Good evening,
I have a 1971 cutlass. I replaced all my gauges with different gauges, which means I had to install a shift indicator. All my lights work outside and inside but my reverse/back up lights don't come on. I also replaced my steering column with one from a 1974 GM. Any ideas on why my reverse lights don't work, and what I need to do to fix them? Attached is a couple pics.you can kind of see the shift indicator a little on one of them, right above the steering wheel.
Thanks for the help.

 

Take a look a the neutral safety switch which is located towards the bottom (close to the floor) on the steering column. The neutral safety switch is also the reverse light switch. I'm thinking it could be this since you mentioned that the column was replaced with a different one.

 

Ok. Thanks. Sorry for this silly question but is it an actual switch? I will get out there and look today but I just remember connecting wire connectors. So I guess I'm asking what does the neutral safety switch look like. But I'll try to Google it to see what it looks like.

 

Look on top of the steering column, down near the floor.

By the way, is there any chance you disconnected the backdrive linkage to the trans, to install a floor shifter or headers?

 

I did install headers. I thought I installed a everything back but obviously not. I checked the neutral switch and it is connected. I'm curious what colors are the wires connecting to the switch? I've noticed that there is a green wire harness not connected to anything. I attached a couple pics. One of the green wire that's not connected and of the neutral switch

Sorry now the pics should be on here

 

No you didn't.

- Eric

 

Sorry. Now they should be on there. I keep forgetting to click upload, lol

 

The purple wires are the neutral safety switch.

The pink and orange-ish wires are the backup light switch.

The other plug is for the TH400 kickdown, though you may not have a TH400 - they just installed it in all of them.

- Eric

 

Ok thanks Eric.and no sis, I don't have a TH400. So the right wires are connected. So what didn't I connect because I have no back up lights.

 

Is there any signs to know if the back up switch is bad, or I just have to replace it? Is there something that should be connected to the transmission?

 

Is the backdrive linkage still connected between the transmission shifter tab and the steering column?

- Eric

 

Not sure Eric. How do I check?(again, sorry if my questions aren't the smartest)

 

Crawl under the car and see if there's a 1/4" rod connecting the transmission to the base of the steering column.

- Eric

 

Did the reverse lights work before you did all this work?

 

Well...the car set in my dads field for about 13 years and when I started working on it the rats and the weather done their damage. So when I started working on it I wasn't sure what worked or didn't. Thankfully so far things have worked except for the reverse lights. I need to check what Eric said in the morning. Maybe there's a rod not attached. I hope I'll know what I should be looking for.

 

Well, don't forget to check the obvious like the light bulbs.

 

Ok thanks. But I replaced all the bulbs already.

 

Sorry, Eric, but on this car the connector with the two green wires IS the one for the backup lights. That's why your lights don't work.

 

Curses. Right again, Joe.

Backup lights: Dark Green with Black stripe and Light Green
TH400 Kickdown Switch: Pink and Orange.

I never realized you could interchange the plugs, though.

- Eric

 

Yay!! So I don't have to crawl under the car? Just change the connections??? Hallelujah

 

If you're lucky...

- Eric

 

Well I. Connected the green wires and still no reverse lights. I crawled under the car and while I'm not sure what I was looking for, I did notice that the rods connected to the tranny linkage are connected to the steering Colum shaft. Not sure what else to look for not to do.

 

Pull the connector with the two green wires back off the switch. Apply jumper across the two terminals in the connector. With the key in the RUN position, the backup lights should come on. If they do, the switch is either bad or not adjusted properly. If they do not come on, remove the jumper and test for +12V on the green wire with the white stripe (again, with the key in RUN). If you get voltage, the problem is from that connector back to the bumper so trace the green (with no stripe) wire back. If you don't get voltage, the problem is between the connector and the fuse panel, so trace the green (with stripe) wire forward. That's all there is to this circuit.

 

Ok guys first let me say how much I appreciate you guys for all the help. I love this olds community. I checked all the things Joe said, but nothing worked. But I found out it was the light bulbs that weren't connecting good. I jiggled the bulbs and the wires and boom...They work now!!!

 

Ok gentlemen...while I was basking joy over my back up lights, for some reason my headlights won't work now. The low beams anyway, the high beams come on and the parking lights come on, actually the low beams come on when I turn on the high beams but go off when I turn of the high beams. The low beams were always working and now they are not. I'm not sure what I did but and yes I changed both bulbs. Any suggestions?

 

Check the connections at the high beam switch.

- Eric