Hi everyone,

I've noticed that my reverse lights aren't working and was wondering if anyone had ideas on how to find out what's wrong. I've done the obvious things like check the bulb/fuse. Both were fine. I removed my floor console and noticed 2 things:

1. There's a wire harness on the right side of the shifter that has 2 purple wires coming out of it (among others) They don't go anywhere, if fact, they're taped up with electrical tape.

2. Also coming out of the harness is a pinkish/red wire and olive green wire that go into a plug. The plug has nothing to plug into.

I've tested all four wires, and only the pink/red one has power (when key is turned) Could this be the root of my problem, and if so, how do I fix it?

Here are a couple of pics to show the wires

http://picasaweb.google.ca/Jaymazzo/ShiftConsole#5446499891801702146
http://picasaweb.google.ca/Jaymazzo/ShiftConsole#5446499910370227602
http://picasaweb.google.ca/Jaymazzo/ShiftConsole#5446499939162891746

Thanks for the help,

Jay

Your neutral safety switch is missing. The purple wires complete the circuit to the starter motor - that's why they are taped together. The switch allows contact only in the Park and neutral positions.The pink and green wires power the reverse lights from the switch when the shifter is in "R".

My car was "mickey-moused" just like yours. A previous owner was too lazy to replace the switch.

On my '67, all 4 of those wires go to a single plastic plug. The other unfortuate thing is that in order to splice the purple wires together, somebody destroyed that harness plug for me and I had to replace the entire console wiring harness, too.

Can you start your car in any gear? Careful!!

Mine was jerry rigged, as well. The guy that I bought it from put in a Cheetah SCS shifter. I could start it in any gear. It was not safe, to say the least.

I beleive if you jump the pink & green wire your back up lights should work, this will tell you if they are working at the very least...

my back ups work now , I had a linkeage missing.... it would start in all gears, still does...got a new neutral switch , still starts in all gears...back ups work....I never have a problem as I always have a foot on the brake but I have to tell mechanics

Your ignition circuit probably bypasses the neutral start switch. It's actually pretty easy to set it up that way.

Where is the NSS installed? I saw a video on youtube that showed is installed on the shifter (side of shifter). But that video was for a 67 nova.

I am pretty sure that on a 68 automatic it's in the console.

You are correct. It is.

If it's similar to '67 it screws onto the metal shift lever housing and there is a "pointer" like piece welded to the shift handle that moves the slider in the switch.

All of you guys are driving automatics?? Simply horrifying!

I'd love a 4 speed! My uncle has a 74 gto with a four speed. Maybe I can interest him in a swap!

Me too. A stick shift seems to make the car a lot more fun to drive.

a stick IS more fun to drive.....BUT , then the wife wont be able to move it , if she needs to....if I`m out of town.
also in lots of traffic ( i avoid as much as possible to drive in lots of traffic) a stick sometimes gets to be a lot of work.

Had to get an auto for my '06 Mustang for the same reason.

In five years, she has driven it once.

My wife is the opposite. The day we brought the LeMans home, the fisrt thing she said was "this auto trans. BS has got to go"!!!

My wife was driving a stick when I met her. A Fiero GT. When we found the Firebird the 4 speed was a huge bonus. Honestly I probably would have passed on it if it was an automatic. I drove truck for a number of years and always looked forward to getting into on of my sportscars, all sticks, when the day was over. As far at driving in traffic - that's one of the reason I moved to the country!

my wife will never be able to learn a stick!

I had to teach her how to fill up!

and she thought the w/s washer bottle filled up by itself in rain!

hopeless!

My wife insists that the radio and A/C controls must all be turned off before the car is shut off as this will drain the battery.

She got that from her mother.

I explain to her that I rebuild cars for fun and should know it that's garbage or not.

Doesn't work.

Bjorn, there ARE some euro cars (Trabbi, Renault) that do fill up by themselves in the rain.

Why, do their sunroofs leak?

maybe thats why when I get in my wifes car , ac is ALWAYS turned off! LOL
I hate it ,esp in Houston in August!

You guys are killing me, too funny!!

Alright,

I'm getting kinda stressed out. looking at my shifter, I'm trying to visualize where the neutral safety switch mounts but I'm stumped. I was reading TomLilly's thread in the interior section and his shifter looks like mine EXCEPT his NSS (i'll assume thats what it is) is mounted by the shift cable. Mine has no such bracket. Anybody have some insight??

FYI, I'm pretty sure the tranny isn't the original (if that helps)

Here's a photo of my shifter:
http://picasaweb.google.ca/lh/photo/Q1EJBVLQV8LgMWuzTQ1U9Q?feat=directlink
And here's TL's:
http://picasaweb.google.ca/lh/photo/rIYks60oIpQ-MdRpEYTsKg?feat=directlink

I have a 4-speed and my reverse lights are not working either. Is there a switch in the console for a manual transmission.
Thanks in advance,
Mark
69 Convertible

No. Your switch is at the base of the column near the firewall. The column outer sleeve is rotated by the back-drive linkage from the transmission. These linkage pieces are removed for header instalation and the parts are usually tossed. They are quite rare, actuallly.

Thanks Quenton, looks like this is a problem that I can live with.

Just to confirm my understanding, the switch for a four speed manual (shifter in the console) is on the steering column near the firewall on the inside of the car, is this correct?

For the reverse lights on a 1969, yes that is correct.