The other night i noticed that my reverse lights didn't come on when i shifted into reverse. i shook the stick around, put it in neutral and back into reverse, and every so often they would flash on then back off. it was obvious that the bulbs were still working.

I started searching around yotatech and found a couple threads, but not a whole lot specifically for 3rd gens. I looked in the FSM that i downloaded and it contains these pictures:





the switch is 27mm:

 

this is where it is located, on the passenger side of the transmission:



so i removed the backup light switch, cleaned it off and sprayed the prongs with the same electronics cleaner that i used for the MAF:

 

then i put it back in:



and now it is much more consistent. if it stops working again in the near future, i will just replace the switch.

Hope this helps someone, it would have helped me

 

garrett,

thanks for the writeup! i'll add this to the maintenance forum.

bob

 

wow, 27mm is huge for that little switch, I don't even think I won a 27mm socket.

 

yeah i had to buy a 1/2" ratchet and 27mm socket just to do this...but i had been needing a 1/2" drive ratchet for way too long anyway.

BTW, a replacement switch is something like $93 bucks from the dealer. Hopefully just cleaning my switch off will last for a while...

EDIT: A replacement is actually only about $23. Not $93... not sure where I got that number.

 

I have found that a 27mm Crecent wrench works just as good!

 

crescent wrenches are the devil...

 

Update: 4 months later, my lights start acting up again. I cleaned off the backup switch again, but they are just not working. I can get them to come on by pressing the switch with my hand, but when I shift into reverse, it is very touchy, they usually just blink on then off again.

Apparently I was misquoted or just misunderstood originally, and a new backup light switch was only 22.75 from Toyota of Dallas.



The part number is 84210-12040.

I replaced the switch and the lights are working as they should now.

 

good info

 

I need the same thing...thanks

 

This just started happening to me. Thanks for the write up.

 

This is great info, I just ran into the problem and swapped the switch out and this fixed my problem on my 02 Tacoma.It actually cost me 60 bucks at the local dealer here in california.

 

thanks for the thread revive-mine is acting up as well

my nominee for best thread by a member no longer allowed

 

I'd like to add a couple of comments on the above topic. 1. My switch failed and the dealers quoted $60 to $80 for a replacement switch. I found one at NAPA for $21 and change. I ended up buying two of them, which brings me to comment 2. The locker light would not indicate the locker was locking up, blinking continuously. I pulled the switch off the top of the locker and surprise it looker very much like the back-up light switch I had just replaced. I pulled the back-up light out of the transmission, easy to do, and installed the switch in the locker. The locker light then worked. I then ordered another switch from NAPA for the back-up lights that I had just robbed.

 

just out of curiosity does anyone know which fuse is for the reverse lights? I know that its different for the other taill lights. Do I look under the dash or under the hood?

 

Sorry, found it! It was the one for the gauges under the dash panel, which was weird because the gauges still worked. It looked like the fuse had only half burned out or something. Anyways just put a new one in and everything works.

 

it helps if i read the whole post. lol, damn i will have to check in the morning if my brake lights even work now, with the dash light off. so its typical for the brake lights not to come on, when the dash light is out? please let me know, someone...

might have to replace the switch. 06 tacoma, 6pd offroad

 

This couldn't have come at a better time. Mine were intermittent and now don't come on at all.

Great info. garrett1478, I know that you are no longer here but thanks anyway.