Tail Lights Stay On: '91 Corolla (Update)

"Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo" (rustyvandura) 06/06/2019 at 08:40 • Filed to: None

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Status: sorted, for now. The high center brake light wasn’t lighting because bulb not seated. Had it been, things would have been much more obvious. Anyhow, I pulled out the stop light switch from the top of the brake pedal and it bench tested fine. So I reinstalled it and things seem to be good, and perhaps the switch was merely out of adjustment after 27 years on the road. Then I drove the car on an errand and was reminded again of how much I love it.

The tail lights on my ‘91 Corolla are on permanently. I discovered this after dead battery the other morning. Brake lights do not happen. Turn signals happen. Backup lights do not happen, but may be unrelated. Any experience with this? Thoughts? Suggestions?

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 06/05/2019 at 14:39

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Sounds like bad relays. Bench test? 

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 06/05/2019 at 14:52

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Never would have thought of relays, but makes total sense and yes, can bench test. Thank you for the tip and here’s a coffee for your time:

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 06/05/2019 at 15:11

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Sounds to me like something is broken causing the lights to be on.

And in my experience, fixing it would solve the problem.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Manwich - now Keto-Friendly 06/05/2019 at 15:21

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Michael > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 06/05/2019 at 15:22

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Sounds like the switch on the pedal wore out or fell out of adjustment

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Michael 06/05/2019 at 15:23

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That one had crossed my mind also, but the center light doesn’t come on.

ttyymmnn > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 06/05/2019 at 15:28

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I just had to replace the switch in the Odyssey that both activates the brake lights and releases the column lock. I had no brake lights at all, though. 

dogisbadob > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 06/05/2019 at 15:29

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This is actually very common with the Mk1 Focus hatchback. On that car, it’s due to shitty wiring in the hatch that breaks. It also causes the third brake light to melt. Fixing the wires and replacing the brakelight assembly is the fix.

That might not necessarily be the case on your Corolla, though.

Also, when I saw the title, I was expecting a C hevy S park behind a Corolla. I tried to find an image like that on Google, but couldn’ t find one lol

FourFingerWu > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 06/05/2019 at 16:03

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I’ve had this happen to me twice, it’s a little plastic part underneath the brake pedal that broke. 90 cent part but very difficult to reach in there and replace it. 

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 06/05/2019 at 16:15

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Is it the taillights that stay on or the brake lights?

If it’s the brake lights, it’s likely the brake light switch on the pedal. If it’s taillights, I got nothing.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 06/05/2019 at 16:15

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Are you sure it worked to begin with?

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > FourFingerWu 06/05/2019 at 16:39

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Do you know, is it the actual brake light switch?

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 06/05/2019 at 16:44

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Brake lights, it appears, but the center light doesn’t light, though I have to confirm that the bulb there is not blown.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 06/05/2019 at 16:46

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No. I have to confirm that.

FourFingerWu > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 06/05/2019 at 16:46

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Yeah, I think that’s it. Very flimsy little piece of plastic, no wonder it breaks.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > FourFingerWu 06/05/2019 at 16:52

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That makes sense. A new stop light switch via Amazon Prime is $10.

Montalvo > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 06/05/2019 at 18:17

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Had something similar happen to my BMW with slightly different symptoms. I had a module go bad which luckily was still covered.

Urambo Tauro > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 06/05/2019 at 22:44

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My sister’s ’90 Corolla did the sam e thing. It was the brake lamp switch.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Urambo Tauro 06/05/2019 at 22:55

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Yes. So it seems here, too. Only when I pulled it out, it worked fine. So I reinstalled it and adjusted it carefully and we'll watch it closely.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 06/05/2019 at 22:55

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Stop light switch either going bad or out of adjustment, turns out.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 06/05/2019 at 22:56

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Stop light switch. Center bulb was unseated. Switch checks good, so adjusted and observing.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > dogisbadob 06/05/2019 at 22:57

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Stop light switch either wonky or out of adjustment.

Urambo Tauro > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 06/05/2019 at 22:57

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Any voltage getting to the CHMSL?

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Michael 06/05/2019 at 22:57

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Definitely the stop light switch and adjusting it seems to have it sorted.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Urambo Tauro 06/05/2019 at 22:58

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Getting to where?

Urambo Tauro > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 06/05/2019 at 23:02

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Center High Mount Stop Lamp. You said in another comment that it wasn’t working...?

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 06/05/2019 at 23:15

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An easy fix, then? (Jinxed)

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 06/05/2019 at 23:22

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So far. We'll see how it holds.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Urambo Tauro 06/05/2019 at 23:23

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The bulb was not seated. Now it is. Everything's working fine for the moment...

Urambo Tauro > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 06/05/2019 at 23:38

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Fingers crossed!

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 06/06/2019 at 07:01

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Mopars have a habit of the switch wearing and popping out of the holder after a lot of miles, that’s why it was my first guess.

Michael > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 06/06/2019 at 08:41

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Good, I’m glad you got it working

Nibby > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 06/06/2019 at 08:47

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what’s it like to own the greatest car in the world?

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 06/06/2019 at 08:48

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It was fun reminiscing about Voyagers the other day. Had good times with a young family in that car.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Nibby 06/06/2019 at 08:51

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I think you’re not far off with that. Quarter-million miles and running strong. Nimble and a good clutch. The transaxle is a little arthritic, but synthetic Redline MTL GL-4 lube helps a lot . Toyota’s Golden Age. I’ve had it ten years and 100k miles and I perform preventive maintenance diligently.

Nibby > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 06/06/2019 at 08:56

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my aunt had one when I was little... brb buying one

TheTurbochargedSquirrel > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 06/06/2019 at 08:57

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For future reference brake light switches often work backwards to how you would logically expect them to. The switch is often set up to be normally on, where instead of pushing the pedal turning the lights on it is actually releasing the pedal which hits the switch to turn them off. This way the more common failure state is for the lights to always be on instead of being non functional. Newer cars often have 2 switches, one that directly controls the lights, and a second that tells the computer you are braking to trigger ABS, kill cruise, etc.

ttyymmnn > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 06/06/2019 at 09:00

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Isn’t that what I suggested? Just replace it. Probably about $8. 

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > ttyymmnn 06/06/2019 at 09:25

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Yes, you did. I may, but it seems to be working fine now and maybe only needed an adjustment.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 06/06/2019 at 10:22

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It’s never reminiscing for me though, it’s just daily life. ;)

Always fun to chat on them though!

Deal Killer - Powered by Focus > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 06/06/2019 at 11:48

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I had a 1990 Geo Prizm as my first car out of college.

It had 140K on it when I bought if for $1,500 in the mid 90's, and drove it till it had over 240K. It was a bit of an odd duck, with a 5-speed stick, power locks and cruise control, but crank windows. I think I got $500 on trade for a ‘96 626, and laughed when they drove it away. It had a leaking transmission, missing headliner and rusted trunk pan. But the engine ran like a sewing machine.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Deal Killer - Powered by Focus 06/06/2019 at 12:42

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Now that you mention it... I rented one of those once, automatic.

Yeah, the Corolla is a great car and I love driving it. Even in Summer, with no A/C, I like to roll down the windows and put on my old Bose QC3 headphones and roar down the freeway.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Nibby 06/06/2019 at 12:43

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Also, mine is a base model, so no A/C, but I like driving on the freeway with the windows down and my cracked old Bose QC3 headphones on. Good times.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 06/08/2019 at 11:08

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Good morning. Two things:

First, 500 pounds heavier, the Grand Caravan than the shorty? Is much.

Second: is painting cars your profession?

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 06/10/2019 at 07:18

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The Grand van is 3-500 lbs heavier depending on options. It’s almost mind blowing how much heavier they are. Another interesting tidbit, is how much weight they gained each generation.

1st gen (1984-1990): 2934 lbs (swb), 3252 (lwb)

2nd gen (1991-1995): 3234 ( swb) , 3531 (lwb)

3rd gen (1996-2000): 3533 (swb), 3836 (lwb)

4th gen (2001-2007): 3908 (swb), 4146-4521 (lwb)

5th gen (2008-current): 4483 (lwb only).

Since the original they’ve gained almost 1500 lbs!

And no, painting cars is not my profession. I’ve been doing it since I was about 12, my uncle was/is a professional automotive painter, so I spent a lot of time under his wing, until I got to the point he would call me to do jobs he didn’t have time for. I am in the tool and die field, currently doing 2d and 3d programming and operating a handful of vertical CNC mills.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 06/10/2019 at 07:45

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T

Yes, that weight gain is remarkable. I rented a Caravan Crew five years ago or so and I was very impressed with it in handling, comfort, power and fuel economy.

Kudos on the line of work. I wish I could do basic car painting. Just to make it look presentable. I may try my hand at it with Rusty.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 06/10/2019 at 08:07

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I find the new vans to drive terrible unless they’re in GT/RT trim. They ride excellent, but in turn, they are rolly/sloppy/heavy feeling messes in corners. Power is decent across the board, but we found the fuel economy to be pitiful, 21 mpg is the best we accomplished with it, generally sitting around 19 mpg. This was a 2016 Grand Caravan SXT we had for about a week. When we were done, I couldn’t give it back fast enough.

Give me my 2nd gens anyday over the newer ones, they’re lighter, tighter, have better powerbands for normal use, and return better fuel economy.

Painting is 95% prep. Good prep is key to a good paint job.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 06/10/2019 at 09:24

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I’m thinking I got 24 in the Crew, with A/C and five or six adults.

Regarding paint, between Rusty and the Safari with the paint falling off, either vehicle would be appropriate for experimentation. I saw an old Dodge van yesterday, 70s era, that was perfectly straight and looked very tidy at 50 feet, but turned out to have its tip half brush painted! Didn’t look half bad, even up close. I think uniformity is more important than anything else. I think there’s a “tidy” aesthetic like where your yard is neat, but it's not the Royal Botanical Gardens.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 06/10/2019 at 10:09

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See, 24 is terrible to me, our 92 gets 26-27 mpg cruising on the highway with 4 adults, 3 kids, and gear/food for the day. 24 mpg is what I average in mixed driving with it. Hell my 94 with the lift/ATs/giant roof basket averages 24 mpg on the highway.

You’re right, if you just want it to look decent from a distance, having a uniform paint job is key. I mean my van looks great from 5-10 ft away, but when you get close you can see the spots where the clear reacted causing the paint to spider.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 06/10/2019 at 11:34

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You’ve seen the pictures of Rusty, haven’t you? Thing looks like roadkill from a block away. (It’s perfect, actually...) I wanna make it look like someone loves it, make it 100% functional and dependable, and tidy .

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 06/10/2019 at 12:06

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I have seen Rusty. I think the way it looks is part of it’s charm.....

How bad is the body on it?

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 06/10/2019 at 12:24

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The body is straight, but much dinged. I’m going to put steelies and dog dishes on it in the coming weeks, with the steelies painted Chevy medium blue. And tint the back windows. It’ll look much more presentable that way.

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 06/10/2019 at 12:25

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Look forward to seeing the updates.

Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo > Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness 06/10/2019 at 12:29

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Thanks. Check this pic:

Ultimately, that’s the look I might like to wind up with. Match the color, not real shiny, not dingless underneath. An homage to the naval aviators in the Pacific in WWII. In the meantime, Chevy medium blue and GM white.

PS: Corsair = Badass

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > Rusty Vandura - www.tinyurl.com/keepoppo 06/10/2019 at 12:36

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I can get behind this idea.

I always wanted to paint a vehicle like an old WWII bomber, but an idea is usually about where it ends...