i found this in my taillights bolted on and it had a wire plugged into it. but looks like it is just a piece of plastic with no output or function. anyone have any idea what it does??

 

It is the sensor that detects when your tailight is out.

All I did was check acuraautomotiveparts.org

looked for the tailight assembly for your year and model, and it's listed as item 14.

 

oh God you took it off !!!!!!!!

put it back on quick

hurry ....



nah its just a relay for the warning light on your dash to come on when a bulb is out

i would put it back on tho

 

Thanks for posting that HUGE close up picture BTW...

 

lol. couldn't they have put it in the car instead of in the taillight housing? seems unnecessary because there is nothing its plugged into except the output wire.

 

I am no electrical engineer, but it would make sense to have the distance between the bulb and the sensor as short as possible.

 

it also serves as the trailer light connector- the hookup pins are set, 1 is tails- 1 each turn/s- brakes- and ground
So its not useless- its a bonus gen 3 cars dont get!
we can pull a small to medium jetski trailer wirth ease. Some members have towed real boats with theirs, and same member has been thru 5 trans- I cant imagine why......

 

That would explain why it's better in the rear...hehe...no pun!

 

lol

 

sooo.... hypothetically speaking of course, would it be possible that one could somehow mess up the little sensor, maybe by not plugging it in all the way or something like that , that it would set off the "brake lamp" light on the dash? even if it seems like all the rear lights work fine? cuz i have a "friend" who seems to have a problem like this...

 

You might want to check the connection and if the connection is good, the sensor might be out.


EDIT: I mean your friend