Dakota backup lights switch?

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jmc - 16 Mar 2006 18:49 GMT

Well, we're getting ready to leave this fair but rainy climate for
something a little warmer. Thusly, I had the truck in to have the
lights converted back to US standards. Over the last three years, I've
had no backup lights, as they've been rewired to be turn signals - the
UK requires white turn signals in back, but oddly does not require
backup lights.

I've hated not having those lights, and was looking forward to actually
being able to see what I was backing into at night.

But, alas, the mechanic tells me that the lights don't work, and they've
traced it to the switch. I, of course, have little idea what he's
talking about. Acquiring a part isn't too hard, we'll be back in the
USA for a couple months between tours... but, is the switch something I
can replace myself? I don't know if Australia requires backup lights or
not, but I do want them working ASAP.

So, my question is, where exactly is this switch? Is it
user-replaceable? Why did the thing break in the first place? It was
explained that the switch would be activated whenever I put the truck in
reverse, whether or not it's actually lighting the lamps. Is that true?

Thanks for any help!

jmc

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Tom Lawrence - 17 Mar 2006 05:19 GMT

> So, my question is, where exactly is this switch? Is it user-replaceable?
> Why did the thing break in the first place?

The switch is easy to replace. It's on the transmission. Need to know year
and auto/manual trans to pinpoint it, but if you have a manual trans, the
back-up switch is screwed into the passenger side of the rear housing. With
the ignition switch on, disconnect the connector from this switch, and jump
the two terminals in the connector. If the backup lights come on, you've
got a bad switch. Unscrew and replace.

On an automatic trans, it's a combination park/neutral switch, and is
located on the driver's side, very close to the shift linkage. The pinouts
here could vary based on your year, but if it's a three-pin connector, one
pin will have voltage on it (with the ignition on). Jumper this pin to both
of the others (one is the neutral sense, the other is the backup lamp feed),
and check the lights. As above, if they come on, the P/N switch is bad.
This unscrews as well, but you're going to leak fluid as you change it, so
be prepared with a drain pan, and replace the lost fluid after you're done.

If you don't find any voltage at the connector, check for a blown fuse
(probably did that already, but if you have no voltage, check again). If
voltage is there, but jumping the connector pins doesn't light the lamps,
you've got problems upstream, and then you need a wiring diagram to start
tracing things out.

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