[Don 79 TA]

anyone know what wire in the steering column is the +12v for the rear reverse lights?

i want to make mine work
converted from a 403olds/auto to a 400 pontiac with tko3550
i can use the trans as a switch to activate the lights (plug on side of trans)
just wanted to see if anyone knows what wire
there was the reverse linkage on the car at one time that would trigger something on the column to complete the circuit

thanks

[ta man]

Should be green.

[Don 79 TA]

ok i'll have a look
wasn't sure if there was a break down anywhere of the wiring on the column connectors
my chilton doesn't have anything

[gtohurstjudge]

At the base of the steering column under the dash a little in front
of the firewall there is a switch held onto the top of the column with two
screws. That is the back up light switch. The black wire with pink stripe is the power
feed to the switch which is hot with the key in the run position. The light green wire
beside it is the wire that goes to the back up lights.

[speedrider]

My Service manual says Lt Green

[rockin78T/A]

Has anyone else installed headers, and had to remove the linkage to the transmission for the backup lights? The guys who installed them insisted, the linkage had to be removed. I still have the bar that goes to the tranny. Thanks for the info, now I can rig a switch to make them work again.

[ta man]

Originally Posted by rockin78T/A

Has anyone else installed headers, and had to remove the linkage to the transmission for the backup lights? The guys who installed them insisted, the linkage had to be removed. I still have the bar that goes to the tranny. Thanks for the info, now I can rig a switch to make them work again.

Every time...you can modify it but it makes the shifter tight.

[Don 79 TA]

OK.. finally got around to looking at this
there is a little switch under the colum close to the firewall
there is a green wire and a purpleish/pink colored wire
i connected 12v to the green and wallahh reverse lights now....
but one of the bulbs ins't in right or making contact lol, gotta fix that
so now i can run wires to the switch on the side of the trans to engage this.
i ordered a new switch and pig tail from NAPA and should be in this week.
its a wether tight plug in setup
i'll fix the lights this weekend.
I may even attempt to fix the neatural safety since there is a plug on the rear tail of the TKO3550
just gotta find the neatural safety wires
I'll post a little diagram i found on the web that may help others
it wasn't 100% accurate to my setup, but got me close to it, little hard to tell some wire colors

as far as reverse linake bar for the columun, i have heard that some guys have modified theirs to fit, how???? i have no idea, never seen photos, but again not sure how it would work with an internal shifter like a TKO

i'm finally after some18+ years gonna have working reverse lights...
DAMNnnnnnnnn i can be lazy about some things lol

[Don 79 TA]

anyone know which wires are for the neautral safety switch?

[speedrider]

It shows the neutral safety switch as being yellow and purple.
The back up light switch is light green and pink with white.

[Don 79 TA]

ok thanks
let me look for that

[gtohurstjudge]

The neutral safety switch wires are the other two wires on the
same switch, right next door to the back up light wires.

[Don 79 TA]

hmmmmmm...
i only had a plug with two wires on the reverse light switch
a green, which i hit with 12v and it lite the rear back up lights
the other was a pinkish color, perhaps purple, may have had a color strip too
i did not check to see if that had 12v already, but would make sense if it did

i think a little higher up on the column was another switch mounted so let me check that
the car was originally a 403/auto setup, not sure if that matters

i have this online diagram that i found, i'll post it when i get home
its not bad, but not 100% accurate
it's helped me with the lights (grounding issue totally my fault)
and with the help here its landed the reverse lights