reverse lights - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

springy · 10-14-2004, 02:19 PM

I have a 1988 toyota pickup with automatic transmission. The problem is when I place the transmisssion into reverse I get no reverse lights. The bulbs and sockets are good. Is there a switch on the transmission that is used for turning on the lights? Is this switch tied into the neutral start switch? Is there a procedure to check this switch to see if there is a problem? Is there a fuse in line some place that might have gone bad? I could use some help to troubleshoot this problem. thanks

texas12 · 10-14-2004, 05:22 PM

I do believe that it is tied in with the neutral safety switch on the side of the transmission and there is a connector for it by the starter. I'll try to find a wiring diag.

JohnCWms27 · 10-14-2004, 05:25 PM

i have the same problem - what many people have told me is that its the neutral safety switch. Sometimes you can jiggle it and it will work but if its broken its gonna be expensive to get a new one unless u go to a junkyard

texas12 · 10-15-2004, 08:08 AM

See if this helps for the neutral safety switch. There should be continuity between RB & RL when selector is in reverse. These should be on a round connector with RB on left/tab on top.
I show another switch for the backup lights also. Is there a switch on the selector?

springy · 10-15-2004, 08:28 AM

Thanks for getting back to me texas12. The information that you have given is helpful. I will check the continuity between the two post over the weekend and see if the switch is bad. These are not cheap switches and I don't want to have to replace it if I don't have to. thanks !!

JohnCWms27 · 10-15-2004, 08:31 AM

where exactly is the switch? i could never find it and I still have no reverse lights...

texas12 · 10-15-2004, 02:33 PM

Hey Camry Dude,
If you are talking about the location of the neutral safety switch, it is mounted on the transmission were the selector linkage is attached. But remember, this is a truck forum, not sure about a little girly car.

By the way, if you remove the switch, it is serviceable. A couple screws on the backside and you can clean the contact points. Pretty simple design, hard to screw up trying. And it might save you 200 bones on a new one.

D'mon · 10-17-2004, 10:11 AM

Suggestion:

Backup lights are useless anyway. Buy a couple of tractor work lights, mount them under your back bumper and run them off a lighted toggle switch. This way, when you need to back up in a dark area (like on a heavily wooded trail with no light for five miles), you will not back into a tree or ditch. It's ok to challenge yourself, but there's nothing worse than being hung up in the dark.

Just my 2 cents.
D'mon