My reverse lights don't work.
 

I've been mucking around in the stickies and on google and I can't find anything >:( arg.

My backup lights on my 1991 SE don't work. The bulbs appear to be fine. I can't find the fuse for them *embarassed* I've looked in the boxes under the hood, and in the dash. I can't find a fuse! Anyone know where it might be? Any other things I should check? This is pretty frustrating, as this is simple on the other cars..Check fuse, check bulb. Done.

Thanks for the help!

5spd or auto?

5-speed.

I just got the thing today, so I'm not too familiar with it yet.

LOL, join the club, mine don't work either. Well actually they do, it's just the switch is out of adjustment on mine. Yours could be the same way, or the switch could be broken.

To find out, have someone watch your lights as you shift into rev. If the switch is good and out of adjustment, the lights will flash on, then turn off.

I haven't had time to play with it yet. So I don't know exactly how to adjust it back.

I can already safely say that they don't flash then go off. They just flat won't go on at all.

The only reason I know about the lights not working is because someone else watched me back up and told me they were out.

Where on the car can I find the switch anyway?

I don't mean to be rude, and say you're wrong. But it's good to double check, because those lights flash pretty fast. I noticed mine while Nissan brought it in for a oil change. If I wasn't watching the car to see if they did work. I could have easily missed it. The flash didn't even last one second.

But anyway, check the fuse, located in the engine compartment. If that's good, the switch is located on tranny, near where the linkage comes in.

It's been checked several times, by someone with good eyesight, watching intently. :)


The fuse is under the hood? In the box to the right of the coolant catch-tank? I sure hope I didn't miss it :|

I dont mean to be rude, and say you're wrong. But the fuse is not under the hood. It's one of the ones in the fusebox inside the car

pulsardriver - check my page in the how-tos. There is a picture that shows what each fuse controls and one of them has "back-up lamp"

Huh, mine was under the hood. And he was saying something about his fuse block being next to the coolant resivoir. Mine is next to my battery.

The fuses next to the tank/battery are headlights and fused links only on my car. The fuses are all fine. That car is 0wning me tonight!

I'll have to look a little more deeply into that switch tommorrow. I can't even really drive the thing until next week (gotta tag it and hammer out the insurance) so I have a bit of time :)

Hey Craig, have you heard of there being a canadian version or anything like that for the SE. Because this is starting to make me think that the previous owner had done something to my car.

I looked through all the fuses in my interior block, and none was for backup lights. And the engine bay doesn't list it either. But I did find a extra fuse recently in the engine bay block, and pulled it. I suspected it was for my reverse lights. And had my friend watch as I put into reverse, and sure enough, the lights didn't work till I put the fuse back in.

I don't like suprises like this. BTW, that auto up switch is sweet. Guess if I ever get bored and have extra time on my hands I'll do that.

kcidmil - if you have ABS, the coolant reservoir will be in front of the battery, if you dont, it'll be behind the pass side headlight. Maybe that's causing some of the confusion.

The FSM shows both US and Canadian models when there are differences, but there is only one diagram for the backup lighting so I assume they are the same and both run off the 10A fuse inside the car. (see the diagram on my website).

It might not be specifically listed on the inside cover because each fuse controls a lot of stuff, but check that pic and it'll show you what it controls.

Ok, that explains why the coolant reservoir is different on mine.

I guess the previous owner had a problem or something. Because now the spare fuse spot on the block in engine bay is now wired. And it supplies power to the backup light system. Oh well, guess that's what can happen when you get a car used.

Thnx for the info Craig

if the reverse lights arent working and you have a 5speed its most likely the reverse switch in the tranny. You can change it its easy, go to nissan and get the switch the its on the driver side of the bottom part of the tranny but be careful when you pull it (one 10mm bolt) ALL THE fluid will come out so have tranny oil and a catch pan....

Anyone know how to adjust the switch back? Do I loosen the bolt, and turn the switch?

hmmm..now I need 5 quarts of tranny oil, a pump of some kind, and a switch.

meh.

Better than spending the outrageous amount that the Nissan Dealer would want

I don't know...I'm planning to use Redline MT90....that stuff isn't cheap! :D

mine was the neutral/reverse sensor in the tranny when my reverse lights went out. not sure how but the wires fell loose and got pulled completely out of the sensor. definitely was not a fix so i had to find a spare and replace it. was quite cheap.

Well, I just dropped about $130 for MT90 and a new switch :hmmph:

If this won't get my reverse lights working, I'll be *****ed* . I don't really care about not having lower foglamps, or a CD player that won't do jack, but a lack of backing lights is unacceptable. :mad:

I spent another 80+ on that Pulsar too :o My fetish for old Nissans will make me broke yet....

And I haven't even ordered my 4DSC stickers yet! :D

I've been running with no backup lights for months now. LOL

Hehehe :)

Well, I'm a bit paranoid about it, I know. But, the thought of getting rear-ended in a parking lot by some tard who couldn't tell my car was going backwards, and then being at 'fault' for it for not having the lights is an unappetizing thought.

Okay, so the only thing about changing the manual transmission oil that I can find in the stickies appears to be for a different gen Maxima than I have, so I'd like to double check.

If my face is under the transmission, and my feet are sticking out the front of the car, where will I find
1. The drain plug bolt
2. the fill plug bolt
3. the backup lamp switch (is this one on top of the trans by any chance? like, almost right under the oil filter on a VG?)

I haven't had a chance to jack the car up yet, so I haven't been able to tell too much. On an up note, there are 12 quarts of Redline MT90 sitting on the floor next to me! :)

12 qts? I hope thats for the pulsar too because you only need 5 for the max

I cant say for sure on the VG tranny, but on the VE, the drain bolt on the bottom is pretty obvious and then the fill bolt is a 1/2" square drive on the front of the tranny. Dunno where the backup switch is, but there are only a couple wires going to the tranny so it shouldn't be very hard to follow them and find it.

I know I only need 5 (go up a few posts).

But it's cheaper to buy by the dozen :p

Thanks for the help :)

I'm interested in this too. My back up lights did the flash when I first got the car, now they do nothing. How can I adjust the switch? It sounds like most people are replacing the switch, not adjusting it.


Jon

Nope, the switch is on the bottom, just below where your shift linkage enters the tranny.

Well, it's all back together. I have lights now. Looks like the little switch inside the tranny was just plain gone. And I have a transmission full of Redline MT90 gear-snot.

I had all 4 wheels down on flat ground when I was putting the stuff in, and it didn't quite take 5 quarts. There was a very small bit left over in the 5th bottle. I guess there must've been a bit of the old stuff in there yet. Kind of makes me nervous, but I'm sure it's okay.

I'd like to add that used manual trans fluid is absolutely vile stuff.

Try burnt 80W90. That stuff will make you throw up. Literaly

Back to my questions please.

I've already posted another thread asking how to adjust it. But nobobdy seems to know how. When I get some extra time on my hands. I'll go out and tinker with it. Right now I'm too busy with work and the Sturgis Rally to do any work on my cars.