Reverse Switch
 

87 TII drive train in an 88 convertible.
My reverse switch has an internal short to ground, causing the meter fuse to blow every time I put it in reverse. Nothing new here, it's a common problem, right?

So this came to my attention 5 years ago, and I'm tired of not having reverse lights.

Fast forward, and here I am now looking for a new switch, and it seems pretty impossible.

My car does not have the factory ECU, and I no longer have a shift light. So the fact that the reverse switch is also the 5th gear switch is useless. I just need a reverse switch.

So is it possible to use the NA switch? Same thread pitch? Will it still actuate in reverse (but not function as a 5th switch?)

I realize they're not the same, but I just want to know if installing the NA switch in a TII trans will actuate the reverse lights?

Or is there some other way of fixing this issue? I saw a post from icemark years back about taking it apart and cleaning it out. Anyone tried that?

I've never really had experience with using a different switch as mine have always worked...
However, I also don't see why you couldn't make your own circuit with the switch connected to a new relay with its only purpose was to route power to the reverse lights? It's only a few wires and a new relay as with any circuit.

NA " M " box switch is different

any jap import FC gearbox will have a two wire switch ( reverse only ) that i expect are not in the same demand as the 4 wire switches on oz and US vehicles

hints the rx5 5 spd ( the early "R" box ) has the right switch

Well, the rx5 isn't very common in the states, but I'm sure the Japanese model could be sourced easily enough.

I considered using the switch as a switched ground, but I'm not too sure how reliable it is as a ground seeing as it wasn't designed for that. The question then would be "how long will it last at that point?"

well, if you use it as a switched ground for a relay, you'll only be passing 100 ma through it or so, it can definitely handle that.

I had to take apart the switch & clean it out on my transmission when I first did the turbo swap - the worst part was just cutting some of the crimping between the metal housing & the switch out so that you could get to the guts of it. It wasn't difficult at all, just make sure you think about how you're going to re-attach the metal housing to the switch.

why not just get a new switch? https://www.mazdatrix.com/86-92Electrical-Chassis.htm

I had a similar problem with my reverse switch. Wasn't shorting out - a wire was broken where it entered at the epoxy/goo at the switch. I got another switch when I swapped trannies with a buddy. Gonna try the above sometime on the bad switch.

at 169 bucks for that switch I would rather have the GF get out of the car with a flashlight!

When our JDM Tii arrived the reverse switch was broken off but the plunger and base were still there. I hooked up a 12v button switch like you'd get at Radio Shack by using that epoxy clay. I think I had the wrong type of switch and had to hook up a relay to reverse it but it worked fine for several years.

Well, Ido know how to search quite well. After a lot of searching, I found nothing for an S4 transmission. The mazdatrix website says it's for an S5, and I can't tell if that's the same as for an S4 or not. And at $170, I'm not just going to order it and hope for the best. I think I'll try my hand at disassembling it to see what's inside. If it breaks, it's nothing lost, so I only have something to gain at this point.

I don't know if it's the same switch cause of the whole s5/s4 but I have a two pole S5 (t2) reverse switch laying around... Happens to be the only part I'm selling that I don't have a picture for but if you are interested pm me.