Hi everyone. I have a 2000 Camry LE (automatic) and recently, the reverse lights (the two white ones in the trunk lid) stopped working. At the same time, whenever I am driving the car and I step on the brakes for any reason, the reverse light "R" comes on the dashboard. The check engine light is on and also what appears to be the rear lights warning lamp on the dashboard. I have checked and re-checked: the fuses - none are out. And the actual bulbs and wires in the trunk - all of them. They are all in great condition and none is burned out.

Any ideas of where else to look ? I don't want to put my car in reverse and have someone not know that I am backing up while they are behind me!

Suggestions and diagnosis hints are greatly appreciated. Please help.
Many Thanks !!

 

The reverse lights and reverse indicator dash lamp are on a separate circuits but are powered by the same fuse-Gauge fuse.

Brake lights system has its own circuit but tied into to a few others via the light failure sensor. Stop fuse.

Suggest you recheck the wiring where it goes from the chassis to the trunk lid for damage, crossed wires, etc. Tends to break down due to flexing. It is possible power is feeding back to the dash via the refuse light power.

Sometimes the lamp failure sensor module can fai, the result is strange electrical behavior.

Check the dual filament bulbs, make sure one filament has not broken and is now touching the other.

The check engine light might be just that, the computer has noted a troublecode. Get any codes read out.

The electrical items you are having problems with are not monitored by the check engine light computer system. A problem with the reverse or stop lights will not trigger the check engine light.

If the check engine light is on for no reason this might indicate a wiring issue.

Start with the wiring in the trunk, then check the lamp failure sensor module.

 

Thanks for the info. I'll start by changing the guage fuse first and then get a readout on what the check engine light code is about.
Strange thing overnight is that occasionally, the warning lights disappear and the reverse lights will work, then stop working after a minute or two. Very strange stuff. I guess I'm just weary of paying any more of my money to the repair shop at this point. I went through about $2000 in unrelated repairs over the past year and I'm tapped out and burned out with it all at this point
I'll update this thread if anything improves.
Thanks.

 

So, in order to avoid spending lots of $$$$, I went to the dealership parts department and asked questions (luckily that's still free Sounds like it could be one of those expensive $30+ "relay fuses" but definitely worth checking those out before asking for service to see if that fixes the problem.

I'll try to look into this issue this weekend when I have time to check it out.

Stay tuned...

 

I just had this issue on a car i'm working on and found the wires that run along the trunk hinge on the drivers side had been damaged and/or cut entirely.

Thanks to everybody that posts problems and repairs! I was able to find the problem on this Camry with a google search in about 10 minutes and I can still charge the customer a couple hours diagnostic labor

 

It appears that the wires were either broken or worn out when I had the dealer fix the reverse lights issue ($300 later that is). Also, they warned me that some relay fuse deep in the bowels of the engine/transmission compartment under the hood was close to going out and that would cost me around $500 ! So, to avoid all these mounting costs, and because it had been over a decade since I bought a new car, I traded in my dependable, yet needing repair, 2000 Camry for a brand new 2011 Camry LE and I couldn't be happier about it. I got 1.9% financing for 6 years and low monthly payments.

Long story short - I'm now a renewed loyal Toyota Camry owner.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone !