Dashboard Indicator
 

I have a 1996 Toyota Camry LE. When the the headlights are on and you press the brakes, there is an indicator light on the bottom left corner of the dashboard which illuminates. It looks like a car with lights on or flashing. If you press the brakes, the light comes on. When you left off the brakes, the light goes out. This only occurs when the headlights are on.

I have checked all of my bulbs and they are all working. Any ideas?

RE: Dashboard Indicator
 

should be rear light out.

some bulbs have two fillaments inside them, one for the nighttime glow, then another for the actual lighting of the brake. have someone depress the brake while you watch, there should be one or more bulbs that dont get any brighter than the normal glow.

RE: Dashboard Indicator
 

I have had my son press the brakes and they all light up as they should and get brighter than normal.

RE: Dashboard Indicator
 

that maybe an indication of poor contact.

if you want, you could take out the bulbs and swap em to see if it helps. just the 2 or so brake ones in the rear. sometimes even just wiggling them around helps...things shift over time and could cause poor contact.
hopefully its not a sensor problem.

RE: Dashboard Indicator
 

I replaced the bulbs and still have the light. What next?

RE: Dashboard Indicator
 

checked and replaced the high mount light too? this is strange...and perhaps its some other problem too because the rear light out indicator - once turned on will not turn off until the car is turned completely off and restarted. but you say it only turns on when you use your brakes...so...now im just unsure what it could be.

RE: Dashboard Indicator
 

Yep! It only happens when the brakes are pressed and when the headlights are on. If the headlights are turned off and you press the brakes, the light does not come on.

RE: Dashboard Indicator
 

try disconnecting the neg battery terminal and reset the system now that you have new bulbs.

RE: Dashboard Indicator
 

The light failure sensor senses reduced draw. The headlight and brake light circuits are not connected through the light failure sensor, but are connected through the battery. I'm wondering if your battery is up to full charge. What I'm thinking is when the headlights are on (they draw quite a bit of power)AND the brake lights are actuated, there is enough drop in the power to the brake lights that the light failure sensor thinks a bulb is out. Try looking at the brightness of the brake lights when the headlight is on and when the headlight is off and see if there is a difference.If they are noticably different then I would have the battery tested.

RE: Dashboard Indicator
 

I figured it out! I went back and check everything again. Although, I replaced the bulbs for the brake lights, I completely missed the bulbs for the rear side markers as I did know realize there were supposed to be bulbs lit. When I checked them, both sides were burnt out. I replaced them and now the light no longer comes on! Thanks to all that replied!