Dale

iTrader: (12)

I bought this car a few months ago, just got it running. Today when I was moving the car to pick up the Mrs and kid so they didnt walk thru the rain. She said the back up lights just blinked, then didnt stay on. Is this a common prob with 3rd gens or not?? Other then fuse, blubs, and connection at tranny, is their anything else I need to inspect?? Thanks

deadbird

Sit in the driveway on a dark night with the key in the 'run' position and play with the shifter in reverse. You should find a spot that makes the light come on. I have the same problem on my camaro, the slop in the shifter lites is move past the reverse light contact in the swithc. I found if I push my shifter forward after pulling it into reverse, the lights come on.

I'm not sure if the shifter (neutral safety/reverse light) switch can be adjusted or what.. it's never bothered me enough to take mine apart to look.

Dale

iTrader: (12)

Ok, thanks for posting. I will look at that tonight, and see if I can't adjust it.
I wasn't sure if it blew the fuse, or if this is a commen prob. I wasn't about to tinker with it as bad as it was raining yesterday.

IROCmonkey

if it isnt the switch...check the grounds at the taillight cluster

meridius

yes the switch can be adjusted and since you said they blink that is more than likely the problem. when it passes over the spot on the switch where t should be in reverse they will come on but when you actually make it to reverse they go out.

1990GTA

mine is the same way,if I just push it a little forward once it is in reverse they stay on.

WildStreak

I'm having the same exact problem..

I have an 88 Firebird and the backup lights do NOT work, i tested with my multimeter and it reads 0 with the car off with ignition in ACC position, with the car on, AND with the car on and driving backwards. I have tried to trick them into coming on by moving the shifter all around in reverse, but that has yet to work, so i'm wondering.. Where is the switch located on the tranny/shifter? I took the top of my console off and i have 2 connectors, one has like 7 wires, the other has 2. Am i just plain missing the switch!?

It's the original manual 5speed tranny, whichever it is, not sure - i'm guessing a T5?

Any help would be appreciated! Thanks!:hail:

deadbird

I believe the revese light switch on a T-5 is the one in the middle of the gear casing on the drivers side (not the one on the tailshaft). I know it's not under the console on the shifter itself.

ERICCAMARO

Where do the wires go from the tranny? I dont have the connection for that anymore. I changed my wiring harness and it has a four prong connector for a torque converter but no back up light swithch cause it came off of an auto car. So on your T5 were do those wires come from that go to that sensor>? this would really help me out!!!!!!

deadbird

This will be of more help to you than any crappy description I could give you...

http://92b4crs.tripod.com/86wiring/dia-pics/112-0.jpg

You'll have to drag this to you addy bar & drop it to view (or copy & paste..)

You'll have to trace the wireing route yourself since that probably the only wiring I didn't trim or relocate on my car.

WildStreak

on the drivers side of my car, attached to the tranny, i located two things that look like long plastic cylinder pieces that go into the tranny. Sort of like the o2 sensor, and each have 2 wires coming out which go....i don't know where

would one of these be it?

deadbird

The link in my above post is the wiring diagram for the actual reverse switch, manual & auto.

Hopefully this is a better than what I could describe...

ERICCAMARO

Thats a good wiring diagram but does the blue and green wires go to a bulk connector? I imagine they probably dont run throught the ecm. but are they connected to the connector that has the vss signal for the dash and the shift light it is a big clear connector that is attached to the wiring harness. If you cant answer this ill just take a look once I can. but if you could this would help a lot.

WildStreak

Ok so the front one of the two is the reverse switch..

Is there way to test it to see if it's good or bad, if it's bad, do i just take it out and replace it or is it something hard to do?

ERICCAMARO

put a multimeter on and set it to OHM and hook it up to each connection. nothing should happen when the car is not in reverse but when it should complete the circut and the ohm meter will go all the way up (depending on setting).

deadbird

Eric.. I'm not sure I'm giving the answer you;'re looking for but, I don't believe the reverse switch has anything to do with the shift light or the ECM (to my knowledge...).
The route the (blue) wire would take (assumingly) would be from the turn signal flasher to the bulkhead (connector next to the brake booster), bulkhead to the reverse switch. From the switch, the (green) wire runs back to the bulkhead, then to the rear of the car to the back up lamps. That's probably not what you wanted to know tho.. ?

Wild.. yes.. it's just a standard switch,,, like the light switch in your house. It's normally open if the car is in any fowards gear or neutral and the switch closes (the contacts touch) when in reverse.
If you have a voltmeter, you should have +12v on the blue wire if the key is in the 'run' position. Putting the car in reverse should put +12v to the green wire now as well.
If you're not getting +12v on the green wire when the car is in reverse but the blue wire has +12v, the switch is most likely dead.
If you've got +12v on both wires... there could be a broken wire somewhere or, by some wierd fluke, both your reverse lights have burnt out.. never know..

I can't say for sure how the switch is replaced since I've yet to have a problem with mine (knock on wood) but, I'd guess it just unscrews like any other sensor/sender on the motor. Maybe someone else knows this answer.. ?

WildStreak

ah ok, thanks for all the help everyone, i'll be sure to post the "test results"..lol

and about the bulbs, they're fine, that was the first thing i checked

WildStreak

ok i just ran out there and tested.. no power at all..

it has 2 black wires, probably grease/grime/dirt coated colored wires, but the point remains.. tested with my digital multimeter @ 20vDC and it says it's 0.00

This was with the ignition at ACC and the tranny in reverse.
Now what do i do?

deadbird

How did you test it ?

If you probed both wires at the same time (IE both on the switch), you won't get a power reading. You have to probe one wire on the switch (+12v) and the other probe must be touching the chassis (-12v) to get a reading.

The other way, if you're probing both wires, is as ERIC stated in his above post.

WildStreak

grounded to frame, switch wires stabbed..
no reading, trust me, i know how to properly
ground stuff :-\

deadbird

No offence intended man.. I'm just trying to cover bases to help.
If there's no power to the blue wire with the key on and the turns signals work then that would lead me personally to believe the wire has a break in it somewhere after the signal flasher relay where it splits off from there.