Brake Light 2004 Replacement Possible?

Are you sure it's the brake light (actually a cluster of 6 LEDs) or the tail light at the bottom of the assembly? The tail light can easily be replaced with a 192 bulb. The LED brake light cluster is part of the whole assembly and is not user-replaceable.

 

jmz2004prius,

+1 on maceace's comment.

If it comes to it, replacing a tail light assembly is a simple take-out-the-old,
put-in-the-new. Used assemblies go for $130-150US on the 'net.

Here is a thread with photos on how to do it:

http://priuschat.com/forums/care-ma...423-2007-tail-light-removal-instructions.html

As to possibly repairing faulty LED brake light components, probably not for
most folks. The LED brake lights, the topmost lights, are semi-permanently
installed in the assembly. While there has been some discussion, only the
most electrically competent members has even hinted that it might be
possible to repair/replace LEDs. It would be possible only if you could find
the correct replacement LED -- a very long shot -- and you were handy with
a soldering iron, etc.

While it appears to be possible to separate the clear lens from the body of
the assembly, it involves melting the adhesive that holds the lens to the
body with either a heat gun, or putting the entire assembly in an oven --
pretty scary stuff. FWIW, heres a thread about that:

http://priuschat.com/forums/prius-technical-discussion/52247-how-bake-headlight.html

Hope this helps.

 

The dealer will charge an arm and a leg to replace a tail light assembly. Alternatively you can buy a new tail light assy from parts.com for $125, and have someone install it.

 

My experience with LED lights is that they are almost indestructible and last far longer then an automotive light bulb under normal use. That said, I would check to see that you have 12 Volts + and ground going to the LED assembly while the brake pedal is pressed. If Yes, Look carefully at the connections at the lights. If no, check fuses and brake switch and related wiring. My guess is you lost ground or +12 volts somewhere. It's not impossible that a LED cluster failed but very rare they all fail at once on the same cluster.
-Paul R. Haller-

 

The brake light on my '04 went out and the dealer said I may be able to replace it myself, depending on whether it was the upper or lower light. My husband tried to do the job but couldn't get at the burn out light. I had to have the dealer do the job and was shocked to learn I had to replace the entire assembly. These are LED bulbs which I thought would last 10 years. Nope! That one burnt out bulb cost me over $300!!

 

I understand from the dealer, that some Priuis models have LEDs and others have standard bulbs for brake lights. Unfortunately, my replacement bulb could not be replaced individually but required an entire light assembly replacement to the tune of $320. Be prepared!!

 

I think all 2004+ have the upward-firing 1W Luxeon LEDs. What's
the "burnout" symptom? It seems unlikely that *all* of the LEDs in
the matrix would themselves fail at once; it might be a wiring
problem either in or up toward the module.
.
_H*

 

Initially, the light went out intermittently and eventually, totally burnt out. Maybe I was taken for a ride but the dealer said there was no way to replace just one LED bulb. I had them check the wiring, too. No problem there.

 

It's true that the dealer mechanic will not repair the LED brake light assembly, as the repair philosophy is to replace the part. However a DIYer who is patient may be able to determine whether the problem was a bad solder connection within the assembly - just need to provide 12VDC (observing correct polarity) to the brake light, then use a voltmeter to see where the problem is.

A bad solder connection seems quite likely since you say the problem was intermittent initially. If an LED decides to fail, this will be a permanent failure.

 

Do these instructions work for 2004 too? My daughter who lives 8 hours from me needs to replace the assembly in her 2004. I would like to be able to walk her through the repair, but I don't have the car to see if these instructions will work for her car.
************************
+1 on maceace's comment.

If it comes to it, replacing a tail light assembly is a simple take-out-the-old,
put-in-the-new. Used assemblies go for $130-150US on the 'net.

Here is a thread with photos on how to do it:

2007 Tail light removal instructions | PriusChat

As to possibly repairing faulty LED brake light components, probably not for
most folks. The LED brake lights, the topmost lights, are semi-permanently
installed in the assembly. While there has been some discussion, only the
most electrically competent members has even hinted that it might be
possible to repair/replace LEDs. It would be possible only if you could find
the correct replacement LED -- a very long shot -- and you were handy with
a soldering iron, etc.

While it appears to be possible to separate the clear lens from the body of
the assembly, it involves melting the adhesive that holds the lens to the
body with either a heat gun, or putting the entire assembly in an oven --
pretty scary stuff. FWIW, heres a thread about that:

How to bake a headlight | PriusChat

Hope this helps.[/QUOTE]