back up lights
 

What are the back up lights hooked up to? where is the connection? My haines does not say a thing about them...got new bulbs thinking the old ones were burned out but that wasnt it. I'm thinking a loose connection/short somewhere. Any ideas????
Appreciate the help.
btw its on a 90

The switch is on the Tranny on the Drivers side I believe. Maybe it came un plugged or went bad. Good luck.

yeah same with mine they dont work. what does the switch look like?

its very common on RXs and Miatas to have the switch leak internally and the contacts get dirty. This then doesn't allow the lights to come on when the car is in reverse.

Two options to fix the problem:

One: replace the switch (its on the back of the tranny)

Two: Put an automotive relay inline with the switch to the back up lights. Generally the switch still allows a little current through even when its very very gummed up, but not the 5 amps that the lights draw. So you add a relay so the switch activates the relay and then the relay activates the lights (since most automotive relays are rated for about 20 or 30 amps, 5 amps of current is nothing).

Yeah, I've had the same problem, so that's were that damn thing is. I didn't have time to completely take apart the electrical system so i went with something similar to Icemark's suggestion and installed a switch off the 12V on the ignition and tapped into the wires leading to the tail lights at the rear of the car.

It took some getting used to operating a seperate switch when i go to back up but i don't even notice it now.

Anyways, thanks i plan to look into cleaning up the switch on the tranny so i can get my lights working properly.

~ Phu5ion

i had that problem too, but all i had to do was plug the harness back in. it is on the tranny on the drivers side. after i did this, my reverse lights have worked fine.

Well if you want to do the relay set up, run to radio shack or your local car stereo place and get a 12 volt automotive relay.

You can wire the relay in the drivers kick panel.

There is a number next to the pins on the relay, wire as follows:

85 to ground

Cut the reverse light wire Red/Green

The cut reverse light wire going to the front goes to 86

The cut reverse light going to the rear goes to 87

30 goes to the Black/yellow coming from the fuse box in the drivrs kick panel or through a 7.5 amp fuse to the black/white at the ignition switch.

and 87A (if on your relay) is not used.

I have sort of the same problem but its with my 5th gear. The car doesnt know when I am in 5th and the shift up light comes on on the highway. I did a continuity test on the switch and it seemed to have contact, now that I hear it may still be a weak connection maybe I will take it apart and see.

BTW, the 5th gear switch is part of the same thing on the tranny.

I didnt think it was a common problem...guess it is.
My question is whether you get to the switch from inside the car or underneath? I have no clue as to where it is.
A little more help! My friend is getting a 87 T2 w/shope repair manual hopefully it'll be in there but just in case, driver side where(inside or under)?

Underneath. You will see the wires coming down from around the starter area, just trace them back to the Tranny. On the upper Drivers side. Good luck.

so can i do this while the car is on jack stands or do i hvae to have it on a lift???

You can do it on jack stands. I crawled up under there and snapped some pictures, so you've got to be able to reach it. It's just a tight fit. :)

-Derek

if you snapped pictures, can you post them or send them to me and maybe circle where the switch would be?? that would be nice.

Not too tight a fit...
 

I re-did mine while the trans was out, they were all mangled by the idiot that pulled the trans out before without first disconnecting the switch wire:confused:

I did re-connect them (of course) when the trans was back in the car, so repair would be pretty easy then as well.

Sorry I haven't gotten the pics up yet. I'll try and do it Sunday since I have to work all day today. I have to go to a shop where a fellow RX-7 friend here in Topeka will be taken his FC to get exhaust work. He wants to check out my exhaust so that he can custom fab something similar. I'll take some pics then if nothing else, as it will be up on the lift. I'll post them asap.

-Derek

pics
up

pics :)
 

So.. They up?

yea i want then
lets go

pics please.

yeah how about those pics?

Sorry guys. I've been busy since school just started back up. I was supposed to take some pics while the car was on a lift at an exhaust shop (a fellow enthusiast is referencing it for a custom setup), but the guy wasn't there when I went buy. Guess I'll have to jack it up and snap the pics. I'll do it as soon as I can. Sorry about it taking so long.

-Derek

Hey Saabguy, you must be the last RX-7 driver on earth with the "shift up" light still plugged in.

LOL

Do you think you will be able to get the pictures up, or should i just go ahead and free ball it?

How does one unplug the "Shift Up" light?!!?