1995 Ls400 Back Tail Lights Completely Out

[KThomas]

1995 LS 400 and the entire back tail lights are out!!! Only when I press the brakes, the back lights comes on but once feet of the brakes no lights at all. Is this electrical? Is it major? Any recalls? Help

[pj8708]

1995 LS 400 and the entire back tail lights are out!!! Only when I press the brakes, the back lights comes on but once feet of the brakes no lights at all. Is this electrical? Is it major? Any recalls? Help

Hi Kelley and welcome to the Lexus Owners Club.

I'm not well versed with your year of LS, but yes, it is almost 100% an electrical problem. If I understand you correctly, you have brake lights but no tail lights. It could be one of two things.

It could be a bad fuse,(I don't know if there is a seperate fuse for the brake lights and one for the tail lights. Check your Owners Manual. Also, if I remember correctly, back then, some of the models had a problem with pinched wiring that was routed through the hinges of the trunk lid. Tracing the short in the wire bundles routed in the hinges is quite a task. If it's not a fuse, your probably ahead to take it to a dealer or a Toyota shop.

Paul

[1990LS400]

The 1990-1994 had the trunk hinge wire breaking problem but I do not remember anyone ever reporting it on a 95-up LS400.

According to the section of your owners manual that covers fuses, which you can view online at http://drivers.lexus.com/t3Portal/document/om/OM50475U/pdf/6-4_233.pdf , fuse #18 at the driver side kick panel (on the drivers side under the dash) is for the tail lights, side marker lights and license plate lights. If your side marker lights and license plate lights are working, then fuse #18 is probably OK but it would be good to check it anyway.

You can use the diagram in the owners manual to tell which fuse #18 is or there should be a diagram on the fuse box cover which snaps off the fuse box.

According to your owners manual, fuse #18 is a 10 amp blade type fuse - available at any auto parts store and probably at a discount store like Walmart. There are slots in the fuse box in the engine compartment for extra fuses so you may find extras there if they have not already been used and not replaced.

There were never any recalls for tail light problems on any year of the LS400 and even if there was, a 1995 like my 2000 would be way too old for a recall to apply.