wiring confusion

[whitefirebird96]

not sure how many people on this board have played with the wiring on these cars, but I have a question that maybe someone can help me with. I have a 96 fbird, 3.8 manual trans. My reverse lights are where my trouble come in. If I put in a new fuse in the turn/b.u. slot. I can turn on my blinkers. But the second I switch the trans into reverse, I hear a click and the fuse blows. I had an incident where my rear tails were cracked around the reverse light socket. I have fixed that problem since then. I then thought it may be the bulbs. I have two new bulbs in there. I then thought it may have shorted the entire socket. So I cut that off and just left it without reverse sockets. Tried shifting into reverse, same thing blown fuse. So I thought it may be the ground. Pulled the wires back and followed the ground, it meets up with the ground for the rest of the rear tail lights, which is good. I have heard the the reverse switch rarely, if ever, goes out. So I don't think it is that. I was just wondering if there was a way when the water had gotten into the socket before to burn the lead wire farther down the line, more towards the trans, though I saw no marks of burns anywhere around the socket or the wiring visible when you remove the tail light covers. Was wondering if a fuse will blow with just a lead wire running and no ground for that wire? Since I cut off the sockets, the wire is just lying there not touching a ground? If that is not what it is, I was also wondering if anyone had followed the wiring for the reverse lights through the car and may know of another place for me to look or any other ideas for me to try. It really gets annoying not to use turn signals, especially in traffic. Have avoided too many close calls with other cars not knowing my intentions in switching lanes. [img]smile.gif[/img] . Please, any help would be greatly appreciated.

[HBHRacing]

was anything done like maybe the tranny pulled before? they could have pinched the wire in the bell housing when it was re installed. but. Gimme a few to get some dinner and I will look over the diagram for it and give you some ideas

[FunkZ]

If it's like the manuals, there's a switch in the transmission that triggers the lights when you put it in reverse. Mine went bad once, I believe it was around $25 for a new one. It was easy to install. Although when mine went bad the reverse lights just didn't come on. Never had a problem with it blowing fuses.

[HBHRacing]

ok... hot from the turn backup fuse, heads out on the brown wire. Goes to trans selection switch, then makes connection and in reverse sends hot out on the Light green wire and out to the backup lights. we know that the wire is ok from the fuse TO the switch. it's either inside the switch or between the switch and the lights. if it was me, I would unplug the switch and run a fused hot wire and plug it into the connector where the light green wire goes and see if it pops the fuse. if it does you know that it;s in the wireing betwen the swicth and lights

[whitefirebird96]

much appreciated on that layout, I have been looking at my Haynes as well trying to figure out how to test it. When I get a chance I will try that and let you know how it went

[whitefirebird96]

finally got a chance to look at it and it turned out to be the backup switch. thanks for all the help