Reverse Light Switch

[205*31* 0]

Anyone with a quick answer? I chopped what I think was the reverse light connector of not making a note of wiring its a purple and brown wire anyone tell me what pin 1 and 2 colours are to go to switch?

 

cheers.

[Anthony 1,000]

Doesn't matter - it's just a simple switch that completes the circuit when you put the car in reverse, so the wires can go either way around

[DrSarty 90 1 Cars]

But they're live* IIRC! So if you touch metal/ground a wire, you're likely to blow the fuse.

 

*When the ignition's on.

[Anthony 1,000]

The switch doesn't ground either wires, just completes a circuit between the two wires - hence not mattering which wire goes to which pin.

[DrSarty 90 1 Cars]

I know mate, it completes a circuit in a 12v switched live line.

 

If the OP for some strange reason has his ignition on at the time, and the live of those 2 were to touch the gearbox/earth then it would blow a fuse, and his reverse light wouldn't work still, so he'd be back where he'd started.

[205*31* 0]

Well guys I have connected the switch up but I am not getting any reverse light coming on

 

I have took a picture of some wiring at back where lights are. The first picture is a red spade type connector not connected to anything on passenger side if I connect this to the light (which already has a spade connected wire to it) then it seems to make a constant live feed as the indicator bulb stays on?

 

On the second picture it looks like someone has cut the green wire and made a spade connection and this wire runs right through car to a connection under steering column? some sort of earth?? The last picture shows the connection under steering column.

 

Any ideas what these do and why reverse light not coming on?

 

I have the bulbs btw and they are both fine

[miamichris 9]

That last pic is your brake light switch, if i'm not mistaken

[DrSarty 90 1 Cars]

The reverse light switch is on your gearbox!!!

[205*31* 0]

The reverse light switch is on your gearbox!!!

 

Hi drsarty yes I have connected the 2 pin terminal to the switch on the gearbox it was a purple and brown wire coming from loom presume this was reverse light switch?

[DrSarty 90 1 Cars]

So why have you shown a picture of your brake pedal and associated brake light switch?

 

In short - and it's the simplest circuit in the world - 12v will 'come down' (when the ignition is on) one of the 2 wires in your 9-pin brown multiplug under the steering column, which are usually at pins 8 & 9 i.e. next to each other. They are usually brick red and a kind of purple.

 

Both of these 2 wires, with 12v gojng down one of them go to the reverse switch (on the gearbox) through the bulkhead, and then back through the bulkhead, back through the brown plug and off to the bulb at the back, which is earthed locally.

 

****

 

Firstly (after checking the fuse in the fusebox) I'd check I'm getting 12v at one of the 2 wires at the reverse light bulb and that the bulb's ok.

 

Then I would test you have 12v at one of those pins on the 9-pin brown multiplug when the ignition's on.

 

Then I'd check it gets to the plug which connects to the reverse light switch on the top of the gearbox.

 

Then I'd put the gearbox in reverse, and see if the other of those 2 pins get 12v then.

 

***

 

Reverse light switches rarely fail, but if you do the above tests, you'll narrow down where the issue is. It could also just be the bulb fitting.

[205*31* 0]

So why have you shown a picture of your brake pedal and associated brake light switch?

 

In short - and it's the simplest circuit in the world - 12v will 'come down' (when the ignition is on) one of the 2 wires in your 9-pin brown multiplug under the steering column, which are usually at pins 8 & 9 i.e. next to each other. They are usually brick red and a kind of purple.

 

Both of these 2 wires, with 12v gojng down one of them go to the reverse switch (on the gearbox) through the bulkhead, and then back through the bulkhead, back through the brown plug and off to the bulb at the back, which is earthed locally.

 

****

 

Firstly (after checking the fuse in the fusebox) I'd check I'm getting 12v at one of the 2 wires at the reverse light bulb and that the bulb's ok.

 

Then I would test you have 12v at one of those pins on the 9-pin brown multiplug when the ignition's on.

 

Then I'd check it gets to the plug which connects to the reverse light switch on the top of the gearbox.

 

Then I'd put the gearbox in reverse, and see if the other of those 2 pins get 12v then.

 

***

 

Reverse light switches rarely fail, but if you do the above tests, you'll narrow down where the issue is. It could also just be the bulb fitting.

 

Just wondered what the wires in the picture were for thats all drsarty especially the one someone has wired up which is like an earth that runs right through my 205

 

Thanks drsarty i'll try your checks out

 

lee.

Edited September 16, 2010 by 205*31*