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Reverse Lights

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jjbunn

jjbunn

Jedi Knight
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I'm coming back to a problem I shelved a couple of months ago, due to lack of inspiration: the reverse lights on Harold do not light up.

I've checked the bulbs and the bulb connectors, and they're fine.

Under what conditions should the reverse lights come on? When the ignition is on, and reverse gear is engaged? Or does the engine have to be running?(!)

The reverse light switch that is mounted on the transmission in the transmission tunnel: does that ever fail?

What's a good plan of attack to solve this mystery?

Thanks!
 
I would suggest that the ign must be on and it must be in reverse.

Start with the wireing and see if you have power to the switch (always), then power out (under what conditions) then to the lights, then good ground, good bulbs. As the old time electric folks would say, ring it out.

Just might spend 30 min on it Julian.
 
Ignition on, and reverse selected should turn the lights on Julian. It's time to break out the VOM and find where the power is. You should have power through the switch under the above conditions. If you do, then it's just a process of elimination to discover where you're losing it.
Yes, the switches do fail. Mr. Lucas would have it no other way.
Jeff
 
a wiring diagram will help too. Advance Auto Wire has some you can down load and print out in color.

Coincidentally, do your brake lights still work?

I had an experience this weekend while installing an electric fan in my '76. I ended up with no reverse lights, and no brake lights. The fault turned out to be the brake lights and the reverse lights draw their power from the same hot lead. So when the lead that feeds both circuits lost connection I lost both. I had to use a wiring diagram to trace down the wire that I accidentally disconnected. As luck would have it, it turned out to be a wire I'd disconnected from the fuse block and forgot to reconnect.
 
Thanks for the input, folks.

I *think* I have brake lights ... but now I'm going to check for sure!

Getting test leads up into that transmission tunnel, and hooking them onto the switch contacts, sounds like a challenge, but possible.
 
Before you crawl around under it, find out which wire supplies power and check it at the Lucar connector at the right front of the bulkhead in the engine bay. The rear harness dives under the car there. If voltage is present then go to the back (all of this with a test light or VOM, of course) and see if it's making the trip to the terminals on the reverse lights. If not, get a reverse light switch and do the rest all at once. /bcforum/images/%%GRAEMLIN_URL%%/wink.gif

Chances are VERY good the switch is dicky.
 
I had one fail on my ex's 68 B. I put a ohmmeter on the switch, threw it in reverse, and the switch stayed open. I love Lucas electrics. Not the first or last time the prince of darkness has struck me.
 
1965_MGB said:
I had one fail on my ex's 68 B. I put a ohmmeter on the switch, threw it in reverse, and the switch stayed open. I love Lucas electrics. Not the first or last time the prince of darkness has struck me.
Click to expand...

How easily did you get the ohmmeter leads onto the switch? Last time I was under the car looking up at that, it looked awfully tight to get a hand in and attach leads.

Thanks!
 
I'm thinking gator clips?
 
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