Brake Light Warning Signal Still On

[kisik]

Need some help here from someone dealt with this before.

I still have a brake light warning on dash board (the one which turns on when you apply brakes if you have faulty lights). The thing is I have ALL brake lights functioning now after I replaced the 3d upper small bulb. I did try to reset a battery for 10 minutes and it is still coming on.

I am due for MA inspection sticker. Is it going to be a problem on OBDII? I have my friendly mechanic who would ignore this stuff.

Thanks for help.

00' Lexus RX300 AWD 110K mi.

[lenore]

You may have an intermittant bulb. Take all bulbs out and make sure none are corroaded. Look at them carefully, maybe one is dark and burned looking...

[mikey00]

First check the bulbs as Lenore suggested. Clean the connection and even shake the bulb a little looking for a loose filament. If this doesn't do it, start looking at the type of bulb. I seem to rembmber some aftermarket bulbs causing this problem, the long life ones in particular.

[code58]

First check the bulbs as Lenore suggested. Clean the connection and even shake the bulb a little looking for a loose filament. If this doesn't do it, start looking at the type of bulb. I seem to rembmber some aftermarket bulbs causing this problem, the long life ones in particular.

I'm interested in this also. The rear light out light was on on in my DIL's RX when they left the car here while they took a short vacation to Hawaii. I have a good supply of bulbs but didn't have those bulbs. I replaced the 3rd brake light bulb and that worked but light still on. Both outside bulbs were burned, so I did the "thump test" on the other 2. (hold the bulb firmly between thumb and forefinger) give it 3 or 4 good thumps with obscene finger on other hand. If it is good, IT WILL NOT BREAK THE FILAMENT. If it breaks, it was ready to burn out sometime within the next couple of months anyway. One of them broke, but the other would not. I replaced the 3 bad ones, light goes out for 1 or 2 brake presses then comes back on. All 5 lights work fine but light won't go out now. I replace the 4th BL bulb and the light wouldn't ever go out though all 5 bulbs light just fine. Don't think any code should have been set, but didn't have time to try a scan and reset, though I don't think that light should involve setting a code or turning it off anyway. It didn't in the past. I used the standard GE bulbs, not the LL. All sockets look virgin (dry So. Cal.- no corrosion here)

[lenore]

If you have the tow package on the car I wonder if the converter is going bad, causing the brake light indicator. The converter is located down by the spare tire on the left side of the car. Mine died several years ago, and I figured out you could go to walmart and get one for trailers, and then I spliced it in. If that converter were to go bad maybe that is causing your light.....just a thought.

[code58]

If you have the tow package on the car I wonder if the converter is going bad, causing the brake light indicator. The converter is located down by the spare tire on the left side of the car. Mine died several years ago, and I figured out you could go to walmart and get one for trailers, and then I spliced it in. If that converter were to go bad maybe that is causing your light.....just a thought.

Lenore, I am assuming you were responding to the OP rather than me. My DIL's RX doesn't have the tow package- I may have to retract that, I know it doesn't have a trailer hitch. I have never had reason to look down there, I'll have to do that. Do they all have the aux. trans. cooler? Hers does have that. It puzzled me because I have replaced at least 1 bulb before and the light went right out. If it has the the converter, does that have to stay in there? There is NO chance of them EVER pulling anything with it. If that is the problem, I would rather remove it if that is possible.

[mikey00]

Lenore, Interesting thought about the converter causing the problem. Definetly worth looking at if the bulbs don't fix it.

Code58, The cooler was part of the towing prep package so it sounds like you have the converter. I realize you have a 99, but in 01 the towing prep was even added as standard equipment. Most likely they were trying to solve the trans problem with additional cooling. Being that when you add one it's just a matter of plugging it in, you should be able to just unplug it and everything should continue to work. The converter doesn't actually work until you add the 20amp tow fuse in the fuse box but I bet even without the fuse it is still connected to the rear lights and could potentially cause a problem.

[Filehorse]

Are you talking about the warning light in the lower center of the instrument panel that says, "Brake"? If so, that is not the warning light for a failed bulb. There is a separate bulb failure warning light on the lower far right side of the instrument display. The "Brake" warning light serves two purposes: (1) It illuminates if the emergency brake is applied and the ignition key is ON, and (2) it illuminates if the level in the brake fluid reservoir approaches the Minimum level or if the level sensor is defective. I've been dealing with the intermittent Brake warning light for several weeks and finally got clued in from a post on another forum. As you wear down your brake pads, the fluid level will drop. Check your level and if it's near the Minimum mark, add a little DOT 3 fluid to bring it up to Full and see if the mystery Brake light doesn't go back into hiding.

Hope this helps.

[code58]

Are you talking about the warning light in the lower center of the instrument panel that says, "Brake"? If so, that is not the warning light for a failed bulb. There is a separate bulb failure warning light on the lower far right side of the instrument display. The "Brake" warning light serves two purposes: (1) It illuminates if the emergency brake is applied and the ignition key is ON, and (2) it illuminates if the level in the brake fluid reservoir approaches the Minimum level or if the level sensor is defective. I've been dealing with the intermittent Brake warning light for several weeks and finally got clued in from a post on another forum. As you wear down your brake pads, the fluid level will drop. Check your level and if it's near the Minimum mark, add a little DOT 3 fluid to bring it up to Full and see if the mystery Brake light doesn't go back into hiding.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for that input Filehorse- The light I'm talking about is indeed the little amber car on the R lower corner that has the tail lights that are showing beams coming out of them (rear light out). I also checked the fluid level and it was up good. I had flushed the system with all new fluid within the last year or less. My son put new rear pads on it about 2 or 3 weeks ago and I don't know whether he pushed the fluid back upstream or let it out the bleeders, but I would think the light should be strictly electrical sensing. I should see them within the next couple of days, I'll check the converter and double check the other things. I just didn't have time to do any checking after I replaced the bulbs and made sure they were all working.

[code58]

Lenore, Interesting thought about the converter causing the problem. Definetly worth looking at if the bulbs don't fix it.

Code58, The cooler was part of the towing prep package so it sounds like you have the converter. I realize you have a 99, but in 01 the towing prep was even added as standard equipment. Most likely they were trying to solve the trans problem with additional cooling. Being that when you add one it's just a matter of plugging it in, you should be able to just unplug it and everything should continue to work. The converter doesn't actually work until you add the 20amp tow fuse in the fuse box but I bet even without the fuse it is still connected to the rear lights and could potentially cause a problem.

Thanks Mikey for the input. I have never had reason to even look in the spare tire area. I am only the mechanic, it's my DIL's car. I will look and see if it has the converter and if anyone has ever installed the fuse. It has never had a tow hitch on it so I know it's never been used to tow. I will check those things out. I have replaced at least 1 bulb before and the "light out" bulb went right out. Funny thing is this time, once I had replaced all the bulbs, it went out for about 2 brake appl. and then came back on.

I hope they did solve the trans. problem on this one with the extra cooling because she has 133k mi. now and the trans. works just fine. That fluid was nasty at 97k mi. when I did a complete change, and lucked out when I ordered the filter and got a screen to replace the fiber one that had been installed at 32k mi.

[mikey00]

Just to clarify, when you said you have the aux trans cooler you did mean the little radiator type one in the fender well, right? That is the one I believe is part of the towing prep package. There is another trans cooler which is part of the bottom of the radiator. Most people don't even know this one exists. I think it was standard equip. You can see it in the link I attached labeled "oil cooler".

Anyway my RX had both coolers, the fluid was maintained, and it was driven primarialy by my wife on easy country road commutes and the trans still failed at 133K. My personal opinion is that they all have the planatary gear design flaw discovered by lenore and additional cooling and filtering don't really help.

Back to topic, I did have problems with the light failure indicator 2 or 3 times with all lights working and was usually able to solve it by reseating the center brake light bulb. I think that connection is a little touchy, at least on mine anyway.

1999 RX 300 Radiator

[code58]

Just to clarify, when you said you have the aux trans cooler you did mean the little radiator type one in the fender well, right? That is the one I believe is part of the towing prep package. There is another trans cooler which is part of the bottom of the radiator. Most people don't even know this one exists. I think it was standard equip. You can see it in the link I attached labeled "oil cooler".

Anyway my RX had both coolers, the fluid was maintained, and it was driven primarialy by my wife on easy country road commutes and the trans still failed at 133K. My personal opinion is that they all have the planatary gear design flaw discovered by lenore and additional cooling and filtering don't really help.

Back to topic, I did have problems with the light failure indicator 2 or 3 times with all lights working and was usually able to solve it by reseating the center brake light bulb. I think that connection is a little touchy, at least on mine anyway.

1999 RX 300 Radiator

Mikey- I appreciate your clarifying the info. Yes the RX does have the aux cooler in the R front fender well area. I have even thought about removing the W/S washer bottle and arranging something somewhere else and installing a small fan to at least give it some usefulness. I fear that what Lenore said about the planetary is one of the culprits, no matter how good the maintenance. She (DIL) has 133k mi. on the RX now, so that makes me a little nervous. C'mon Roger, think positive, think positive! No problems of any kind yet... but... I did take the bulb (3rd brake) out 2 or 3 times and re-insert it, so not sure exactly what the problem is- just didn't have any time to trouble shoot it. the contacts are definitely pristine- nice thing about So. Cal. Thanks again Mikey. :)