Reverse lights

[RedD250]

I have to wiggle the shift lever around before the backup lights will come on. Seems that the lever has to be pressed toward park to get them to engage and stay on, but it doesn't always work. I'll be pulling my dash out this week to change some burned out bulbs and send the speedometer off to be repaired, so I figured I'd see about this too... anybody know what I should look for back there? Thanks!

 

[NIsaacs]

I don't have an auto on my 1st gen, but maybe the switch is external on the steering column, like my old Ford? It is adjustable.

 

[RedD250]

I got the column all apart, but I don't see anything obvious that could be the switch. I attached some pix if anyone can point me in the right direction. Any help appreciated!

 

[dodgenstein]

Brake light switch is the 3 wire plug on driver side of trans just above pan rail parallel to ground. Probably a shifter bushing issue. May be able to adjust linkage to compensate

 

[dodgenstein]

Sorry meant reverse light switch

 

[RedD250]

I just crawled under there and everything feels really tight. I had somebody cycle through all the gears and I don't feel any play. Could that switch on the transmission be the problem? I do notice that I don't have to pull the column lever toward me to run through the gears after I get it out of park. It's really easy to overshoot reverse and go to neutral and I sometimes end up in 2 instead of D.

 

[dodgenstein]

I've never had a switch go bad, but it's possible. I've seen a lot of wear issues where the bellcrank rod is suspended between the frame bracket and the bracket on the trans. Both bushing wear and wear on the shaft.

 

[RedD250]

It was the switch. Finally got the ambition to crawl under there and replace it. Glad I did my homework before I did it, or I'd have ended up with a face full of transmission fluid lol. They may as well still be broken for all the good they do lol... time for some LED spotlights. But at least my backup camera stays on now