backup lights
 

my backup lights on my '72 don't work. is replacing the switch, wherever that is, fairly simple to do? Anyone ever take steps to get their backup lights working, care to share?

i have been over the hill and thru the woods to get mine to work:rolleyes:

the switch is at the bottom of the steering collium next to the fire wall.....it's a combo neutral safety switch,,,,and reverse light switch....held by two screws...in the back that you might not be able to see...do it by feel......
make sure you get the notch lined up with the tab on the collium...
i did all that and still did not work....
all tho the switch was broken...come to find out the power wire going to the reverse lights had none....ran a wire from the fuse box to the switch....working great now.....
mark

Rage'nrat638 heres one for you. I have no wires that I can see that hooks up to my backup light switch on my 68. Can you describe what the piece that connects to the backup light switch looks like?

Thanks

going out to take photo's be right back

Do you have 3 on the tree, 4 speed, or automatic transmission as the switches are different for each one?

Jim

saftey side of switch

these pics. are a atuomatic th400
two greens are the reverse wire's
the two purple wires are the safety side of the switch:D

hope this helps guys

If green and purple are standard then I know what color wire to look for.

Thanks for the pics.

Ragnrat you are too cool! I'm going out to the truck to check it out

Ragenrat how are the reverse lights run to the lamps? Whats the path the wires take so I can trace them if needed.

Thanks again

back up lights going to the rear will be on a light green wire. The harness that plugs into the reverse/neutral switch is an L shaped connector

the two green wires......
one green wire come's from the fuse box ...POWER
THE OTHER GREEN WIRE....is from the the reverse light's them selves....
ends up with the 4 wires going to the rear of the truck

Thanks! Now I know what to look for.

I normally like to start off here.
Unplug the harness I am pointing to. There will be 4 wires in there, touch each one with a wife going to teh batery while some one else is looking at the lights out back. If your back up lights work like this, then you know the problem will be inside the cab.
Mostly I do this becouse I have a fubared back and would be pretty POd to spend an hr doing the under dash boogie just to find it was a broken wire from a hacked in trailer hitch.

Ok I took a look and I do not see the 2 plugs that you are showing me. It is possible they were cut loose by the previous owner. If that is the case what will I need to do? Can I wire one up or does this mean new wiring harness?

Thanks

the rear light harness if yours is not there it shouldn't be hard to get from a junker somewhere. It unplugs right there at the firewall runs the length of the DS framerail and then has another plug just like the one shown in the rear by the bumper. If you don't want to get a new harness you could just get some spade connectors and run some new 4 wires to the back. I would think that should be fairly simple.

A good 4 wire harness to use would be to get a trailer wiring setup of sufficient length to go from the firewal back to the lights. Just a thought since they are close in color and fused together already. :D

Mark you have become a pro at these trucks in a very short time! I'm sooo proud!! :D

If you have brake/taillights your wires are probably there.You probably are just missing from the switch to the firewall. Or it may be wrapped up in the underdash harness somewhere.