Reverse Lights

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Reverse Lights

Postby mrblue » Tue May 29, 2012 3:13 pm

I have a 1977 monza that had a 5speed in it and there were no reverse ligts working because someone cut them out.I have since changed it to a turbo 350 so I don't have to shift.I need to know where the reverse lights would hook up to now.I am Installing a B&M sportshifter in 2 days. I have found the neutral safty switch that was on the clutch pedel. It has a purple/white wire and then a purple wire,so I can at least have that.Thanks
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Re: Reverse Lights

Postby cjbiagi » Tue May 29, 2012 4:27 pm

The switch on the clutch pedal is not a neutral safety switch, it is a clutch safety switch. It is designed so the starter will not engage without the clutch pedal being depressed. A neutral safety switch is used with an automatic trans, and the reverse lights get their power through this switch. It is located near the shift mechanism in the console. On a manual trans car the reverse lights get their power through a switch on the transmission, so look for the wires there.
Clyde.........75 Monza 2+2
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Re: Reverse Lights

Postby mrblue » Tue May 29, 2012 4:40 pm

Thanks for letting me know it's a safety switch but he color of those wires indicate that they are for a neutral safty switch as in purple/white and purple.The person who built this car cut the wires for reverse and are now where to be found. The wires were on the old 5speed trans but were never hooked up.So I have to hunt them down and wonder where I could find them?Thanks
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Re: Reverse Lights

Postby cjbiagi » Tue May 29, 2012 4:49 pm

Ok, well not sure about the colors but the clutch switch and the reverse lights wires are two entirely different circuits. It's always tough when you have to repair something someone else did.
Clyde.........75 Monza 2+2
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Re: Reverse Lights

Postby spencerforhire » Tue May 29, 2012 5:18 pm

The clutch switch on a manual trans and the neutral safety on an automatic shifter use the same pair of purple and purple/white wires; the plug is even the same. The reverse lights that would plug into a manual trans down in the tunnel are pink(ignition+) and light green(lights) are the same wires as the ones that plug onto the OEM automatic shifter in the center console.
The "fleet"-
72 Vega HB Drag Car -383/'Glide/9"(9.35@146.19)(5.94@117.28 1/8th)
77 Vega Estate wagon- project(someday)will have TPI305/T-5, S-10 spindles/axles
76 Vega GT- 400/4spd/9" retired from active duty(rusty)
06 Silverado 2WD ex.cab daily
03 Silverado 2WD ex.cab (retired)
06 Haulin' 20ft enclosed car transporter
06 GMC Canyon Shop truck
07 Colorado project( 5.3 4L60e swap)
99 Saturn SL1- wife's car
01 Saturn SC2- son's project
07 Saturn Ion Redline project
and 4 more Saturn "parts cars"
Note- the very act of listing all of these has made me realize I have some kind of problem.....

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Re: Reverse Lights

Postby mrblue » Tue May 29, 2012 5:27 pm

Thanks,The purple/w and purple have spade ends on them now.The old 5speed trans had the plug for the reverse lights but weren't hooked up at all and never worked when I got the car.I took that trans out and there wasn't any wiring near the trans tunnel.Can I maybe find them going to the back bye the drivers or passenger side under the sill plate?
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Re: Reverse Lights

Postby spencerforhire » Tue May 29, 2012 5:53 pm

Unfortunately you can't tap into the reverse light wire under the driver's side sill; the rear body harness has aluminum wires. If you can't find the pink/lt. green pair under the car, there is a plug near the fuse block where that rear body harness plugs in with all the rear light wires(including the light green) in it. That plus the spare "ign" spade in the fuse box is all you need.
The "fleet"-
72 Vega HB Drag Car -383/'Glide/9"(9.35@146.19)(5.94@117.28 1/8th)
77 Vega Estate wagon- project(someday)will have TPI305/T-5, S-10 spindles/axles
76 Vega GT- 400/4spd/9" retired from active duty(rusty)
06 Silverado 2WD ex.cab daily
03 Silverado 2WD ex.cab (retired)
06 Haulin' 20ft enclosed car transporter
06 GMC Canyon Shop truck
07 Colorado project( 5.3 4L60e swap)
99 Saturn SL1- wife's car
01 Saturn SC2- son's project
07 Saturn Ion Redline project
and 4 more Saturn "parts cars"
Note- the very act of listing all of these has made me realize I have some kind of problem.....

Visit http://www.spencerforhire.ca
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Re: Reverse Lights

Postby mrblue » Tue May 29, 2012 7:44 pm

Thanks again, As for the wiring I see nothing under the car for the reverse lights at all. Was hoping to tap into the ones in the sill but I guess thats out now.What should i be looking for under the dash where the fuse block is for wiring.I used the ign spade for my volt guage and I take it that would be my hot lead and the other neutral.
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Re: Reverse Lights

Postby stage169 » Tue May 29, 2012 10:31 pm

spencerforhire wrote:there is a plug near the fuse block where that rear body harness plugs in with all the rear light wires(including the light green) in it. That plus the spare "ign" spade in the fuse box is all you need.


I have a 77 Skyhawk harness out of the car if you want pictures? According to the schematics I have at the fuse box the wire is 18 gauge Dark Blue (24). Only after it goes through the car some there is a 10 conductor connector and that is when it switches to the 18 guage light green.

The power is the 14 gauge tan wire (350) which is fused from the CLK LTR CTSY just below the fuel pump fuse. The fuse box connector is split in half and the dark blue wire is on the conner of one half with the tan wire above it. I think this schematic shows the wires for the B/U lamp for both manual and auto trans. Manual in the engine compartment and the Auto in the dash. Same color, same numbers.

I know Spence has been inside an out of an H and I just have some parts and books laying around. I'm at the track tomorrow but if you want pictures I'll try and squeeze them in late tomorrow night. Brian
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Re: Reverse Lights

Postby stage169 » Wed May 30, 2012 12:07 am

Connector's 12-D & F-21, this is just 12" off the main harness from the fuse box in the car. I'm not sure but it might be attached to the steering column (two mounting holes). It is upside down compared to the schematics but you can see here that the dark Blue is on one side and the light Green is on the other. You can even make out the letter "H" on the right side of the connector by the light Green wire just like the schematic shows. Also that all the wires match up to the schematic.

I'm holding the dark Blue wire for the B/U lamp switch ( in the harness it is taped up with the neutral start switch wires ) and you can see in the picture the same blue wire on the connector. Hope this helps, Brian
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Re: Reverse Lights

Postby spencerforhire » Wed May 30, 2012 6:15 am

My bad for spouting wire colors from the generic GM wiring schematic that's in my head; I wired the back up lights on both a 69 & a 70 1/2 Camaro in the last couple of weeks. The wire does indeed start out blue and only change to green at the connector to the rear body harness.
One small discrepancy; the tan wire is NOT from the CLK/LTR/CTSY fuse(if it was the reverse lights would work without the key); it's actually spliced into the 18ga yellow that's fed from the WIPER fuse in opposite corner of the box.
The "fleet"-
72 Vega HB Drag Car -383/'Glide/9"(9.35@146.19)(5.94@117.28 1/8th)
77 Vega Estate wagon- project(someday)will have TPI305/T-5, S-10 spindles/axles
76 Vega GT- 400/4spd/9" retired from active duty(rusty)
06 Silverado 2WD ex.cab daily
03 Silverado 2WD ex.cab (retired)
06 Haulin' 20ft enclosed car transporter
06 GMC Canyon Shop truck
07 Colorado project( 5.3 4L60e swap)
99 Saturn SL1- wife's car
01 Saturn SC2- son's project
07 Saturn Ion Redline project
and 4 more Saturn "parts cars"
Note- the very act of listing all of these has made me realize I have some kind of problem.....

Visit http://www.spencerforhire.ca
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Re: Reverse Lights

Postby stage169 » Wed May 30, 2012 9:23 am

I do that all the time, the schematic with the fuse block split you have to take the left and "fold" it over to the right. So that shows the tan wire #350 on the connectors & #350 on the fuse block. It is actually labeled DIR SIG BACKUP so it is NOT fed from the wiper power :D

At least you have some memory to go by mines not reliable :? Brian
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Re: Reverse Lights

Postby spencerforhire » Wed May 30, 2012 1:03 pm

Brian's GM service manual diagram is much better(and prettier 'cause it's in color) than my Mitchell and easier to follow. I am mistaken about which fuse the tan went to; my brain mistook a small black blob of ink where the tan crosses a yellow for a junction point. If I had been correct, the reverse lights would have worked in the "ACC" position as well as "IGN".
The "fleet"-
72 Vega HB Drag Car -383/'Glide/9"(9.35@146.19)(5.94@117.28 1/8th)
77 Vega Estate wagon- project(someday)will have TPI305/T-5, S-10 spindles/axles
76 Vega GT- 400/4spd/9" retired from active duty(rusty)
06 Silverado 2WD ex.cab daily
03 Silverado 2WD ex.cab (retired)
06 Haulin' 20ft enclosed car transporter
06 GMC Canyon Shop truck
07 Colorado project( 5.3 4L60e swap)
99 Saturn SL1- wife's car
01 Saturn SC2- son's project
07 Saturn Ion Redline project
and 4 more Saturn "parts cars"
Note- the very act of listing all of these has made me realize I have some kind of problem.....

Visit http://www.spencerforhire.ca
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1972 Chevrolet Vega Hatchback

Re: Reverse Lights

Postby mrblue » Wed May 30, 2012 10:17 pm

Thanks guys. I looked under the dash and couldn't find a plug at all.I do see the harness wires comming from the fuse block and the wires are taped together by the drivers kick panel so I couldn't see whats behind them. Is it ok to cut away the tape and h find the correct wires there.Thanks again Dan
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Re: Reverse Lights

Postby spencerforhire » Thu May 31, 2012 6:19 am

If the Monza was originally a manual trans car, the wires for the reverse light switch connector should be somewhere under the car or even under the hood(I can't remember where they went through the firewall). If it came from the factory with an automatic, the wires would be under the dash or most likely under the carpet near the top of the tunnel area. They're SOMEWHERE in there, trust me. If you're tired of looking, go ahead and tap into the wire as long as you're sure it's the right one. Brian posted a pic of the connector that shows the blue change to light green; that's probably the best spot to do the splice.
The "fleet"-
72 Vega HB Drag Car -383/'Glide/9"(9.35@146.19)(5.94@117.28 1/8th)
77 Vega Estate wagon- project(someday)will have TPI305/T-5, S-10 spindles/axles
76 Vega GT- 400/4spd/9" retired from active duty(rusty)
06 Silverado 2WD ex.cab daily
03 Silverado 2WD ex.cab (retired)
06 Haulin' 20ft enclosed car transporter
06 GMC Canyon Shop truck
07 Colorado project( 5.3 4L60e swap)
99 Saturn SL1- wife's car
01 Saturn SC2- son's project
07 Saturn Ion Redline project
and 4 more Saturn "parts cars"
Note- the very act of listing all of these has made me realize I have some kind of problem.....

Visit http://www.spencerforhire.ca
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Joined: Mon Jul 03, 2006 9:02 pm
Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia

1972 Chevrolet Vega Hatchback

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