Backup camera and lights don’t work??? FIXED

Not always the best idea to buy a grampy truck but, apparently I could not be stopped. 2009 ac cab v6, 6spd, SR5, 33,000mi on it. The backup lights and camera do not work. But, if you unplug the backup light bulb, whilst in reverse, there is a tone in the cab and the rearview mirror camera fires up. Thoughts?

 

The only tie with the reverse lamps is that they use the same switch to send the REVERSE Signal to the Rear View Mirror.

http://www.customtacos.com/tech.old...toyewd/06toypdf/ewd/2006/tacoma/h/em01d11.pdf

 

my hunch is there is a short somewhere no? That would be the only explanation for the backup camera to start working when I unplug the bulb??? The passenger side bulb does not illuminate when I unplug the drivers bulb. I will try to decipher the diagram now Thank you!

 

Give this a shot:

• Get some electrical spray cleaner;
• Use it on both reverse light sockets;
• Replace both reverse lights w new ones;
• See what you get from there; and
• Let us know

You might want to slap some anti seize on the rear light housing bolts- I know they can freeze up to the point of making them useless. (Ask me how I found that out...)

Sounds like you made quite a find w that truck!!

 

@edgerat Just to make sure I understand; neither reverse lamp(s) nor camera operate, when shifted into reverse. With the driver-side reverse lamp bulb unplugged, the camera turns on - but the passenger side reverse lamp does not illuminate. Correct?

Have you looked closely at both reverse lamp bulbs, to verify; neither bulb is shorted, and no corrosion in the bulb socket or taillamp harness connector?


With both reverse lamp bulbs removed, does the camera operate normally? Any aftermarket junk spliced in, like an alarm or remote start, etc?

 

Correct! I did purchase new bulbs yesterday, no change. I did try the passenger side bulb and it had the same result (camera on, still no lights on). One other wrinkle, after a handful of times doing the bulb unplug, it stopped having the same effect. That one has me more baffled... What is there a capacitor someplace that I dis-charged and now it doesn't work to unplug the bulb any longer???

I tried "squishing" wires and wiggling the harness all the way up to the back of the cab to try and knock loose any short, no change.

The whole truck has some, "it sat there for how long?" stuff going on so it is very possible that there may be some corrosion there. I will check for corrosion. What is the method for determining that there is a short? Put the ole voltmeter on there? If I understand the wiring diagram, the camera and lights are directly tied together so, fixing one issue will fix both the camera and the bulbs???

No offense but, it looks like an 18mo old wired up the trailer lights connection as well. Someone took the time to do a two-wire run from the engine bay all the way to the trailer plug

 

it's got shit trailer wiring ? been backed down into a boat ramp ass-under water ? rip all that crud
out and go back to stock save yourself headaches

 

So based on your description the best explanation is that the IG voltage going to the backup lights and the review mirror has too much resistance on it. By removing one backup bulb you are reducing the load and thus the voltage appearing at the mirror is now high enough to cross whatever logic threshold turns on the camera. With two bulbs in there there is more load and the voltage drops even more and no longer triggers the camera.

This probably means loose connection or corrosion somewhere from the fuse, through the back-up switch and then onto the harnesses that carry that voltage to the lights and the camera. I would use a volt meter to probe that voltage while in reverse (i.e. when the reverse switch is closed) to see where along the way it drops. An obvious place to start to test this hypothesis is as close the mirror's "REV" signal as possible.

Good luck!

 

Would a bad reverse switch possibly cause this? I am leaning more toward the corrosion side as several have pointed that out. However, not knowing how the reverse switch works on these it would make sense if that switch is dead/dying then it is not sending enough voltage to the circuit to operate everything.

 

Oh, joy!

Gotta start with the obvious then. Even if you don't remove that BS trailer wiring, at least verify it's not tied into the reverse lamp/camera circuits before chasing this rabbit too far down the hole. The wiring diagrams are your friend here.

A bad reverse switch could absolutely cause this, but I'd be hesitant to shotgun any parts at it without more diagnosis first. Unplug the reverse lamp switch and (key on, engine off) jumper the terminals in the connector; if the reverse lamps light up and camera engages - the switch has failed. The reverse lamp switch connector is located at 'B1' in this image; should make it easier to test this theory.

 

Yes, this. Definitely the low hanging fruit test at this point.

 

on it! Will report back, pun intended.

 

It also has this installed and doesn’t appear to be run to anything... just the alternator.

 

Looks like the truck had 2 batteries at one point.
Both of which were on a separate circuit.
Mostly used RV, camper, and things you don’t want tied to your main truck battery.

 

Yup. If I had to wager a guess; Probably part of that hacked-in battery wiring run all the way back to the trailer plug. The PO probably used to charge a trailer on-board battery while towing.

 

Yeah, I believe you are correct.

I would probably start at the trailer wiring to see if they used the factory tail light wiring.
I hope you get this figured out.

 

This section of the forums is so much more cordial than the snake pit 3rd gen area heheheh. Makes me to keep grampy truck and build it up.

 

If you have an Automatic the reverse switch is in the Park Neutral Safety Switch on the side of the transmission.
If you have a Manual the switch is screwed into the transmission body.

 

I agree with removing all aftermarket wiring before beginning the troubleshooting process. Personally, I would start by replacing the reverse switch just because it's a possibly of a faulty switch and it's only a $13 part.

 

Where is this located on the Manual Transmission?
Can I get to it without jacking up the truck?
Mine is "intermittent".
Also thinking of wiring a dash switch to activate the lights and camera without being in reverse.