No taillights

A wise mechanic once told me that "All stupid electrical problems are a bad ground." He was almost always right.

 

I'm a believer in that but, even if I give the wire a god ground it still doest turn the lights on

 

What about a bad ground elsewhere in the system? When you have a bad ground, electricity will do some pretty weird stuff trying to find a path.

 

As measured where?

 

Do you have a Tow Package?
If you do have the tow package, did you check the socket for the tow connection and wiring or that circuit at all?

If you do have the Tow Package pull the Tow Relay out and that will remove some of the clutter from the control circuit.

Did you read continuity for the green wire between the combination switch and body ECU?

Go though in a slow methodical way and eliminate components as you proceed and soon you will be left with the obvious problem.

 

The terminals for the relay

 

no tow package and now relay already.

 

which terminal? the coil or the contact? I'm guessing terminal 5 (just upstream of the 10 amp fuse?)

 

Did you read continuity for the green wire between the combination switch and body ECU?

 

i checked the continuity at the wires, but not through the body ecu

 

Then I would say if:

All the wires are good.
The switch is good.
The relay is good.
When you jumper the relay it works.

All that is left is the Body ECU behind the fuse panel in the cab.

 

yeah that’s what I’ve figured. Is it separate from the fuse panel?

 

It is on the back side of the interior fuse panel... Can be replaced separately. If you get one from a wrecked Tacoma it will be much cheaper.

 

THIS! I believe the P/N is 82730-04052, definitely cheaper to rip it from another tacoma.