Check your tail lights!

I didn't realize exterior lights failed on Japanese vehicles. Seriously, I've had so few fail over the past 19 years that it is something that prompts me to say, "Honey, take a look at this! A brake light failed." It's nothing like the domestics that seemed to churn through them rapidly (why is that???)

I just don't see many burned out bulbs on Japanese vehicles, but see them everywhere on domestics, including DRL's that have failed.

 

My recently-departed Honda was not quite so good. Over its 23 years, I did replace more than half of its exterior bulbs. Once. And the front side marker lamps twice. Those markers never actually burned out, just became too dim as the filaments evaporated and darkened the glass.

My one lifetime boo-boo, rear-ending an SUV, was in hindsight, not 100% my fault. His brake lights (only 2, very inadequate compared to the 5 on my car) had all failed. Almost pulled that one in my new Prius last month too, when a car stopped in the middle of the street, for no good reason, without any brake lights (BA works very well, almost getting me rear-ended). And at a stoplight today, I noticed that EVERY vehicle in front of me had at least one dead brake lamp.

 

I had a 1984 Nissan 200SX and it even had audible warnings like fuel level is low, parking brake is on, right door is open and some others I forget. It also had a low washer fluid level indicator and bulbs out indicators. I wonder why they don't have this in the Prius?

 

My cheap 1984 Ford P.O.S. had these too. But they have been absent from all 4 household vehicles since.

 

None of my cars have any of these warnings - maybe it is on domestic US cars to warn the dumb-s%ts that they need to occassionally check their lights. That is what most of us do elsewhere in the world - a quick walk around does not take long

 

Im happy that it doesnt have these indicators, so I was able to change everything to LED without mounting any resistors

 

I'll have to agree with the others, you just don't have problems with burned out bulbs on Japanese vehicles, and I see many on domestics. Even so, I periodically check mine by the reflections on the front garage wall and rear garage door before I open it.
Toyota probably doesn't have indicators, due to a cost savings.

I did have a '72 Chevy that went thru a lot of bulbs. It turned out that the voltage regulator was off and the voltage was close to 16VDC. It was OK after reducung the voltage.

 

Bulb failure with the approach of winter.
Isn't this why convenience stores have windows starting at about bumper level, so we can back into the parking spot and look back to see if our brake lights are lighting up?
How convenient.

 

A cop followed me home the other night to tell me my tail lights are out. I want to check the fuse, but can't find a diagram that labels the fuses. I don't want to pull out random fuses from the several locations to check. Can you help me with this?

 

I had light out indicators on my 1990 Camry. I replaced about 8 tail light globes over 6 months then all was good. I suspect we had a dud batch of globes where I used to work.

If you really want to see a cheap arse car have a look at the latest Holden Omega, what a POS. Compared to the previous model it is bare bones. Front inside grab handles, gone. Noise suppression of engine bay noises, gone. Glovebox light, gone. Reading lights, gone. I only spent 2 shifts in this poverty pack and I want my old car back, noisy bucket of puss.

I check my light by using the reflections in windows. Yesterday I thought my right front park light was out but there was a pole blocking my view. (when he moved I could see the light was working )

 

First time posting....

I had some people last night on my way home flash me (and swear at me ) to turn on my lights, my headlights were on but turns out my tail lights were out. I just bought 2 bulbs and put them in and the tail lights work again

QUESTION
When should the LED Lights on the back of a Prius be on? I noticed that the tail light (the 5 W bulb type ) is working now that it was replaced but I don't think my LED lights are working?

 

The LED lights serve as your brake lights, so they should come on when the brake pedal is depressed.

 

um, if you read from the posts written over the past 4 years or so, you'll all discover that MANY folks had issues w/ the HID's ... and they're expensive. Ours have lasted for 90Kmiles but several Gen II owners actually got the dealer to pay for 'em a while back, as quite a high number had failures. We're still crossing our fingers. Maybe folks aren't counting those as 'lights' ?? I do.

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Oy, are you insulting the intelligence of Americans? :help:

 

I just looked....my lights are still there!!!

 

That's different though. HID's are new tech and only on a few vehicles. When it comes to standard bulbs the domestics just can't seem to get it right. I was recently following a domestic SUV where only the high mounted brakelight was still functioning.

 

My dad always taught me that the lights on the dash were driven from the same fuse as the tail lights, so if the tail lights were out you would have a visual cue. Of course, that doesn't help if the bulb is out instead of the fuse being out...

Is that still the case on a modern car like my prius?