No reversing lights?

Reversing lights stayed on

flickered and then offaltogether and no dont work at all

allother lights work ok

checked bulbs etc ok

any clues?

i think it maybe the switch , have waggled the matchbox sized connector attached to the gearbox and cleaned connectors etc to no avail

are there any other places I should look? could the switch fail? how does it work?

cheers
(formerly chris g on the old forum)

If you search the old site there was quite abit about this. To test the circuit, pull the plug of the gear box switch and use a piece of wire to join the pins together on the loom side. I forget which pair is which but with the ignition on the reversing lights should come on with one or the other (the other being the econometer). If this is so your switch is dead. If no lights there is something wrong down stream (fuses, bulbs, earths in the boot etc). If it is the switch, you have problems. Its obsolete and it?s a pain to remove. You need a bi-hex tool not an allen key. Some people have had success pulling it to bits and cleaning up the contacts. Be aware that many suppliers will sell you a MK11 GTI version which looks the same and fits but has different pinouts.

On mine I thought the switch may have gone but it ended up to be another connection that had got corroded. Follow two of the wires from the gearbox mounted switch and only about 1/2 a metre along the wires you'll find the connector (these are the reverse light switch wires!). Its whiteish in colour and the contacts inside are basically spade connectors (making it an ideal point to test the circuit for voltage and to test the switch for continuity).

Now I've cleaned the contacts my reverse lights work but only if I wiggle the gear lever when in reverse gear! I took the gearbox mounted switch off and tested it but found this to be ok. I think when I get round to replacing my very worn gear linkage bushes the lights will some on when they should.

Cheers,

Ross

I think you have damp in the gearbox switch connection causing the lights to stay on that has now corroded the connectors so they don't work at all now. Try cleaning the connection up first.

Cheers
Rajan

Great thanks guys Ill try those I had a look at the small connector maybe it needs more cleaning

its a pain :cry:  but theres six months to mot so no the end of the word but I want it sorting

will get back to you with progress

You don?t need them for the MOT. I think mines like Ross?s, everything?s fine but the gearbox doesn?t seem to push the switch far enough. May be  the linkage is not set up perfectly but it selects all gears OK and I'm not crawling around on the floor disturbing evertything………

Are you sure I thought all lights had to work for mot?

if they are optional bugger it im not bothered about them

Reversing lights are definately not on the MOT. They never worked on my old car and I couldn't be bothered sorting them because I never once felt I needed them!

Bit difficult when reversing in the dark though. Also safer for pedestrians. Not a UK legal requirement, but I wouldn't be without them.

Agree, the main reason I want mine working is that they are an indication to others that you about to go backwards, even in daylight when you don?t actually need the light?

I managed to get the bakerlite switch out of the gearbox. I have opened up the joint in plastic and saw 2 pins sticking out and on the outside are 2 triangular plastic lugs. I have noticed that 1 pin is broken the spring is not pushing it out. I can't work out how to get to the springs, anyone know how to do it.

cheers

How can you get the two lugs out to renew the springs?