Replacing brake lights

[OldTrout]

I have a couple of questions about the brake lights on my 2007 GS450. (It may be on the forums somewhere but I can't find anything.)

1) My old 1998 GS had a warning light come on if any bulbs failed. My offside brake light is not working but I have no warning light to tell me. Why not?

2) The owners manual says take it to  “authorised Lexus dealer or repairer, or other duly qualified and equipped professional to replace it" and does not even list the bulb is its list of types and wattages in the manual. What is so special about this light?

I have never though that changing a light bulb was beyond my skill set. Until now perhaps?

John

 

[Britprius]

I believe it is the same arrangement as the Prius the stop lamp being a group of LED's that cannot be changed without destroying the rear light fitting. This means a complete rear light replacement. The Prius light was £186 fitting extra.

Check the feed to the light first as it is not usual for all the LED's to go together rather in groups of three.

John

[OldTrout]

Thanks John.

It is both the side light and the brake light but only on offside. Why no warning on the dashboard? Tail light much more important than a brake light.

I will check for volts on the feed tomorrow.

Are LED failures common on the Prius? If Prius was £186, Lexus price is going to be nearer £400 I fear. Turning out to be an expensive year. 

I did look at the warranty this evening. Another grey area I suspect. Main part of warranty excludes "light bulbs" which is understandable. But LEDs are not bulbs in the conventional sense and should have lifetime of many 10,000s of hours not 1000s like a filament lamp. Interestingly, all "lamps" are MOT protected parts. However so are dampers so it may not mean anything. Perhaps I should go and get an MOT?

John

[Britprius]

12 hours ago, OldTrout said:

Thanks John.

It is both the side light and the brake light but only on offside. Why no warning on the dashboard? Tail light much more important than a brake light.

I will check for volts on the feed tomorrow.

Are LED failures common on the Prius? If Prius was £186, Lexus price is going to be nearer £400 I fear. Turning out to be an expensive year. 

I did look at the warranty this evening. Another grey area I suspect. Main part of warranty excludes "light bulbs" which is understandable. But LEDs are not bulbs in the conventional sense and should have lifetime of many 10,000s of hours not 1000s like a filament lamp. Interestingly, all "lamps" are MOT protected parts. However so are dampers so it may not mean anything. Perhaps I should go and get an MOT?

John

If the side and stop lamps are out the problem is almost certainly a bad ground connection to that rear light unit.

John

[OldTrout]

Fixed!

Removing the unit was easy as the three nuts were only finger tight! That might explain an poor earth but I suspect there is an earth wire in the feed. With the unit out the problem became clear. The turn indicator bulb was not clicked into position because the wires to the LED unit fouled a little and probably trying to twist it into position had pulled the wires loosening the plug on the stop/tail LED unit. I pushed the plug home, ensured the wires allowed the turn bulb to click into position and refitted the unit. I can understand why the nuts were only finger tight as they are not easy to get at with even a small spanner/socket. Perhaps the assembler of the offside unit did not have his/her little spanner that day. The nearside unit is tight.

It can all be done through the little hatch which is just as well as I could not see how to get the trim out. 

Thanks for your help John. A bottle of single malt would be winging its way to rural Herefordshire if only I knew where.

John

ps. By the spare while there is a black thing with a cable plugged into it on a white bracket - see photo. What is it?

[Britprius]

Let me know where, and I'll come and collect it, so we can share a Christmas tipple. The black "thing" is the fob detector for the boot lock.  

On that subject a merry Christmas to my new friends here on the Lexus owners club.

John.

[KayCee]

And a merry Xmas to you john your knowledge astounds me

[steve2006]

Just for information the rear light cluster retails for around £280.00 so make full use of that reversing camera and sensors!