Tail Lights work and all fuses are okay. NONE of the three tail lights work, engine running or engine off.

 

Addendum:

Turn signals work
I have Haynes and wiring diagram is in back on page 12, but doesn't make sense

 

The diagram may show wiring with and without the light failure sensor. If your car has the sensor, there will be an indicator icon on the dash. Use the appropriate diagram.

Should not make a difference engine on or off.

Determine if the brake light switch works.

If OK, check for power at one of the +12V brake light wires.

If your car has a light failure sensor, it can fail and result in no power to the lights.

 

thanks. I can't find the brake light switch. Where is it?

No light failure sensors show up in the dashboard

 

Follow the brake pedal arm up under the dash. The switch is mounted such it turns on when the arm moves forward.

 

Solved:

The brake light switch was faulty. Replaced it and works like a charm.

Thanks for your help.

 

Great job. Thanks for posting back with the fix.

 

I wish I would have had this resource in the past. I went to the trouble of trying to check the brake light switch, and found that it worked. I had such trouble trying it get the darn plug back into the switch I had a middle eastern guy, Samon, run a wire cause I figured one of the wires burnt and needed replacing. So when Samon ran a new wire, he didn't know about the light warning switch box hidden in the rear driver side panel in the trunk attached to the frame piece. I don't know if was damaged with the extra wire run or it was my brake light problem to begin with.
3 years later. . . Smoke!!! Coming out of the dash whicH led to my current situation. I found the damaged light warning yellow circuit box, replaced it. There was a wire, right by the arm of that trunk that goes down and up with every closure. I must have pinched it and shorted it out in the past. That's been repaired.
Then I looked under the dashboard and the nightmare began. From the fuse box, a green wire with Lt. Blue stripe and a single silver dash was melted from there, into the mass of wires up under the dash. Another green wire of the same character ran from the steering column and it was melted to a ground wire (white with a black stripe).
I had to take out EVERYTHING. Radio bezel, center console, DASHBOARD, all of it in order to follow the wire up under the dash to make sure it wasn't melted any further.
It was only melted to the center of the vehicle. I guess I got a break.
Still finishing... Will post as progress happens. 1990 Toyota Camry 5 spd 132,000 mi.

 

Live and learn.

The trunk harness in that areas tends to get damaged from flexing. Can also cause back up light issues. Did the damaged wire short out? Was this bypass wire fused and if not causing an overloaded circuit?

Good job on doing all this work which was a big job!