Reverse light comes on when in drive

Ron Oldschool Smith · February 18, 2017

When I am driving forward my reverse light comes on when i apply the brakes and goes off when i take my foot off the brakes

My Lexus LS 400 is a 1991 and has only 183,000 km totally verified km as the car was handed down from family members

any ideas what could be the trouble?

1990LS400 · February 19, 2017

This may should strange but I absolutely guarantee you that there are cracked/broken wires in the wire harness that is attached to the left (driver side) trunk hinge. I had the same problem in a 1990 LS400 I used to have and many have had the same problem with the 1990 - 1994 LS400. The wires get broken/cracked as the trunk is opened over the years. What is amazing to me is that it took 26 years for this problem to show up in your car but maybe the trunk wasn't opened and closed as much as most. When this problem gets worse, the transmission starts not shifting properly.

Unwrap the insulation from the wire harness at the left trunk hinge. It may not be obvious which wires are broken so you might have to "wiggle" each wire to determine where it broke. You may have to splice in small lengths of wire to repair the problem. Soldering is preferable but you might get by with using commercially available "butt" connectors for splicing in new wire lengths.

The person who bought my 1990 LS400 in 2003 told me that he had to re-repair the wires over the years he owned the car. This probably did not occur on the 1995-up LS400.

sha4000 · February 19, 2017

I agree it sounds like the famous trunk hinge wiring harness.

Ron Oldschool Smith · February 19, 2017

Thanks it would seem to be the issue

I will take it apart in the morning

again thanks

Ron

Ron Oldschool Smith · February 19, 2017

Agin thats I open the trunk and found the white wire pulled it so slightly and it wasn't attached car is in tomorrow for a new coolant reservoir and my machanic will fix it for me . now if only we could clear up the power steering trouble