no brake lights

so my center ( 3rd) brake light works. So my thought was brake switch must be working so put in new bulbs, nothing.
Ive got turn signals and back up lights, but no brake or parking lights.
This rig is new to me and it wasnt till the other day when I was told I had no brake lights, so now not driving till I do.

 

Check fuses first. The high mount light is on a separate circuit from the brake lights. After that, you'll be tracing wires. All the info you'll need is located here

• 2002 Tundra EWD - EWD468U
  • Includes all sections in the original book
  • 273 pages

 

Also, check to see if some dumbass spliced in an aftermarket tow/trailer harness. If they did, remove it and check all wiring. People are ignorant about using t-taps/scotchloks/splices, especially outside. With t-taps and scotchloks specifically, they mangle the wire sheath, and lead to wire decay/oxygen intrusion. It's very typical for them to fuck up your wiring. You should never use them on anything external, and honestly, there are better products on the market like Posi-taps which connect just as well but don't damage factory wiring.

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I can only find one fuse listed brakes under dash...its good. There are some taped on wires...using the bad taps..gonna cut the wires that are tapped at lunch and see what happens. After posting I found that I did have one parking light working on pass side..
On driver side...when I remove the light...there is a big flat electrical something....dont know what it is.

 

Picture is worth a thousand words.

I'd need to look back to remember what wire color would be your brake/tail lights. Gimme a sec.

For re-attaching the wires, proper way would be to throw some heatshrink over it, solder the wire, then rub some dielectric on before shrinking it.

But you may try something like these, just don't use a cigarette lighter to seal them. (start at 0m30s mark if it doesn't auto-jump)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lpN8zEkK6XE#t=0m30s​

 

Ok, so ... two things here.

One, the 3rd brake light and rear brake lights split off near the dash. That's why high mount stop light works but rear doesn't.

The wire to focus on for brakes is green with a white stripe. That's the wire you'll want to pay attention to.

You're saying your 3rd/high mount brake light is working, else I'd tell you to check your brake light switch, which is mounted somewhere along the brake pedal. It'd be a plunger-style switch IIRC, I just don't recall from memory if it's pushed in by the pedal, or if the plunger/button is depressed by the pedal in normal state, and pushing the pedal lets the plunger/button come up. It's something to check anyway, just to make sure there's nothing stupid happening with it.

 

Thanks to all so far well at lunch I climbed under the back and it is a rats nest. Messing with wires I now have brakes on pass side. So now I think I just need to untangle the nest and sort it from there for driver side. Also the trailer harness is not getting power......wont get a chance to go further today

Thanks all

 

Glad you got it sorted. FYI ---

For the 2003 and maybe earlier years(?), if it had the OEM tow package (which may've included a 4-wire out back), you will probably find an 8awg or 10awg red wire coming off the battery, with blade fuse holder. You'll probably want to check if that fuse is blown. I can't come up with a picture but one of these guys with earlier year and tow package will know and hopefully post a pic. 5min of hunting and I came up empty.

You may also find the towing converter thingy behind your driver's side tail light like this: https://www.tundras.com/threads/wire-colors.136458/#post-3559457

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Thanks...that is the box behind my light. The bumper has a 7 spade plug and no power to it as far as brakes etc

 

my problem is back

now I dont have have brake lights or reverse lights....all bulbs are new.. from other resarch it can be that black box behind the tail light...and shifty mentioned a wire from battery to the back with a blade fuse holder, but I cant find one, the only wire coming off my battery is going to a after market trailer brake controller some one installed. I really need to get this sorted and also get trailer lights working as I have to pull a trailer 2nd week of august