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However, i am wondering how the action works for the reverse lights to activate. I am currently getting the gas tank repaired, so I am not able to run the car. Will the reverse lights turn on when i shift into reverse and the car isn't moving but the power is on?
Reverse light circuit energized with key in run position,engine does not need to be running. Basically key on and jumper wires at reverse switch on trans,reverse lights should be on.
I was about to say the same bit about the engine needing to be running but I went out and checked my SA and nope, works with the key in the run position and the engine off. Funny too because for the longest time I thought the engine had to be running. Guess I learned something as well
Alright, hoping i can get some more help on this. I'm am pretty good with mechanical things, I have fairly little knowledge when it comes to troubleshooting electrical issues.
So I got down below the car yesterday and was checking out the transmission looking for where the wires go to the back up switch and found they were unplugged. So i tried to clean them up a bit and plugged them back together by guessing which wires go where, because i don't really know the colours and what they mean.
I then tried to see if they would turn on if i shifted the car into reverse with the key turned. Didn't seem to work, and gas was shooting everywhere as the gas tank has been removed so I stopped that. Maybe the car does need to be running and moving on an older SA model?
Another question I have is how do I troubleshoot this with a multi-meter? What kind of reading would I be looking for?
Key needs to be in run position to energize reverse light circuit.
Disconnect fuel pump for duration of reverse light circuit testing.
Test light would be easiest but with a multi meter... turn key to on and find a good ground. Trans case is a good ground,scratch case with negative test lead terminal and unplug both leads from reverse light switch and probe both connectors for power. One should have @12 volts.
If 12 volts is available at one of bullet connectors,you can use a small jumper wire and jump both wires together and now you should have bulbs illuminated(1156 bulb) or voltage to terminal going to bottom of reverse light bulb socket.
The metal side of reverse light socket is ground side of circuit and a jumper wire could be used to supply ground to wire that goes to side of socket to complete circuit and you should have an illuminated bulb at this point. Should be able to figure out from here which side of circuit has problem.
Back at reverse switch leads on trans...set multimeter to 200 ohm scale and connect one test lead to each of reverse light switch wires. When transmission is put into reverse,you should see.5-.8 ohm as continuity.
Post back results of your tests for further direction.
All went relatively well. just really had to restudy the wiring diagram to understand what was going on. Ended up being that I had connected the wrong set of wires. The wires I connected were meant for the overdrive switch located near the back of the transmission, except when i looked for the area in which those wires were supposed to be plugged in there was nothing.. not sure what was up with that.
Anyways, reverse lights now work, thanks for the help everyone.
No Reverse Lights SA22C
