Break lights

[kcsl]

So, I'm driving home tonight in the rain and I see my break lights are on all the time.
I pull over and stomp on the break peddle a couple of times hoping the problem will go away... but it dosn't.

So, I continue... after a couple of miles, the break lights seem to be ok again. This working, always on business continues all the way home.

When I get home I turn off my lights (they were on normal driving dipped setting) and the break lights go off.
As soon as I press the break peddle (ignition off), the break lights come on ok... AND the dash board lights ups... just like it does when the lights are on.
I've no idea if the external side lights came on or not.

Does anybody have any flippin idea what the heck is going on ?

I was thinking that I just had a dodgy break peddle switch, but this is starting to sound serious.

Thanks,
Joe

[coolsv650]

It sounds like a bad earth on the rear lamps,

[kcsl]

It sounds like a bad earth on the rear lamps,

Thanks for that... it's a place to start and simple to check.

Does anybody have a wiring diagram for the brake lights for the 2nd gen ?

Thanks,
Joe

[steved]

Have you recently changed a bulb if so it may be in the wrong way round or
one of the twin filaments in the bulb, the brake lamp one is touching the side lamp one

[nero279]

i think this is the 2nd gen one - http://outgoing.bauchan.org/toyota_s...r_lighting.jpg

note that the shorthand for the wire colours isn't necessarily as obvious as it may seem, it'd be worthwhile looking it up it's on here somewhere.

[NiftyNev]

Have you recently changed a bulb if so it may be in the wrong way round or
one of the twin filaments in the bulb, the brake lamp one is touching the side lamp one

I would be checking the bulbs as well if one has been replaced recently. Wrong bulb type can and has caused a similar problem.

Nev

[uk_vette]

Have you replaced any lamps recently?
perhaps you have a single/double filement lamp in a double/single lamp housing.

If not try this.

First of all, take the rear lamps out, 1 by 1 and see that the end connections are clean, and that ther is no crapola around the side of the lamp, which is the earth.
While the lamp is removed, check the contact(s) are also clean at the lamp holder.
Do this for all the lamps.
Tiering, and tedious, yes it is.

If the problem still persists, which it may well do, then look for the earth wire which may be fastened to all the earths in each lamp assb'y.

Then look at the front side lights, see that each has a bonafide earth, good clean to them both just like you did the rears.

[kcsl]

Have you replaced any lamps recently?
perhaps you have a single/double filement lamp in a double/single lamp housing.

If not try this.

First of all, take the rear lamps out, 1 by 1 and see that the end connections are clean, and that ther is no crapola around the side of the lamp, which is the earth.
While the lamp is removed, check the contact(s) are also clean at the lamp holder.
Do this for all the lamps.
Tiering, and tedious, yes it is.

If the problem still persists, which it may well do, then look for the earth wire which may be fastened to all the earths in each lamp assb'y.

Then look at the front side lights, see that each has a bonafide earth, good clean to them both just like you did the rears.

Thanks for everybodys help with this.

Lucky for me, the problem happened all the way home last night, so I managed to pull the rear lamp clusters out with the fault still present.
It turns out, after burning myself on a flippin hot bulb, that the drivers side bulb was shorting out... you can clearly see the filliment supports have bent, probably under the heat and are touching. As soon as I pulled the beast, the fault cleared.
This bulb has been in service since before Christmas and has only just started with the fault (I know that as I can see the high break light reflection in the rear window when the breaks are on).

So, a lesson learned... bulbs don't always blow open circuit.

Thanks again everybody.