Dash brake light warning

I did a search, found nothing, and I'm guessing most posts about the brake light on the dash are about the light being ON, in this case it's always off.

I bought this 02 double cab with 245000 miles on it a couple of months ago, and take it to work 3 days a week, 60 mile round-trip. So far (1600 miles), t's performed well. When I first bought it, I changed the oil, and when I started it up afterwards, I was listening to the engine and looking for the light, but it's inoperable. Luckily, the motor isn't making suspicious noises.

When I was blindly fishing around to remove the oil filter, I did feel a wire and connector dangling down, wondering if someone unplugged something. Not sure why anyone would want to knock out the oil light, unless the light was always on. Plus the sending unit is on the other (passenger) side. Wondering if anyone has any experience with this kind of thing. If it helps, there is no dash light coming on when I switch into 4WD, either.

Thank you!

Tom

 

I believe the oil pressure sender is on the driver side of the 5VZ, but I could be mistaken

 

Kinda confused about what the actual question is.

All the lights on the dashboard should illuminate when you insert the key and turn the vehicle on. If the lights in question do not come on at all during this time, then you have either a bad fuse or bad lamps. Once you verify that the lights themselves are working, you can start tackling the individual systems associated with the light in question.

Brake light - When are you expecting this light to come on? It should only come on when the e-brake is engaged, or if the brake fluid is low in the master cylinder. If it's not coming on with the e-brake, look under the dash and test the switch- the e-brake should come in contact with a switch as it gets pulled out. You'd have to remove fluid from the MC to test that switch in the engine bay.

Oil light- again.. when are you expecting this light to come on? It shouldn't be on unless there is an issue.

4wd light- This light should only blink while the 4wd systems are engaging, or become solid once they are. There are several reasons why the 4wd system could fail to engage, but it usually comes down to the actuators being frozen or stuck due to contamination, or a fuse.

I'd start by verifying the lamps work, and then check the fuses.

You can download an owners manual for your truck here: https://www.toyota.com/owners/warranty-owners-manuals/ if your used truck did not come with one. I'd suggest reading up in the owners manual to have a better understanding of what should be happening with the systems in your truck. Additionally, there is a sticky thread at the top of the 1st gen forum where you can find links to the factory service manual (FSM). The FSM contains the wiring diagrams and other troubleshooting steps for the entire vehicle. The owners manual and FSM are two different things.

In general, it's not uncommon to have additional "wire and connector"s not connected to anything. The wirelooms were produced with all potential options available*, and it's possible that your truck doesn't have that option installed. *I say all options, as an over simplification- they were likely made with some logically grouping of available options at different configuration levels.

 

Hey guys, been crazy busy and when I read my initial post I wonder what I was thinking.

The issue is the oil pressure light. I would expect it to come on with key in the "on" position, and go off shortly after startup. It never lights, so I'm wondering if it's the sensor, or if the sensor is unplugged. Does anyone know the location of the sending unit on the 3.4?

Thanks!
Tom

 

If the light does not come on at all during start up, the light itself needs to be checked. You'll need to remove the instrument cluster to check the light. As I said before:

 

Thanks, I guess that's as good a place to start as any. I have a 1967 Camaro that I've had since 1989, and never had to change the oil pressure light bulb; I think it's a fairly uncommon thing, and sender unit failure seems more likely. Is it a huge job to remove the cluster.

 

I would start by turning the key on, release the parking brake, lay under the dash and find the switch it depresses. Push it in and out by hand and watch the dash. Any light on or off?

I'd then turn the key off and get out the voltmeter, pull off the switch wires, attach the leads to the switch and see if it loses continuity when pressed. I like to start with the least expensive stuff first. :-D

I'd then follow the wires all the way to the engine to see if something is hosed up. Removing the dash cluster is a relatively time consuming task, save that for last.

 

Seems reasonable that a nearly 30 year old incandescent dash light could fail. I would say that's more common than you are thinking.

More to the point- the reason the dash lights illuminate when you turn the key into the on position, is so you can troubleshoot the light bulbs themselves. Even once the light bulb turns on, the oil pressure light should be off if everything is healthy. Again, if you don't have an owners manual, I provided the link above to download a pdf from Toyota. There is a whole section on dash lights and their operational states, and what do to if one is on.

 

So I finally took the time to check my owner's manual and see what lights I'm missing, and it's a few! Oil pressure, SRS, ABS, and OD/off! I guess I'll be pulling the cluster when I have some time. What bulbs should I be buying, for replacements? Thanks and Happy Holidays!

Tom

 

X5 LAMPS inoperable. I swapped my burned out MIL/CEL lamp with the ever always lit washer fluid empty lamp when I had dash torn apart for something else and could not get lamps that day.

 

Update: I spent the time taking the dash apart and pulled the cluster. I replaced all of the indicator bulbs, and when I tested it, still no oil pressure light with key on or starting. Still no o/d off light, or airbag. I moved sockets around to make sure that wasn't it. I'm really only concerned about oil pressure. Guessing the printed circuit for the cluster has some issues, though it "looked" OK. Any sources on a new one? If I ground out the oil pressure switch, I should get the oil light on the dash, correct?

Thank you!