assembly on Amazon.
     
    #3 romad, Sep 11, 2015
    Last edited: Sep 11, 2015
  4. tnt01prius

    tnt01prius Member

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    2005 Prius
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    Beware. Since the LEDs were failing on the OE taillight assembly, I thought I would try an after market part for my 2005 and save about half the cost. Purchased one from AM-Auto Parts on Ebay. The part was listed to fit 2004-2005. It did not fit. The fasteners line up, but the rest of the unit did not. The outside edge was clearly much thicker than the OE and there was a 1/4 gap between the lens and the body. Had to pay postage to return. Just ordered part from TYC on Amazon using a gift card and points.
     
    #4 tnt01prius, Oct 1, 2016
  5. tnt01prius

    tnt01prius Member

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    2005 Prius
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    Update. The TYC taillight assembly fits better, but not perfect like OEM. Came with bulbs, although the back-up and turn signal bulbs were reversed. I inspected the original assembly and followed the LED wiring to a circuit board located at the bottom of the assembly under the foam buffer. I suppose that board may have been the cause of failure, but the original assembly lens was cracked and clearly water had entered in the area of the LED lights, so regardless of the cause, it all needed replaced anyway.
     
    #5 tnt01prius, Oct 6, 2016
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