Toyota Brake Light Repair

Are your brake lights staying on all the time causing your battery to go dead? This seems to be a pretty common problem on Paseos, Tercels and other 90s Toyota's as it is often caused by the breaking apart of a little round rubber/plastic pad that pops into a hole on the brake pedal arm and rests against the brake light switch until you put your foot on the brake.

An easy repair for this can be done in minutes by slipping a round 3/4" diameter x 3/16" thick magnet into the spot where the plastic piece formerly resided. Anything even close to those dimensions should do the trick and you won't even need any tools. The hardest part is getting under the dash.

Magnets are usually available at hardware stores and other places where tools are sold.

Toyota Transmission Tip

Your's truly spend last weekend replacing a Toyota Tercel transmission/trans-axle because a previous owner failed to keep the differential portion of the transmission filled with the proper fluids. You see, unlike some front wheel drive cars, my 91 Tercel has 2 separate compartments for ATF (Automatic Transmission Fluid) that must be kept filled and 2 separate drain plugs for the two no so distinct parts of the transmission/trans-axle.

The drain plugs are easily found on the bottom of the trans-axle but the filler/check fluid level plug is harder to see as it is located on the back side in the middle of the rear cover. To check the fluid level you simply remove the plug and stick your little finger in the hole. If the fluid isn't up to the top of the whole you'll need to add more by using a funnel connected to a hose that you run into the same hole where you check the fluid level.

Taking the time to check this one fitting could save Tercel owners hundreds of dollars in repairs and add many years to the life of a great little car.

Not As Bad As I Thought

The other day I mentioned that I thought the transmission had locked-up in my car. Turns out the problem is a brake problem. The good news is that brakes will be cheaper to fix than the transmission. The bad news-- I still have to do the work myself.

Oh well, at least I've got Greensboro Junkyards to help me find any part I may need.

PS. Rumor has it that a new motorcycle junkyard might be coming to Greensboro soon.