running taillights/platelight and dash lights out

[joegri]

hi all i came across this situation for the past few weeks and i,m not able to correct it. i have swapped out all the relays just about and the fuse in the block is good. you guyz got a fix for this? thanx in advance. i,m ok at fixin these vans i,ve been drivin,em for about 10 or so years but this 1 has me stumped.

[timsrv]

If the relay and the fuse are good, then it's either a faulty headlight switch or a bad connection somewhere in the circuit. You'll need a meter or a test light to track it down. It's just a matter of checking the circuit for power and finding the spot where it disappears. This can be easy or it can be hard. It all depends on the location of the fault and access to the area. As a general rule, most circuit related problems end up being connection points, so track down the ones associated with this circuit and pop them apart. Inspect the pins inside to make sure they are clean and shiny. Burn marks and/or corrosion is a dead giveaway. If you find a bad connector, just cut the wire(s) on both sides and bypass with butt connectors and a small piece of wire.

Pay particular attention to the flat blue connector at the base of the steering column. I had a bad connection in mine that was preventing my headlights from working. Here is what mine looked like before and after I bypassed the problem pin. Tim

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23/timsrv/BurnedHeadlightConnection2.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23/timsrv/BurnedHeadlightconnection.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23/timsrv/BurnedHeadlightConnection1.jpg

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a23/timsrv/HeadlightConnectionBypass.jpg

[joegri]

wow tim thanx so much for shedding some light on my situation! turns out i,m off tommorow and no snow in sight so i think i,ll head to the colum for an inspection. the thing that bothers me is the lights were fine till it got real cold out and had a starting issue. but i cleaned all the connections good(battery)then it was lights out after that. but i,ll check there first! and again many thanx!

[joegri]

well i went to the colum conection and no prb there but, i checked the rear hatch where the wire come through to the lift gate and they,er all severed.i,ll post a pic or 2 this could be where the problem lies. i,m bettin.

[llamavan]

That would definitely keep the plate illumination from working; severed wiring into the liftgate is common.

The taillights and dash backlighting are together on one wiring circuit, but they don't have wiring running through the liftgate, so don't be too surprised if those continue to be non-operational.

Gwen

[joegri]

i spent a few hours last sunday soldering all the wires that were severed by the lift gate and managed to get the rear wiper and wiper fluid pump to work. and the plate did work intermintantly. seems when i closed the lid it would go out . the best i can think of is the harness is rubbing causing a short or bad connection (bummer) also still no rear running lights. i keep lookin at the project van that is almost complete and i think smart money would be spent on finishing the white and retire the silver. the white is very close hummm? but for today the silver will do it,s job. just gotta find more work to pay for the finishing touches paint/ front calipers/ front torsion bar and assemble the interior and a gagle of other small assembly repairs. i,ve been using these vans for 10 or so years and i resently looked at an astro awd but quickly dismissed that idea. it,s toyota relieability that does it for me.

[llamavan]

Try running a dedicated ground wire to get the plate lights to stay working even when the liftgate is closed. The liftgate grounds to the body through the hinges, but the ground isn't always adequate (voice of experience).

I'm not surprised the taillights still don't work. None of the wiring for the taillights enters the liftgate at all.

Gwen