On my 5 speed ve, on the transmission, there's a 4 pin connector, and after I found the other part, I reconnected it. Just wondering what might have been disconnected. 1992, and the connector was on top of the transmission housing. Thank you.

 

Pics? Your description is pretty vague.

I know there's a "empty" harness plug on the VE 5 speed that just dangles above the transmission that I assume is used for the autos. Though you said you found the other end so I don't believe that can be it. And you're sure it's not one of those ground harnesses?

 

 

Oh, let me get pics tomorrow, Sun is setting now. Sorry to be so vague. It's the only connevtor that is on the transmission on the top that you can see when looking down at the case. From the bumper.

 

reverse/neutral switch connector, i'd imagine. Put your key "ON", with your car in reverse. Backup lights shining so you can see them. Unplug it, they would turn off if that's what the connector was.

The one pointing straight up (the other one that's flopped over is the VSS connector)

 

That looks to be it, Mr. Cadaver! Although I reconnected it, my reverse lights wont illumenate. BTW, I used to live in Boone when I was a little boy.

 

Might want to test it then.

On the car side of the harness:
The red/black wire should have ~3.1Ω to ground at all times assuming both bulbs are intact (2x 1156 bulbs in parallel.... 27W per bulb... 27W/12.8v = 2.1A.... 12.8V/2.1A = 6.09Ω... 2 of those in parallel = 3.045Ω plus the resistance of wiring/connectors).
The green wire directly across from the red/black wire should have 12v to ground with they key turned ON.

Then test the switch:
The pins that connect to those 2 wires on the switch side (wire colors don't match the car harness iirc), should show connectivity when in reverse (as close to 0Ω as you can get), and open circuit in any other gear.

What happened on mine is that the sliding contact for the switch slowly bent over the course of time, so it no longer connected the circuit regardless of the gear position.



new switch seen bottom-left

 

You can see that white plastic thing attaches into this metal block on the shift selector inside the tranny... and moves back and forth like that in neutral. If you put it in gear, it will turn one way or the other (hence why the springy contact thing has a pivot on it, so the contact can slide straight while the plastic part turns)

 

Hey, thanks man! I'll have to tear into it. and see if that is the problem with mine as well. I have abolut 207,000 in it, and wouldn't be suprised if that is the problem.

 

how long ago did you buy the car? mileage-wise? Do you know of your backup lights ever having worked? If not maybe the PO had disconnected the switch attempting to troubeshoot that same problem.