License Plate Light, what the!

[Neu]

Okay so I've replaced the bulbs in my license plate light, all my fuses are fine, I've looked at the wiring and it all looks fine, BUT IT STILL DOESN'T WORK.

Any ideas?

[Neu]

also, All my other rear lights work. Tail lights, reverse light, they all work.

This is pretty important, as it's gotten me pulled over a few times.

[takza]

Well...while you're in there...try to figure out why my license plate lights go on when I open the hatch (dome light).

One way to fix what you have is to just run a new wire from one of the tailights...need a good ground...which might be what your problem involves?

[Highlander]

Does the rear wiper work? The harness sometimes wears out (fails) at the feedthrough by the hinge.
When you go to remove the trim panel, use a very small flat blade screwdriver to apply some upward load to the 'screw' inside the panel retainer and turn it gently out with a #1 phillips, then after backing it completely out, you can remove the locking portion of the retainer and save it to reuse. This has worked for me ~75% of the time, the other 25% I break a tang off of the retainer portion.
JM 0.02

[splatterdog]

One of my cars had a broken wire at the flex point, inside the rubber boot.

If this happens, take a good look at all the other wires too.

[Neu]

One of my cars had a broken wire at the flex point, inside the rubber boot.

If this happens, take a good look at all the other wires too.

This seems like it's most likely it. EVERYTHING else on the hatch works. defrost, wiper, reverse light, tail lights, blinkers, side lights. So I know it's just the wiring on the license plate light.

I'll look at it later.

[Neu]

So i pulled that rubber plug out, the wiring is all fine where it was. I see no problems with it. I'll clean up the light contacts pretty well and see if that's the problem. One of them doesn't have the cover, so maybe thats' causing it. We'll see.

I've been pulled over twice for this license plate light deal...annoying.

[Neu]

Alright so I use a voltmeter and all the lights are at 11.6, which I consider pretty good.

All of them BUT the license plate light. I'm Pretty annoyed right now. I tried finding the wire by the fuse box but I couldn't locate it.

Can anyone tell me where the ground for it is? Or if it even have it own ground?

[brianp]

Look at page 882 of the manual, if you haven't already.

It looks like your taillights, and rear side markers and the license plate all use the same ground point, so if the others are working, it probably isn't the ground connection unless it is right at the license plate. But since you aren't getting voltage on either side of the connection for the light, it's more likely the voltage side. You should try to trace back the wire that comes from the license plate back to one of the tail lights, and make sure it has continuity.

[Neu]

There's a Lot of wiring..I'll probably end up just hooking it up to my tail lights..not a great solution but it'll work.

[SynthDesign]

Dude.
You seriously need a multi meter... Seriously.
I'll give you one, you poor college student. You just gotta drive to Seattle for it. Heh heh
Start at the bulb with the lights on and test through the wires down the line till you find power. Could also be just a crimped or degraded wire too.

[Neu]

lol i have the multi meter. There's absolutely NO power on any of the visible wire.


I didn't check the fuse box though, to see if it had power.