Lexus Repair: Rear Tail Light, quality bulbs, trunk area

Question
Dear Sir: 99 Lexus ES. I recently had my tires replaced which necessitated the shop going into my spare tire area to unlock the hub caps.  Immediately after, my tailight indicator light has been on and off intermittantly.  Could it perhaps be a wire that is loose that they hit when digging into my spare area?  If so, how do I identify it to repair it myself?  If I do need it replaced, what is a reasonable cost range?  Thanks much.  

Answer
Tyler,

Thanks for the question.

The factory wiring for your taillights and brake lights is completely hidden and protected from the trunk area, unless, of course, someone has been in there messing with, or adding to the wiring (such as installing hitch wiring or spoiler with a brake light built into it.  If all is stock and factory, I see no reason that the harness would be damaged by the tire shop.

The easiest way to check it out is to wait until the light bulb warning indicator is ON, and then have someone sit in the car and operate the lights, turn signals and brake, while you watch to see which bulb is not working correctly.

If all the bulbs work while the dash warning light is on, you need to inspect the bulbs to see if they were made in China or Taiwan.  There are a lot of low-quality bulbs out there which are not compatible with your cars electrical system.  These bulbs cause things to happen exactly as you mentioned.

If you've figured out which bulb is the culprit, and replacing with a good quality bulb doesn't fix it, then you'll need to have the circuit inspected and diagnosed by a qualified technician.  Generally, about 1 to 2 hours diagnosis time would be appropriate to resolve your concern.

Hope that helps.

Leonard