84 automatic trans no reverse lights (Page 3/6) flexxmi SEP 11, 12:20 PM quote Originally posted by cartercarbaficionado: huh. that's weird. is it bypassed under the dash or wherever is the upstream connection for the automatics safety switch? also your friend could be correct but it's more likely the switch is made improperly. I'll snap a pic soon just been too busy to unbury my 84 from its life as a shelf (been too busy to swap another iron duke in) Thanks for the photo Carter. I compared it with mine and it appears that the lever is in the same position as yours, assuming that you snapped your photo while the trans was in the park position. The new NSS that I put in mine seems to have a very small adjustment area for the backup lights to engage and I'm wondering if they are all this way. I've ordered yet another NSS and it should arrive tomorrow. My plan is to not attach it to the trans, but hook it up to the to the harness connector only and cycle it to see if the switch I ordered responds similarly to the last one that I bought that is installed currently. Also noticed that at the end of the wiring that comes off of that NSS before it bundles in with other wires inside of the plastic protective tubing that there appears to be a run of electrical tape that may need to be investigated, as the tape appears to be relatively new and not from the factory. Someone may have tampered with the wiring before which could explain a lot of things depending on what's been done under that tape. flexxmi SEP 11, 02:04 PM quote Originally posted by olejoedad: The START signal to the starter solenoid goes from the ignition switch on top of the steering column directly to the C500 connector (by passenger side hinge box above the engine, YELLOW wire) to the NSS. The NSS (when in P or N) passes the signal to the solenoid via a PURPLE wire. There is no wire that runs directly to the solenoid from the inside of the car. Is there a possibility that your car was originally a manual and has been converted to an automatic? The 'options' tag on the left front wheelhouse is the only easy way to tell. So I found an area upstream from the NSS connector in the wiring that looked suspicious and was wrapped with electrical tape so I unwrapped the tape. Two of the wires appear to be spliced with no jumper - the tan and the purple. The pink-ish wire at the top of the photo appears to have a RED jumper to the YELLOW wire. Is this how it's supposed to be? I had a schematic at one point but can't find it now. cartercarbaficionado SEP 11, 03:54 PM quote Originally posted by flexxmi: So I found an area upstream from the NSS connector in the wiring that looked suspicious and was wrapped with electrical tape so I unwrapped the tape. Two of the wires appear to be spliced with no jumper - the tan and the purple. The pink-ish wire at the top of the photo appears to have a RED jumper to the YELLOW wire. Is this how it's supposed to be? I had a schematic at one point but can't find it now. yeah that ain't right. lemme look at my 84s harness flexxmi SEP 12, 05:49 AM quote Originally posted by cartercarbaficionado: yeah that ain't right. lemme look at my 84s harness Thanks Carter. I think even more importantly I need to find out what the reason would be why someone would do this and what it is affecting or bypassing. olejoedad SEP 12, 09:38 AM quote Originally posted by flexxmi: So I found an area upstream from the NSS connector in the wiring that looked suspicious and was wrapped with electrical tape so I unwrapped the tape. Two of the wires appear to be spliced with no jumper - the tan and the purple. The pink-ish wire at the top of the photo appears to have a RED jumper to the YELLOW wire. Is this how it's supposed to be? I had a schematic at one point but can't find it now. The two heavy gage wires are the START signal to the starter solenoid that originally went to the NSS. The light blue and light green wires are your backup light circuit that was also originally routed to the NSS You have located your problem, it should be an easy fix! ( Although you may need to be a contortionist to work on it! ) flexxmi SEP 12, 02:00 PM quote Originally posted by olejoedad: The two heavy gage wires are the START signal to the starter solenoid that originally went to the NSS. The light blue and light green wires are your backup light circuit that was also originally routed to the NSS You have located your problem, it should be an easy fix! ( Although you may need to be a contortionist to work on it! ) The question still remains as to why someone would jump these wires. Now I'm left to wonder what will happen if I remove the jumper. olejoedad SEP 12, 07:43 PM Don't wonder, or worry. You have a new NSS switch, so wire it in and put it back the way it should be! flexxmi SEP 12, 08:03 PM quote Originally posted by olejoedad: Don't wonder, or worry. You have a new NSS switch, so wire it in and put it back the way it should be! I ordered yet another NSS switch, thinking the first new one might be defective since my reverse lights aren't coming on when the car is in reverse. But I'm wondering if they jury rigged this the way they did because they couldn't get the car started four years ago with the rebuilt trans because something is wrong with it, so they bypassed the NSS to get me out of the shop. I really don't want to pull that jumper and then have to put it back the way it was later because my car won't start at all, but it's looking like I don't have any other options. Should I disconnect the battery before I dive into this? cartercarbaficionado SEP 12, 10:00 PM funny story. same bypass on my 84 just done neater. seems to have been a fairly common thing (checked a club members 84 as well) so maybe the safety switch in the nss failed often flexxmi SEP 13, 07:59 AM quote Originally posted by cartercarbaficionado: funny story. same bypass on my 84 just done neater. seems to have been a fairly common thing (checked a club members 84 as well) so maybe the safety switch in the nss failed often Thanks for chiming in with that Carter. The plot thickens. From what I gather, your '84 is inoperable but now I'm wondering if your starter will engage in any gear like mine. Do you have back up lights when it's in reverse? Can of worms!