Reverse Switch keeps going out need help.
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Teching In
Joined: Feb 2019
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From: Bakersfield
Reverse Switch keeps going out need help. What's up guys, hope everyone is having a good Cinco De Mayo. So I'm having an issue with my reverse switch. It keeps going out on me. I've replaced it twice already and it fixed the issue the first time and lasted at least a 2 - 3 weeks (i drive alot) so I'm trying to figure out why it keeps going out on me. Seems that it goes out when I put it in reverse because I've replaced the fuse and everytime I put it in reverse it blows the fuse but If I don't put the car in reverse and just drive then the turn signals work. If you guys have any insight on this issue please let me know. Thank you.
Last edited by 6speedsolo.z28; May 6, 2019 at 08:31 PM.
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Feb 2019
Posts: 10
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From: Bakersfield
Yeah pretty much my backup lights dont come on and turn signals dont work. And everytime I replace the switch they work again. So something is burning out that back up switch. Maybe its because its an o'rileys part lol
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 11,330
Likes: 346
From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
Wow, I think I would have looked at the TURN B/U fuse first rather than the switch... especially since that's just about the only thing the two circuits have in common. If the fuse keeps blowing, I would suspect a chaffed wire to the backup switch which intermittently grounds out, blowing the fuse. That would mean that replacing the switch only fixes the problem because the chaffed wire gets moved during the process. It would also mean you already have two spare switches (the ones you replaced before).
Concur with sentiment already expressed: blind or mostly blind part swapping is inefficient. However, that is the extent of some individuals’ capabilities.
That being said, I only got 2K miles out of an O’Reilly-purchased BWD S9150 back-up light switch I installed in 2016.
That being said, I only got 2K miles out of an O’Reilly-purchased BWD S9150 back-up light switch I installed in 2016.
Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Feb 2019
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From: Bakersfield
Wow, I think I would have looked at the TURN B/U fuse first rather than the switch... especially since that's just about the only thing the two circuits have in common. If the fuse keeps blowing, I would suspect a chaffed wire to the backup switch which intermittently grounds out, blowing the fuse. That would mean that replacing the switch only fixes the problem because the chaffed wire gets moved during the process. It would also mean you already have two spare switches (the ones you replaced before).
Note, the switch I mentioned is the manual transmission Backup Lamp Switch, not the automatic transmission Park/Neutral Position Switch.
IIRC, that was my failure mode w/ the BWD switch also. 12V shorted to ground when switch made.
If you cannot do electrical troubleshooting w/ a trouble light or meter there is something you can try. Place ignition switch in Off position. Disconnect the connector. Jumper the LT GRN (light green) to BRN (brown) of the wiring connector, not the switch terminals. Do not damage the terminals. Replace fuse if necessary. Place ignition switch in Run position. If Backup Lamps turn on and fuse does not blow, switch is bad. If fuse blows, you will need to begin checking for a short to ground in LT GRN wire between the switch and the tail light assemblies. I think this is a valid troubleshooting approach. If I am in error, I apologize.
IIRC, that was my failure mode w/ the BWD switch also. 12V shorted to ground when switch made.
If you cannot do electrical troubleshooting w/ a trouble light or meter there is something you can try. Place ignition switch in Off position. Disconnect the connector. Jumper the LT GRN (light green) to BRN (brown) of the wiring connector, not the switch terminals. Do not damage the terminals. Replace fuse if necessary. Place ignition switch in Run position. If Backup Lamps turn on and fuse does not blow, switch is bad. If fuse blows, you will need to begin checking for a short to ground in LT GRN wire between the switch and the tail light assemblies. I think this is a valid troubleshooting approach. If I am in error, I apologize.
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Thread Starter
Teching In
Joined: Feb 2019
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From: Bakersfield
Note, the switch I mentioned is the manual transmission Backup Lamp Switch, not the automatic transmission Park/Neutral Position Switch.
IIRC, that was my failure mode w/ the BWD switch also. 12V shorted to ground when switch made.
If you cannot do electrical troubleshooting w/ a trouble light or meter there is something you can try. Place ignition switch in Off position. Disconnect the connector. Jumper the LT GRN (light green) to BRN (brown) of the wiring connector, not the switch terminals. Do not damage the terminals. Replace fuse if necessary. Place ignition switch in Run position. If Backup Lamps turn on and fuse does not blow, switch is bad. If fuse blows, you will need to begin checking for a short to ground in LT GRN wire between the switch and the tail light assemblies. I think this is a valid troubleshooting approach. If I am in error, I apologize.
IIRC, that was my failure mode w/ the BWD switch also. 12V shorted to ground when switch made.
If you cannot do electrical troubleshooting w/ a trouble light or meter there is something you can try. Place ignition switch in Off position. Disconnect the connector. Jumper the LT GRN (light green) to BRN (brown) of the wiring connector, not the switch terminals. Do not damage the terminals. Replace fuse if necessary. Place ignition switch in Run position. If Backup Lamps turn on and fuse does not blow, switch is bad. If fuse blows, you will need to begin checking for a short to ground in LT GRN wire between the switch and the tail light assemblies. I think this is a valid troubleshooting approach. If I am in error, I apologize.
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Verdad Gallardo Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 11,330
Likes: 346
From: Jacksonville, FL (originally from Toronto Canada)
If you cannot do electrical troubleshooting w/ a trouble light or meter there is something you can try. Place ignition switch in Off position. Disconnect the connector. Jumper the LT GRN (light green) to BRN (brown) of the wiring connector, not the switch terminals. Do not damage the terminals. Replace fuse if necessary. Place ignition switch in Run position. If Backup Lamps turn on and fuse does not blow, switch is bad. If fuse blows, you will need to begin checking for a short to ground in LT GRN wire between the switch and the tail light assemblies. I think this is a valid troubleshooting approach. If I am in error, I apologize.
One other thing to consider is that both sides of the switch carry power (i.e. it's not a grounding switch). That means you can narrow down whether the short is before or after the switch by the behavior. If the fuse blows even though not in reverse (your turn signals stop working) then you know the short is before the backup switch somewhere in the brown wire. If the fuse only blows while in reveres then you know that the short must be after the switch somewhere in the green wire.
That's not a bad idea except that the short appears to be intermittent as though it only happens when the wire moves and touches something metal. That means that you could bypass the switch with a jumper and still not have it blow the fuse because it wasn't touching metal at the time. That would lead you to replace the switch even though the wire was still the problem. If there was a dead short all the time then your method would be a good way to determine if it was wiring or the switch.
One other thing to consider is that both sides of the switch carry power (i.e. it's not a grounding switch). That means you can narrow down whether the short is before or after the switch by the behavior. If the fuse blows even though not in reverse (your turn signals stop working) then you know the short is before the backup switch somewhere in the brown wire. If the fuse only blows while in reveres then you know that the short must be after the switch somewhere in the green wire.
One other thing to consider is that both sides of the switch carry power (i.e. it's not a grounding switch). That means you can narrow down whether the short is before or after the switch by the behavior. If the fuse blows even though not in reverse (your turn signals stop working) then you know the short is before the backup switch somewhere in the brown wire. If the fuse only blows while in reveres then you know that the short must be after the switch somewhere in the green wire.
ETA
He could just unplug the BU Lamp Switch (if M6) and drive w/o BU lamps for a while to determine if there is an intermittent short to ground in the brown wire.
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Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 205
Likes: 26
From: Houston, Texas
I have this same problem...... I have been replacing BU lamp switches many times and it always started working again no problem this last time I replaced the switch it has done nothing and fuse continues to blow. I will remove tail light assembly this weekend and begin to follow green wire.