Hi Guys,

1983 Camaro Sport Coupe, T-Top
Engine LG4 5-Liter V8, 305cid
Transmission: Manual 5-speed

For sometime now I've been without the use of my backup lights and at one point had a mechanic tell me I needed a new switch. So, I'm hoping it's a task, if not too involved, I can perform myself and save myself the expense of having my mechanic do the R/R for me at his shop rate.

So, I'm looking for any guidance in the way of simple 1-2-3 instructions that will help me achieve this goal (though I'm not a mechanic I can follow relatively simple instructions).

From my investigation so far, it looks like the switch itself will cost in the neighborhood of $35-50 and if I can do it myself I can avoid the cost and time spent at my mechanic's shop.

Thanks for any assistance!

Gene

 

the "switch" is in the trans. you should have a 2 prong connector on the side of the trans kinda in the middle. id check the wiring to make sure it isnt loose/broken. before taking it to someone and paying them $50 to plug a connecter in if its unplugged.

 

Uh oh, that right there is a stopper for me. I'm certainly not capable of opening up my transmission to locate the switch there. So, looks like a job for a mechanic after all.

 

actually i think the switch just screws into the side of the trans. dont think you have to open it to replace it. although im not 100% ssure on that one.

 

but with the wiring being located under the car its not impossible for the wiring to get damaged from road debris. or the connector to degrade and fall apart. or something like that. id crawl under the car and take a look before taking it to mechanic.

 

At the time my mechanic assessed/diagnosed the backup lights issue and told me I needed a switch, I'm pretty sure he had opened the rear hood and trunk compartment lid (I remember he had removed a bunch of items I had stored there), so I guess I was expecting the switch to be somewhere in that area (in close proximity to the backup lights themselves) and not in the area of the tranny. (I should have observed more closely exactly what he was doing but I was in the waiting room at the time).

 

if he told you you need a switch without looking at the switch then you need a new mechanic

 

the back up lights dont have any switches or relays or anything in the rear compartment. the switch in the trans has a dark blue wire and a light green wire. the dark blue wire is a switched 12v. its powered as long as the key is on, then when you put the car in reverse, the switch sends that 12v out the light green wire to the bulbs and the bulbs are grounded to the body.

like i said, if your mechanic told you that you need a new switch but doesnt know where that switch is and didnt actually test it, then you need a new mechanic. since he obviously just wants you to spend money.

 

it could be something as simple as the bulbs being out. or a broken wire. or the connector unplugged. or a blown fuse. the only way to find out for sure is to take a volt meter to the wiring and see where the power is and isnt.

 

Ok, thanks for your help...I'll see what I can do.

 

Like everyone else says, reverse light switch is on the tail-shaft of the transmission. The switch, if defective is easy enough to replace, just unscrew it and replace with the new one.. You'll loose a few drops of fluid when you remove it, but not enough to be concerned about.

Where in Oregon are you? We have several members of the Cascade Crew in Oregon.

 

reverse light should be on the trans body not the tail shaft. the vss is on the tail shaft. although i havent had a t5 for a while.

 

You are correct, sir. I must have mistaken it for my VSS connector on the 92.

 

Only on Camaros 90+.

JamesC

 

vss for 90+, speedo cable for 89-. same location either way.

 

I dropped off the car Thursday morning at my mechanic's POB with the promise of the car being ready that evening. Around 4:30 I got the call that the work was done and I could pick it up. Of course there was the typical anxiety of waiting all day for the (almost obligatory) call like: "Gene, got some bad news for ya!". Thankfully, that call never came.

Along with replacing the Backup light switch I also had him install a new Blower Motor since it also had failed (after almost 30 years) and, of course, I didn't have any defroster or heat without it.

The job was done to my complete satisfaction and the final price was about $100 less than what he had originally quoted me the week before so I was ecstatic about the fairness of his charge and also, the quality of his work (I've been using him for about the past ten years).

Total charge (install Backup Light Switch and Blower Motor):
Total Parts & Labor out the door: $139.14

Soon as I decide on which Forum, I'm going to post a new request for some help in installing a passenger side, manual-adjust (not power) rear-view mirror to replace the one that was damaged when someone backed his moving truck into it a couple of years ago. Also, some advice on how to remove the door panel and install a new power-window motor since, if I power the window down, it MAY or MAY NOT want to go back up.

I'll post a link to my new thread here when I have it available (see below) and perhaps some of you might be so kind as to help me through that process using your experience in that area.

ADD EDIT:
Here's the link to the new thread I just posted in the "Interiors" Forum:
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/inte...-do-i-get.html

Thanks again for all your opinions, advice, and suggestions.

Gene

I'm on the Beaverton/Hillsboro border just west of Portland. Tell me more or post a link regarding the Cascade Crew and I'll check it out.