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Last night I noticed my reverse lights didn't come on when i put my car into reverse. Checked the bulbs and then went through the fuse box near the battery and the one next to the clutch pedal, I didn't find anything. I searched on the forum and found out that it might be fuse #71 in the IPDM behind the battery. Checked that and it was fine. I just got back from the Nissan dealership, and they said it might be the Reverse Light Switch, which is a $30 part, but they want to charge me 2 hours of labor. Now my question is has anyone here ever changed the switch them self's, and how difficult was it? Any input will be appreciated.
Thanks,
Matt
i would have to do it from underneath the car right? what tools would i need to take it out?
yes you'd have to get under the car but I did it at my old job on a lift, you need to dismantle the center console to expose the shifter from the top. I don't remember the tools I used.
Can you do a follow up?
Im thinking im going to have to do the same and would like to know where the switch is (the tight one with blue on the upper left) or black on on right side of tranny.. i tried shorting out the plug to see when bypassing the switch if reverse lights came on and still nothing.. checked all fuses too..
I did upgrade to a HID system for reverse light..
i got the lt FSM so if you have a page number..
please help
ya that's the right part number, its the on the drivers side of the transmission with a blue connector, i used a 21mm deep socket and got it out fairly easily, just take the harness out first off first
Its that straight forward, i did it from under the car, you'll see the switch on the driver side of the tranny near the top, it has blue connector, just unclip the harness, take the old one out, put new one it, and plug the harness in.
Just putting some notes and pictures in this thread for anyone attempting this fix. Like many jobs its actually very easy with the right tools.
On my '03 Touring M/T with 75K miles all of a suddenly my aftermarket reverse camera stopped working and after checking the obvious stuff (wires/fuses) I came across this post: https://my350z.com/forum/maintenance...wont-work.html that mentioned that the reverse light switch might be broken. Below is my DYI on how to replace this switch:
1) Confirm its not a fuse or bulb problem. Hint: if both lights fail at the same time then its likely NOT a bulb issue. The fuse is easy to check as noted in the thread above.
2) Order a replacement "Back Up Lamp Switch" from Rock Auto. The part I got was BECK/ARNLEY 2011927 (201-1927) for bargain price of $12
3) Secure the car safely on four jack stands. I don't see any way of accessing the switch from inside the car thru the shifter plate, so just bite the bullet here and jack the car up.
4) Locate the switch, you'll need a good flashlight because its hidden up in there pretty good. Its on the driver's side about midway on the 6 speed tranny. It is blue and has a black wire connector. Yep that little blue thing in the picture is what your after (wire connector already removed).
5) Remove the connector using two long, thin, flat blade screwdrivers. Use one screwdriver to push the tab on the end of the black connector DOWN as if your were trying to pinch the connector where the wires enter it. You might be able to squeeze the end of it with your fingers but its hard to reach which is why I used a screwdriver. While pushing down on the tab use the second screwdriver to force the connector to SLIDE off. I wedged the screwdriver between the connector and some pivot point on the tranny to gain leverage and pop the connector off. You might be able to just pull/tug on the wires (while still pushing the tab down) to get the connector to come off, but that is risky. The biggest challenge is the limited space and the fact that you need to push down while sliding off (two motions together, good luck). There is a cross member here that you could remove to gain some room provided you support the tranny somehow.
6) I tested the new switch by temporarily plugging it in, starting the car, climbing back under it (!!!) and pushing the switch down while someone (the lovely wife) checked that both reverse lights came on. WARNING you will be under the car working right next to the HOT exhaust so do this quickly and carefully. The car should be in NEUTRAL during this process!!!
7) Get a 21mm "goldilocks" socket, you know the one... not too big and not too small. It took me several attempts to find one that worked here because if the socket is too shallow it will not reach the nut, however if its too deep you will not be able to get a wrench/ratchet inside the tight space of the transmission tunnel. Honestly this was the hardest part of the removable process due the limited working space. I've add a picture below, but here are the details:
21mm GearHead 8248 socket (found at Pep Boys)
socket is 2 1/2" long, when attached to ratchet the whole thing is under 3 1/4" to fit into transmission tunnel yet still clear the casing bolts. The switch itself is just over 1 1/2" long so your socket must be that deep inside.
8) Loosen the switch and remove it. Cruse that this tiny $12 part has taken so long to locate and remove while making you hot and dirty under the car. Picture shows the socket & wrench combination (highlighted in red) in place during the removable process. Notice how tight all the clearances are!
9) Screw in the new switch taking care not to cross thread it by using your fingers as much as possible before tightening down with your socket wrench. I didn't check the FSM for the torque specs, I just made it about as tight as it felt when I loosened it. This is clearly not a critical item like your brakes or steering, it just a switch that gets pressed in when the car is shifted into reverse which then activates some lights so you can (kind of) see what is behind you.
10) Plug the black wire connector back in by aligning the tab with slot, it only fits one way. After it snaps in place give it a tug to make sure it is secure. Now you can safely lower the car back onto solid ground and enjoy the glow of working reverse lights again!
09-17-2011, 06:29 AM
Reverse Light Switch
