Reverse/backup lights problem/ staying on all the time

Reverse/backup lights problem/ staying on all the time

Postby Red86GT » Mon Jun 22, 2015 4:27 pm

I have an 86 gt with a 3.4 conversion.

It had a 4 speed muncie with the reverse switch on the shifter. Backup lights worked properly then. I had a Isuzu 5 speed put in (a while ago) the lights stayed on all the time unless I remove the bulbs. I put it off til now to try and resolve it.

Here is what I have done so far:

Bought a new reverse switch. No change.

With reverse switch connected with two completely individual and separate wires from the harness run from the reverse switch over to the C500 Blue C1 and green E1 (per other forum postings/diagrams etc), lights stay on.

Reverse switch not connected.... rev lights stay on. Wires removed from C500..... reverse lights stay on.

Engine harness connection completely removed from the C500....the reverse lights stay on.

I remove the light harness from the C500 ...of course no lights......so I am thinking it is in the light harness. If it was a short then wouldn't the other lights be affected? Don't they share grounds? Doesn't a ground problem mean no lights rather than lights all the time?

I checked the ground under the passenger side wheel well for the light harness and it looks good. I am not great with schematics but I thought there is another ground.... I cannot find it.

I did read that a short with the blue and green wires in the engine harness part that runs by alternator to vss and to rev switch could cause an issue but I removed the two reverse light wires from the C500 and the rev lights stayed on.

It seems like the rev lights are getting power all the time with the key on regardless of revere switch not being connected? Could there be an issue at the fuse box? Nothing has changed there since I have had the car.

Does anyone have an idea of what is going on? I pulled the center console out to see if there was a ground/wire issue with the old connection there. I do not see any wires to connect to for the old switch or anything out of the ordinary. I did remove the bulbs from my ash tray lights as I do not have ash trays. I don't think that would be the issue....would it?

I would put my meter on it to test it but I have no values etc to work with to know what I would be looking at and if they are right or wrong.

Thank you in advance.

Any help would be greatly appreciated as I am losing my mind over this. :?
Red86GT
 
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Re: Reverse/backup lights problem/ staying on all the time

Postby Red86GT » Tue Jun 23, 2015 11:55 am

Update (6-23-15):

I went back over everything again and found the original console switch wires had been tuck away where i had not noticed them the first time. I un-taped them and found they had moved around and ended up making contact with each other thus making the circuit and causing the lights to stay on. So that issue is solved.
Red86GT
 
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Re: Reverse/backup lights problem/ staying on all the time

Postby Trinten » Sat Aug 22, 2015 6:49 pm

Oh wow, glad you found it!

When you say you found the original console switch... what switch are you referring to? So it was taped up someplace, had shifted, and was being pressed?
1986 Pontiac Fiero GT, 355 cubic inch small block Chevy putting down 371 HP and 381 ft/lbs torque at the wheels, with more to come!
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Re: Reverse/backup lights problem/ staying on all the time

Postby Red86GT » Sat Aug 22, 2015 6:59 pm

It was originally a 4 speed muncie with the switch on the shifter. When I took the console off I saw the wires tucked up inside the console and I guess over time from me working on the custom console and remove it and putting it back in they got moved and got close to each other and the tape moved off, they made contact and closed the circuit so when the bulbs were in they stayed on all the time.

I cleaned that up then ran new wires from the switch on the Isuzu five speed tranny to the c500 and now and all is good.

If I had realized how the reverse switch etc worked in the beginning I would have probably made a custom switch for the shifter....oh well so goes learning new things. It was easy, simple and clean rewiring the way I did so I am ok with it.
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