My reverse lights are on in all gears but go off in neutral.

Any ideas?

BTW its an 88 Trooper with the MUA

Madcat <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

Have you dropped the tranny lately? The reverse sensor could be plugged in backwards. That would give you lights in everything but reverse, though... so probably not the issue if yours are on in all forward gears and reverse.

I dropped in my rebuilt engine about 5 months??? ago. I didn't notice it untill I moved it to my new house . but I'm gonna check my harness.


Madcat <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

would it? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> I thought the sensor just completes a circuit when the reverse detent is hit. If thats the case, you could reverse the wires and it would still operate the same. ...just thinking out loud.

-Rob

Yeah its just a on-off switch on most transmissions.

You have cruise control? Maybe the reverse circuit/switch is shorted to ground or melted to the neutral safety switch circuit leaving it on all the time and only inpterrupts in netural? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

I going with my usual reply for goofy-acting lights...bad ground.

The switch for the reverse light cannot be hooked up backwards
unless the wires have been cut and altered. They have male/female bullet connector on them and won't hook up backwards. But yes, it would still work if it wasn't that way.

There IS a neutral safety switch on the transmission and it does use the same connectors as the reverse switch and
they can be easily interchanged, mistakenly.

If the neutral safety switch and reverse light switch
is interchanged (wiring wise) it will do exactly what you are describing.

Wouldn't that also affect the starting of the engine?

Is there a neutral safety switch on the 5spd ? Not on mine I don't think, the interlock is on the clutch pedal... but what about cruise control, there's a neutral switch for that I think ?

Cruise control uses the switch on the clutch pedal also. Thats how I stop mine, tap the clutch pedal. I prefer using that method instead of the brake.

Nope, because as you stated, it's for the cruise control.
The cruise control uses both the clutch safety, brake safety, and the neutral safety.
If you are driving along with the cruise control on and you bump it out of gear, the motor would run away without that
safety switch. If the truck does not have cruise control,
the harness wires are still under the truck at the transmission and it's very easy to mix them up.
The reverse switch closes in reverse to light the lights.
The neutral switch is normally closed and is open when in neutral... therefore if the wires are hooked up to the wrong wires in the harness... they will illuminate the backup lights when in gear, but not in neutral.