stirfryboy

Just bought a 2001 ES300. My rear lamp malfunction indicator on the dash only comes on when the headlights are on. I turn the headlights off, and the light goes out (independent of the brake pedal). I've changed the tail/brake lights and it's still on. All tail lights work. Any ideas? Bad module?

nsghtbrwry

Did you check every single lamp, even the center high mount? I just had this on my '99 a few weeks ago, I replaced all the bulbs with new, standard-brightness Philips and solved.

The sensor is a resistor-net type that's more sensitive in the 3ES and gen4 Camry than in the earlier gens. Something like a crappy AutoZone "long-life" bulb can set it off due to the higher resistance. Double-check them all, and if you replaced all the bulbs and it's still on, yeah, probably the module or the wiring to it. Bypass it (Google).

PFB

Did you check the license plate lights. I think they're also part of the light bulb failure circuit

stirfryboy

Thanks for the advice. All lights were indeed working. The Right tail light multifilament bulb had one filament broke so it appeared to be working. Man these are sensitive!

WILLYumD

Out of the 8 or so cars my parents have had, 3 being much newer, the ES was the only one that had this feature.

I replaced the tails with some LEDs and didn't feel like putting on resistors, so I just used that light as a "your taillights are on" indicator, haha.