[mike69]

I'm trying to get my reverse lights working in my 70 GTO and I need to locate the back up light switch. I've been looking at my service manual but not sure which schematic applies since there isn't a listing specifically for GTO. Is it on the steering column? Or down in the shifter? I put the car on the lift so I know it isn't on the tranny itself.

Thanks,
Mike

[EOD Guy]

My guess is that's it's located somewhere on the shifter.

[S10 Racer]

Originally Posted by mike69

I'm trying to get my reverse lights working in my 70 GTO and I need to locate the back up light switch. I've been looking at my service manual but not sure which schematic applies since there isn't a listing specifically for GTO. Is it on the steering column? Or down in the shifter? I put the car on the lift so I know it isn't on the tranny itself.

Thanks,
Mike

Look on top of the steering column before it goes through the firewall. You should see a "half moon" shaped switch mounted to it. I think that switch is operated by a linkage from the steering column. If so, check the linkage for operation.

[mike69]

OK, so I found the back up lamp switch and found that it had been unplugged. When I plugged it in, the lights go in when the car is in drive,(prob why they were unplugged). I have read the service manual about adjusting the switch and have tried to adjust it but I don't have the factory adjusting tools the manual calls for and I'm not sure about how to approach this. I though about opening the switch to adjust it directly. Any thoughts?

Mike

[mike69]

One thing I wanted to mention- when I got the car I couldn't get the key out of the ignition unless i rotated the column a little more to the left when I put it in park. I adjusted the linkage to the steering column and fixed that problem but I had to go all the way to the end of the adjustment to do that. I don't think that could be why the reverse lights only work in drive, since I didn't change the linkage by all that much, but just wanted to let you know. I'm beginning to wonder if someone put the wrong reverse switch in the car at one point, but it sure looks like the right one.

Mike

[S10 Racer]

So can you see any linkage that operates the switch? You may have to unhook it and manually move the switch in the position for the reverse lights to work and then make the linkage to fit the new position.

[mike69]

There isn't any linkage per se. The steering column has an opening in it and a piece of the backup light switch slides into it so that when the steering column rotates it moves the lever on the switch and turns on the backup lights. I think the best option is take the switch apart and see if I can figure out how to adjust it. Anyone ever done this?

Mike

[EOD Guy]

I've never had the switch apart but I have removed it from the column and welded the hole shut, if I remember right there wasn't any way to adj the actual switch, been a long time ago,