stockyotadriver

i have an 89 toyota pickup reg cab, with 22re and when i hit the brakes, the left side comes on fine, and the right side comes on dim, like the running lights, when i turn the headlights on and hit the brakes, the right side goes out completly, and the left side is still fine.

any ideas?


i also did my complete front end brake job today, came out great.

Dasuprawolf

sounds like a bad ground. check inside the terminals (where the bulb goes) see if its corroded or damaged. check all connections too. GL

stockyotadriver

yeah all the connections are a little corroded. got any ideas on how to clean them up?

DilutedImage

I'd spray them with some PB Blaster (or similar) and scratch at the insides with a paperclip or piece of solid core wire.

2¢

JDMSLIK

sometimes you can scrape em with a little screwdriver or a wire brush, but I'd probably just replace em.

You could also take the negative wire off the bulb in the rear and connect a wire and make a temporary ground strap. Could tell you if your grounds are bad.
Lighting systems can be real finicky and annoying to diagnose.

stockyotadriver

ok, ill try that in a little bit, once i get un-hungover lol

GorillaScientist

I came across this thread after encountering the same problem with my 92 4Runner 3.0. Unfortunately there is no conclusion of how the problem was resolved. So I thought I would jump in and finish the thread for the next newb with electrical problems but I need your help.
First I tried just replacing the bulb, but things are never that easy. So I attempted to scratch around the ground connection (white wire with black stripe). No Success. Then I just played around by wiggling the ground wire and found if I pushed it in the light worked fine. But of course by the time you reassemble it the ground wire is no longer in the right position and the problem is back. So I called the stealership thinking how much could they possibly charge for such a simple piece of wire. Well, $52!!! I figured I have some basic wiring skills I'll just fix the connection. But this is where I am having trouble. It doesn't look like these sockets come apart to re-do the connection. So I'm stuck. A trip to the bone yard seems the most logical but I'm in Victoria and with the number of Runners I see on the road, I don't have high hopes of finding one that is not picked over.
Here is where I need some help. Any suggestions on how to fix or replace this piece or where the nearest boneyard is are welcome.

GorillaScientist

While waiting for some feedback I continued to scratch away the corrosion on the plug terminals and around the area the ground wire meets the socket. Then using a small pair of needle nose pliers I was able to shove the ground wire up into the socket a little further and managed to increase the contact between the exposed ground wire and the socket. Tested and re-installed it and it's working like new again. Not an ideal fix but a fix none the less. We'll see how long it lasts.