Reverse Lights Not Working

[Swendog]

OK...read most of the threads and this is what I have done so far:

1. Verified that spade connectors are connected to the switch and wire is not frayed/shorted.
2. Pulled shift rubber shift seal. Connector is intact and in the interior of the car (since it is still going thru the hole in the rubber seal, I am assuming it is original).
3. Separated the connector, started car, put into reverse and measured voltage across the connector- it's ZERO.

Based upon above, I assume switch is bad. Make sense? If so, is it possible to replace the switch without removing the heat shield? I assume you don't have to remove the tranny to do this!

Thanks
Swen

[Todd Black 88]

Pull the plug under the shift boot and jumper it. Turn the car on and see if it lights up. If it does, the problem is either the wiring from that plug to the switch, the switch itself, or internal to the transmission. You can also pull the wires from the actual switch and jumper them together to rule out the wiring under the car.

[vpilarrt]

With the car on there should be 12V on the green/white wire (to ground, not the blue white wire) going through the connector to the switch. In other words, the whole harness and switch sends 12V to the light bulbs.

[alex23]

Put a new reverse valve , and its done :)

[Swendog]

Thanks all for your input. I jumpered the terminals on the side going back to the lights and with the car on, the reverse lights did NOT come on.

I also put an ohmeter across the terminal on the side going to the switch. With car in reverse, meter shows "0". With car in neutral, meter shows "1". So it appears that the switch and wiring TO the switch is fine. It must be in the wiring going back to the lights.

[Cephas]

My money is on the switch. I've had 2 go bad. Pretty easy fix.

[Swendog]

I would agree with you but for the fact that when I tested with ohmeter, with shifter in reverse (circuit closed if switch is functioning properly), resistence was zero.