• Hi Guest!
    You can help ensure that British Car Forum (BCF) continues to provide a great place to engage in the British car hobby! If you find BCF a beneficial community, please consider supporting our efforts with a subscription.

    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

Reverse Lights Switch

jerrybny

Jedi Knight
Offline
Has anyone ever replaced the reverse light switch on the tranny before w/o pulling the tranny tunnel? Thanks
 
If your reverse light switch is located on the top of the gearbox as is generally the case I would say this is an impossible task. You have to get a wrench around the switch to remove it.
 
I forget, but can't you access these switches by taking out the shift lever and both boots? Worth a try.

Bill
 
Have you verified it is the switch? Almost always it is a ground or the Lucar bullet connectors have corroded.
I have never tried to reach the switch from the bottom, but with a short open ended wrench you might be able to reach it without the removing the tranny cover, but I would think it unlikely, unless you have arms like twiggy.
 
Hi,

I pulled off the rubber shift lever boot on my TR4 and took a peek. It might be posible to get at the switch from above, if the shift lever were also removed. One long and one short bolt will get the lever out of the way. But watch in case the anti-rattle plunger and spring fall out of the hole near the bottom of the shift lever, when you lift it out. Then, with the right wrench, you *might* be able to get the reverse light switch out through the lever hole in the gearbox cover. It will probably be a lot trickier to get it back in, frankly!

On your car, I think you will need to remove the lower dash support yoke and piece surrounding the shift lever (TR4 just has the separate rubber boot). You've got nothing to looe trying this. I'm pretty certain you won't be able to get to it from below, and after you remove the lower dash support, there's not a lot more that needs to come out to go ahead and remove the gearbox cover, if necessary.

I agree with the other suggestion, check all the grounds first before assuming it's the switch. (Those original switches seem to last forever.)
 
I ran a seperate ground to the bulb connector and it still didn't light up. Thats why I figure its either the switch or the wiring that goes to it. I have no 12v at the bulb connector either. Thought I might luck out and not have to pull the cover to check for voltage. All the guages and stuff on the same circuit work so its not the fuse or the fuse box. well it looks like I have some more investigation to do. Thanks all
 
If your TR6 is like my GT6, you can check for 12v where the harness wires attach to the switch wires. My bullet connections are down around the oil filter. TR6 may be on the other side like my TR-4A. There you can check if 12v are going into the switch, and coming out. Be sure to have the ignition switch on, and in reverse when you check.
 
You probably have done this but, I would feel amiss if I didn't suggest it - disconnect the two wires that pass thru the tranny cover on the right side ( at least that is where mine are). With a volt/ohm meter check for continuity across the switch with the tranny in reverse - simple. If so, then your problem lies elsewhere and the replacement of the switch will not be necessary. I agree with Alan, these switches are pretty bullet proof.

Good Luck

Good Luck
 
Hi again gang,

There are also a couple bladed connectors right at the switch itself that might be worth checking. In fact, because of their location, these are possibly more prone to corrosion problems than other connectors in the curcuit. Personally I'd check *all* the connectors and wires in the circuit before pulling out the switch for replacement.

One other possibility: The switch itself might be loose. If it were, it could back out of the mounting hole enough that the plunger isn't making contact. And, I'm not certain, but there could be fiber washer/shims under these switches, to adjust the point where the switch activates (there often are under the same switches when they are used on the gearbox top to actuate an overdrive).

Cheers!
 
Well I solved the no reverse lights problem. It turned out to be one of the two wires that go thru the transmission cover was unplugged. Thanks for the suggestion to check them. On to the next project. Replacing the dashpad.
 
Back
Top