Backups lights not working on Laredo'91

Hello,

I've been browsing the web for days trying to find what's wrong with my backup lamps which are not working when I back up. I've cheched the whole circuit up to the neutral safety switch (I have an AW-4 transmission) - the reverse switch is acting okay when reverse is engaged. I have a brown with a green line going to the lamps from the safety switch plug and on the other side a blue with a white line. I can turn on both lights if I apply 12V to the brown green wire.

I suspect the blue/white is not powering the light so my questions are :

- is this one connected directly to the battery or the computer ?

- are there any fuse I may check (so far I haven't found any visible ones related to this switch ?

- is it possible to bypass the blue wire by connecting it directly to the battery ?

Any help will be appreciated ! Thanks !

Lionel

Reply to
Lionel
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I admittedly know "0" about which wires go where, but I would warn you that applying current where there is none can be a VERY bad thing. I would get a wiring schematic and backtrace until I found the problem and repair it correctly.

Good Luck, Bruce

Reply to
Highcountry

It probably doesn't matter, but what 'kind' of Laredo do you have. I have a CJ7 Laredo and love it.

Meanwhile is sounds like you have a bad connection in the switch. Some of those switches are extremely expensive. Here is a link on rebuilding one kind of them:

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Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: N> Hello,
Reply to
Mike Romain

It's a Cherokee Laredo 2.5L. I am working a lot on this vehicle I've been using now for a couple of months. I love this vehicle.

Thanks for the link. I believe the switch is okay as I've already done the continuity test the article mentions . I've checked the "reverse" pins (A-E) on the switch and I have no resistance when reverse is engaged (circuit is closed) and no continuity when reverse is not engaged (circuit is open) so I assume the switch is doing its job. The Haynes manual mentions the wire before the switch is hot at all time. By "hot", my initial question was to know if I can connect it directly to the battery. So far I haven't found 12V on this wire so I am tempted to bypass this wire but I prefer to be sure before doing that, I won't kill the safety switch. As pin "A" is also responsible for

1-2nd speed and 3rd, is there a way to test those modes are engaged ? The differences between D, 1-2 and 3 are not striking a lot to me so far. I guess I should be feel a difference and so far I am not.

Lionel

Reply to
Lionel

Does your rear window defroster work? I 'think' it is on the same fuse as the back up lights.

Mike

Li>> It probably doesn't matter, but what 'kind' of Laredo do you have. I

them:

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Reply to
Mike Romain

The rear defroster light turns on when I press defroster therefore I assume defroster is okay. I checked the fuse box under the hood and the one on the driver side. All fuses are okay so maybe the wiring harness is cut at some point. I have 0.4 ohm of resistance (could probably have more with cleaner conductive parts) between pins A-E on the neutral safety switch plug when reverse is engaged and no continuity in all other modes.

With engine on and off, I never read any volts where I guess I should read 12V (before the switch to pin A) so I am thinking of bypassing this apparently cut wire by adding one with a 15A fuse hooked directly to the + of the battery. I based my plan from the wiring diagrams in the Chilton (it even has a correct color code for my jeep the Haynes does not have). Applying directly 12V on pin E turns on my backup light so the after-switch part of the circuit is good. Any comments/ tips on my plan ?

I'll post some follow-ups on that.

Another question: my parking brakes are fine but the button to release the lever has a very small course, maybe 4mm. I don't think this is normal. Is there any way I can unstuck this button assuming this its course is not the regular one ?

Thanks

Lionel

Reply to
Lionel

I can't see anything wrong with your power supply idea. I think you should follow the cable back to see if it maybe got melted by the exhaust or pinched by a mount or something.

I think the button on the brake screws on with a set nut, not sure if it can easily be adjusted or not.

Mike

Li>> Does your rear window defroster work? I 'think' it is on the same fuse

Reply to
Mike Romain

As promised, here is a follow-up. I've done what I explained before and the backup-lights are now operational again. A wire was probably dead before the neutral safety switch. I hooked directly an extra wire to the battery and the wire has itself a 15A fuse.

Lionel

Reply to
Lionel

Thanks for the follow up!

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's Canadian Off Road Trips Photos: N> As promised, here is a follow-up. I've done what I explained before
Reply to
Mike Romain

Lionel

Reply to
L.W. (Bill) Hughes III

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