reversing lights not working

[razor344]

when put into reverse theres nothing from the reversing lights

i have checked the bulbs and they are fine

have taken the plug off the switch on the gearbox and joined / bridged the conectors of the plug and the lights both work

i have changed the switch in the gearbox

but still no lights

help

thanks marc

[ianaudia4]

Is the car an auto?

[mark1gls]

Was the switch in gearbox a new one?

[dozzum]

I had the same problem. Even with a new switch still couldnt make it work. Only thing I could assume was that whatever is supposed to push the switch in the gearbox was broken so I have wired up the reversing lights to a spare switch I had on my dash that was there when I bought the car.

Only problem Is Keep forgetting to turn them off so may have to put an intermittent buzzer in.

[chopperoli]

Its the connector under the brake servo, they get corroded inside

[dozzum]

Its the connector under the brake servo, they get corroded inside

He said he has bridged the connectors on the gearbox switch and it worked though, so it can't be that.

[james butler]

I have the same problem so i was going to try using a relay to bring the lights on operated by this switch.
there seems to be a commen problem with these switches as i had problems with both types of switches even after i changed the gearbox.

[dozzum]

I don't understand you James.

Here's my understanding and how I tested mine

If you bridge the pins in the gearbox switch plug (on the end of the cable) for the reversing lights do they come on?
If they do then have you tried removing the gearbox switch from the gearbox and pushing the button with your finger to see if the lights come on?


If they don't come on in the first instance but do in the second the issue is in the circuit somewhere.
If the don't come on in the second instance but do in the first the issue is the switch.

I can make my reversing lights come on by doing both of those things so therefore I have concluded it is not making proper contact with whatever is supposed to push against the switch in the gearbox. I have tried a new gearbox switch so I can only assume its something in the gearbox.

[james butler]

if you bridge the connection that goes onto the reverse light switch then the lights should come on. mine do.
however when you take the gearbox switch out and connect it up, an press it the lights sometimes come on.all the switches ive bought usually work for the first week then pack up again. a new switch does exactly the same thing, works for a week then packs in.
when i did a resistance check across the terminals of the switch there is some resistance, enough i think to stop the lights comming on.
(although im pretty sure there shouldnt be any great resistance in the switch)
i thought an idea would be to put a relay on the conector you know is working when you bridge it, then run a live from the battery through a fuse to the relay controls then to the switch and then earth.
thus when you put the car into reverse the switch will close making a circuit through the relay controls making it switch on, this will then turn the reverse lights on.
modern cars use relays for everything and i think this may be why.
similer problems are experienced with the headlight circuits and why our headlight switches are such meaty beasts to cope with heavy current draw.
with how small the reverse light switch is i dont think it can cope.
other than that i dont know
one good thing though the reverse light not working isnt an mot failure!
just an advisory.

[dozzum]

I see.
That is strange.

[ianaudia4]

I had the same problem. Even with a new switch still couldnt make it work. Only thing I could assume was that whatever is supposed to push the switch in the gearbox was broken so I have wired up the reversing lights to a spare switch I had on my dash that was there when I bought the car.

Only problem Is Keep forgetting to turn them off so may have to put an intermittent buzzer in.

Seeing as your car is an early one, with a gear change indicator on the dash (same as my Storm!), the reversing light switch is different to later models.
I had no reversing lights when I first bought my Storm, so bought a new switch.
I also had this same problem back in 1988 with my 82 GL, same issue, changed the switch and it worked.

This is a picture of the switch:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vemo-Reverse- ... 231fcea5c8

[dozzum]

Ye thats what I replaces and still it didnt work. Thats when I realised the switch doesnt seem to be being pressed by whatever it is inside the gearbox????