Reverse Switch

My '94 325i convertible, manual transmission, does not light the Back Up
Lights when Reverse is selected. There's no voltage at the lamp socket, and
my schematic says the switch is the problem.

Where is the switch mounted? What I'm really interested in is a way to get
to the switch without dropping the exhaust system and the heat shield. I'm
pretty sure it is the switch, because the lights do work every once in a
while, this is a sign of a dirty switch.

"Jeff Strickland" > wrote
> My '94 325i convertible, manual transmission, does not light the Back Up
> Lights when Reverse is selected. There's no voltage at the lamp socket,
> and my schematic says the switch is the problem.
>
> Where is the switch mounted? What I'm really interested in is a way to get
> to the switch without dropping the exhaust system and the heat shield. I'm
> pretty sure it is the switch, because the lights do work every once in a
> while, this is a sign of a dirty switch.

The switch is on the side or rear of the transmission. It could be the
switch or the wiring to the switch, which runs on top of the tranny.
The wire often gets kinked/shorted, either where it's zip-tied to
the transmission tunnel, or in the bundle on the trunk hinge.

Floyd

"Floyd Rogers" > wrote in message
acquisition...
> "Jeff Strickland" > wrote
>> My '94 325i convertible, manual transmission, does not light the Back Up
>> Lights when Reverse is selected. There's no voltage at the lamp socket,
>> and my schematic says the switch is the problem.
>>
>> Where is the switch mounted? What I'm really interested in is a way to
>> get to the switch without dropping the exhaust system and the heat
>> shield. I'm pretty sure it is the switch, because the lights do work
>> every once in a while, this is a sign of a dirty switch.
>
> The switch is on the side or rear of the transmission. It could be the
> switch or the wiring to the switch, which runs on top of the tranny.
> The wire often gets kinked/shorted, either where it's zip-tied to
> the transmission tunnel, or in the bundle on the trunk hinge.
>


So, are you saying that if I don't want to take the exhaust system down and
remove the heat shield just to get to the switch -- and inspect the wires
for shorts and breaks, then I have to wait for clutch work -- when this
stuff has to be removed anyhow -- before I can get my Back Up Lights working
again?

I'm disinclined to take the center console out for this, I've worked myself
into a tizzy that the switch is bad, and taking the console out is an
exercise in futility.

Jeff Strickland wrote:

>I'm disinclined to take the center console out for this, I've worked myself
>into a tizzy that the switch is bad, and taking the console out is an
>exercise in futility.

Trade it in on an M6.

"Jeff Strickland" > wrote
> "Floyd Rogers" > wrote
>> "Jeff Strickland" > wrote
>>> My '94 325i convertible, manual transmission, does not light the Back Up
>>> Lights when Reverse is selected. There's no voltage at the lamp socket,
>>> and my schematic says the switch is the problem.
>>>
>> The switch is on the side or rear of the transmission. It could be the
>> switch or the wiring to the switch, which runs on top of the tranny.
>> The wire often gets kinked/shorted, either where it's zip-tied to
>> the transmission tunnel, or in the bundle on the trunk hinge.
>>
> So, are you saying that if I don't want to take the exhaust system down
> and remove the heat shield just to get to the switch -- and inspect the
> wires for shorts and breaks, then I have to wait for clutch work -- when
> this stuff has to be removed anyhow -- before I can get my Back Up Lights
> working again?

You should be able to reach things from underneath without removing
the exhaust system. I could on my '91 525i.

FloydR

"dizzy" > wrote in message
...
> Jeff Strickland wrote:
>
>>I'm disinclined to take the center console out for this, I've worked
>>myself
>>into a tizzy that the switch is bad, and taking the console out is an
>>exercise in futility.
>
> Trade it in on an M6.
>

Replace a perfectly good car that needs a $15 part with a new car that costs
more than 40,000 times that?

No thanks.

Jeff Strickland wrote:

>"dizzy" wrote:
>>
>> Jeff Strickland wrote:
>>
>>>I'm disinclined to take the center console out for this, I've worked
>>>myself
>>>into a tizzy that the switch is bad, and taking the console out is an
>>>exercise in futility.
>>
>> Trade it in on an M6.
>
>Replace a perfectly good car that needs a $15 part with a new car that costs
>more than 40,000 times that?
>
>No thanks.

A 650i, then.

Floyd Rogers skrev:
> "Jeff Strickland" > wrote
>> "Floyd Rogers" > wrote
>>> "Jeff Strickland" > wrote
>>>> My '94 325i convertible, manual transmission, does not light the Back Up
>>>> Lights when Reverse is selected. There's no voltage at the lamp socket,
>>>> and my schematic says the switch is the problem.
>>>>
>>> The switch is on the side or rear of the transmission. It could be the
>>> switch or the wiring to the switch, which runs on top of the tranny.
>>> The wire often gets kinked/shorted, either where it's zip-tied to
>>> the transmission tunnel, or in the bundle on the trunk hinge.
>>>
>> So, are you saying that if I don't want to take the exhaust system down
>> and remove the heat shield just to get to the switch -- and inspect the
>> wires for shorts and breaks, then I have to wait for clutch work -- when
>> this stuff has to be removed anyhow -- before I can get my Back Up Lights
>> working again?
>
> You should be able to reach things from underneath without removing
> the exhaust system. I could on my '91 525i.

Yup, I replaced the switch on my '92 535. Didn't take many minutes.

To verify that the switch is faulty, short circuit the wires going to it
(with the ign. on) and the lights should come on.

>
> FloydR
>
>
Ulf