ive posted here before and you guys were great help getting it running right, now im down to the nit-picky stuff. i was checking the lights and the reverse lights are not working, both of them, checked and replaced the bulbs, not the issue, getting no power to the lighting circuit, but all other lights in rear are working. im thinking its the trans range switch, but im not sure if this controls reverse lights or not. any ideas? and any way to test the switch to make sure before i go out and get a new one? and also i would need installation location, since i cant find a repair manual anywhere, thanks

 

I think you are on the right track, it is called a PNP switch, it senses the gears, is the neutral safety switch and also controls the reverse lights.

You might just try rowing the gear selector back and forth, thru the whole range 20-30 times and see if that helps.

It could be a signal that it will be time for a switch malfunction, using a no start condition, because the trans cannot sense if it is park.

DanR '94 964 356,000 miles (122,000 on the new engine)

 

I had that problem right before most of my lights went out. It was my switch that turns on the parking lights and all my lights. When I pulled the switch the back of it was coming apart. It has tabs that hold the backing on to the front piece and two of the tabs were broken because of the pressure on the switch or wire harness. So I put the switch back together and super glued it, problem solved.

 

ok thanks for the responses, i do have a spare headlight switch so in case that goes out, i have one, i found a range switch on rockauto.com for $175 i think, but ill try moving the shift selector back and forth a few dozen times to see if they light up. i dont have any issues with it starting, but the lady i got it from said it wouldnt start at all, so maybe it is going out, but im not complaining, its got 272k on it and the body is perfect, and she let me have it for $300

 

there still not working, so im assuming i have to break down and buy a neutral safety switch for the damn thing, but where is it located, by the shifter or on the trans?

 

The PNP switch is located on the side of the trans, very near the exhaust down pipe.

What really happens to them is the grease gets cooked because of it's location near the exhaust pipe. The switch it self can be repaired, by cleaning and regreasing. The only tricky part is the re alignment of the switch on reassembly. If you can mark the bolt location before loosening the adjusting bolt then you will make it easier for you.


DanR

 

do you have to remove the exhaust to get too it?