XV20 wagon spoiler light removal

[Willy wagon]

Hi Folks,

I've just joined and I recently purchased a 2000 XV20 Touring station wagon. Can someone tell me how to remove the third brake stop light which is located on the rear tailgate spoiler. I need to check the bulbs.☺️

Cheers,

Kim

 

Edited March 30, 2021 by Willy wagon

[Tony Prodigy]

Hi Kim, It shouldn't be very difficult. If it's anything like a mid-late 90s RAV4, that third stop light has a plastic shroud which you need to remove. I suspect it has plastic pin clips to hold it on. One on each side. If it is the one I'm thinking of, you need to get a blunt object and push the centre pin in then pry out the whole clip after. Once both removed, then the shroud comes off exposing the bulb socket.

Are you able to upload a few pics to help refresh my memory on this ?

[Willy wagon]

Thanks for the reply Tony. I'll get some pix. Cheers, Kim.

[Willy wagon]

9 hours ago, Tony Prodigy said:

Hi Kim, It shouldn't be very difficult. If it's anything like a mid-late 90s RAV4, that third stop light has a plastic shroud which you need to remove. I suspect it has plastic pin clips to hold it on. One on each side. If it is the one I'm thinking of, you need to get a blunt object and push the centre pin in then pry out the whole clip after. Once both removed, then the shroud comes off exposing the bulb socket.

Are you able to upload a few pics to help refresh my memory on this ?

Here's a couple of photos Tony. Cheers, Kim.

[Tony Prodigy]

Ok. Now I see what you mean. My apologies, I read your post incorrectly. I thought it had an internal third light, not a spoiler light. Sorry if I have confused you. I confused myself it seem lol.

I'm pretty certain that what you have there is an LED strip light and not one with a bulb as such. If water has entered, it may have killed it already or it may have just succumbed to age.

Don't think there's an easy way to get this off but to pry it off. If there are no visible screws, which I doubt it has, then it may have to be pried off and a replacement may have to be glued back. 

I had a look and these aren't that common to find let alone buy. The Camry XV20 wagon is quite rare so If you were looking to replace it, I'd contact Toyota and see if you can at least get a part number then go searching out OEM suppliers.

[campbeam]

Certainly looks like a LED strip light to me. Presumably it is not working but the other brake lights do work, hence your post.

Have you definitely checked the electrical connection and the wiring for this spoiler?

Following link is just to give you some ideas about removing that spoiler light. Personally, I would be looking more closely at those end tabs hoping that they can be removed separately. 

https://www.superspares.com.au/boot-spoiler-led-light-for-toyota-camry-sk20-08-19

[Willy wagon]

Thanks Tony and Ashley. Ok, this is what I did.......the spoiler needs to be removed to access the the high third brake light. The spoiler is held on by two screws, one of the left and one on the right. The screws are accessed by removing each screw's rubber grommet on the inside of the tailgate and unscrewing the screws.

Once the spoiler is off (I just rested it on the wagon roof) then you can access the light (yes it is an LED strip light). At each end of the light there is a small red plastic tab which just unclips and provides access to the screw which attaches the light to the spoiler.

The two wires for the light go from for the light into a main wiring loom on the top right hand side of the tailgate. The wires were attached OK to the interior of the light, so no apparent loose connection. This is as far as I got as I could not see how to remove the red shroud from the base which contains the LEDs. I did not want to force it and break it. I will need to get someone to somehow check if the LEDs actually work or not. I tried jiggling the wires while the brake pedal was depressed, but no joy.

Tony, I don't think the XV20 wagon is rare as you mention. However, I searched for three months but never saw a Touring version of the XV20 wagon. It was just a fluke that this one happened to be a Touring model. So the Touring version may be rare.

I have a couple of W126 Mercedes cars, one a 300SE 4 door and the other a 380SEC saloon coupe. While I enjoy tooling around in the two Mercs, I do get a real buzz out of zipping along in the V6 wagon. It's another world and heaps of fun! Before getting the wagon, I would have a chat to the drivers of Camry taxi cabs and they just raved about the reliability etc of the Camrys. So I thought if the cab drivers drive Camrys en masse well that's good enough for me!

Cheers,

Kim

[campbeam]

3 hours ago, Willy wagon said:

I have a couple of W126 Mercedes cars, one a 300SE 4 door and the other a 380SEC saloon coupe. While I enjoy tooling around in the two Mercs, I do get a real buzz out of zipping along in the V6 wagon. It's another world and heaps of fun! Before getting the wagon, I would have a chat to the drivers of Camry taxi cabs and they just raved about the reliability etc of the Camrys. So I thought if the cab drivers drive Camrys en masse well that's good enough for me!

I was thinking that you had the 4 cylinder version. I got very interested when you posted V6 so not surprised that you are enjoying your wagon.

Toyota reliability starts with their engineering and quality control but you have to regularly service them for long term ownership.

I am very much into DIY preventative maintenance so inclined to over-service my vehicle to ensure high reliability. 

[Willy wagon]

Just saw your post Ashley. No, I was definitely after a V6. I'm used to the V8 in the Merc coupe, but the Wagon certainly would give it a run for the money.

I watch Scotty Kilmer, the American mechanic on Youtube who is a Toyota Nutter and he always emphasises the importance of regular oil changes to extend the life of the motor.

So there is nothing wrong with a little over-servicing!

Cheers,

Kim

[campbeam]

Scotty Kilmer is entertaining speaking from his many years as a mechanic but lately he has too many click bait videos for my liking.

I pay much more attention to this fellow who claims to be a Toyota Master Technician at a Chicago Toyota dealership. 

https://www.youtube.com/c/TheCarCareNut/videos 

 

[Tony Prodigy]

14 hours ago, Willy wagon said:

.the spoiler needs to be removed to access the the high third brake light. The spoiler is held on by two screws, one of the left and one on the right. The screws are accessed by removing each screw's rubber grommet on the inside of the tailgate and unscrewing the screws.

Once the spoiler is off (I just rested it on the wagon roof) then you can access the light (yes it is an LED strip light). At each end of the light there is a small red plastic tab which just unclips and provides access to the screw which attaches the light to the spoiler.

The two wires for the light go from for the light into a main wiring loom on the top right hand side of the tailgate. The wires were attached OK to the interior of the light, so no apparent loose connection. This is as far as I got as I could not see how to remove the red shroud from the base which contains the LEDs. I did not want to force it and break it. I will need to get someone to somehow check if the LEDs actually work or not. I tried jiggling the wires while the brake pedal was depressed, but no joy.

Hi Kim, good to see Toyota put some thought into this then. I've never owned a car like yours so I couldn't know for sure the ins and outs of the LED strip. I would think then that it is possible to replace the LED strip given the access. I've had a look online for a replacement, just out of curiosity, and there was absolutely none. You may have to go through Toyota to get a replacement. Years of use and bumpy road corrugations will ultimately kill the light I guess. Good choice to get the V6 too. I've always quietly admired the Camry wagon, especially the V6. With proper maintenance, it will go forever. I'd hang onto it.

14 hours ago, Willy wagon said:

I have a couple of W126 Mercedes cars, one a 300SE 4 door and the other a 380SEC saloon coupe. While I enjoy tooling around in the two Mercs

You have two Glorious Mercs from a period when they made good cars. I'd also hang onto those, especially the SEC. Magnificent !! I suspect it's them hiding under the car covers lol...

I have a 99 E36 M3 tucked away too. So I get where you're coming from with Euro car ownership. They made brilliant cars in the 90s, then they gradually got worse over time. Now, they're all ticking time bombs that are not worth owning after the warranty has run out. What a world we live in hey ?

[Willy wagon]

12 hours ago, campbeam said:

Scotty Kilmer is entertaining speaking from his many years as a mechanic but lately he has too many click bait videos for my liking.

I pay much more attention to this fellow who claims to be a Toyota Master Technician at a Chicago Toyota dealership. 

https://www.youtube.com/c/TheCarCareNut/videos 

 

Thanks for the link Ashley, I'll check it out. Cheers, Kim.

[Willy wagon]

3 hours ago, Tony Prodigy said:

Hi Kim, good to see Toyota put some thought into this then. I've never owned a car like yours so I couldn't know for sure the ins and outs of the LED strip. I would think then that it is possible to replace the LED strip given the access. I've had a look online for a replacement, just out of curiosity, and there was absolutely none. You may have to go through Toyota to get a replacement. Years of use and bumpy road corrugations will ultimately kill the light I guess. Good choice to get the V6 too. I've always quietly admired the Camry wagon, especially the V6. With proper maintenance, it will go forever. I'd hang onto it.

You have two Glorious Mercs from a period when they made good cars. I'd also hang onto those, especially the SEC. Magnificent !! I suspect it's them hiding under the car covers lol...

I have a 99 E36 M3 tucked away too. So I get where you're coming from with Euro car ownership. They made brilliant cars in the 90s, then they gradually got worse over time. Now, they're all ticking time bombs that are not worth owning after the warranty has run out. What a world we live in hey ?

Thanks Tony. The LED light must come apart somehow. I may have to cut the wires to the light from the loom and apply power to it to see if it lights up. I'm seeing my mechanic tomorrow, so he may have a way to check it. Yes you're right the Mercs are under the covers. I've had several Mercs over the years, but all have been no younger than 1986. The W126 series was probably the last of the true Mercedes. They're built like bank vaults and are a pleasure to drive. These will be the last Mercs that I own as later models had poor quality control and the latest models are so full of electronic jimcrackery that you would need to go to a dealership every time something went wrong. I better shut up about Mercedes otherwise I might get kicked off this web site.😁

After buying the XV20 wagon it's Toyota from now on! 😇

Cheers,

Kim

[Ed.]

Was that spoiler a factory option? I've never seen a 4th gen wagon that had a spoiler up until now.

[Willy wagon]

The spoiler with LED stoplight fitting came standard with the Touring wagon in Australia. 

Edited June 1, 2021 by Willy wagon