Backup lights not working.

[YourMainParadox]

I noticed last night that my back up lights are not working... I looked at the fuse box in the car and did not see anything in there for them. Under the hood there is a 10 amp fuse for backup and a place for the reverse lights on a v6 but the 10amp is not blown. Am I missing a fuse or what? Also I wanted to hook up a second set of reverse lights and I wanted to know which wires are the + and - for the reverse lights BEFORE the plug that seperates from the tail light housing.

[far2grumpy]

I noticed last night that my back up lights are not working... I looked at the fuse box in the car and did not see anything in there for them. Under the hood there is a 10 amp fuse for backup and a place for the reverse lights on a v6 but the 10amp is not blown. Am I missing a fuse or what? Also I wanted to hook up a second set of reverse lights and I wanted to know which wires are the + and - for the reverse lights BEFORE the plug that seperates from the tail light housing.

YMP - See following description for B/U lights and schematic ... light green wires are high side of lamp.

Right side of schematic is for 2.2L with different paths for either AT or MT.

EXTRACT - Back up lamp description:

The 10A BACKUP fuse in the fuse block - under-hood supplies ignition positive voltage to the park/neutral position (PNP) switch of the automatic transmission or backup switches for manual transmission. When the transmission is placed in reverse, the switch supplies voltage to the back up lamps and the inside rear-view mirror. The back up lamps receive ground at G401 and G403.

[YourMainParadox]

the 10A fuse is good... if I leave the key and and put it in reverse then pull the fuse I hear the relays click and some kind of other sound I am not sure of.

[far2grumpy]

the 10A fuse is good... if I leave the key and and put it in reverse then pull the fuse I hear the relays click and some kind of other sound I am not sure of.

I'm baffled ... if we believe the wiring diagram (they've been wrong before) no relay(s) are used with the 2.2L (L61) backup light circuit.

[BobbyP]

The b/u light switch must be out of adjustment. Do you have a manual or automatic?

[1saxman]

I had this happen on a Jeep Cherokee and it was the neutral switch. They can be expensive, but sometimes can be cleaned and greased and they're fine for years.

[YourMainParadox]

The b/u light switch must be out of adjustment. Do you have a manual or automatic?

5 speed

[Tom92SCm]

I would suspect that the microswitch for the backup lights (probably somewhere never near the shifter assembly) isn't working.

[MaxSL2]

The reverse light switch is likely the culprit. Saw a couple of VUEs and IONs have the switch go bad in my parts days.

The switch is on the driver side end of the transaxle case, most accessible through the driver's wheel well area. it has a 2 wire connector snapped onto it and just unscrews from the trans case like a sparkplug.

Test it for continuity, switch should be closed when shifted into reverse, open in all other shifter positions. Tighten to 13 lb ft if removed.

[nitroussaturn]

lol kind of somewhat related? i just swapped in a kenwood flipout and installing a rear view camera that came with it...what color wire do i tap so it will turn the camera on when in in reverse? and the easiest spot to tap the wire

[far2grumpy]

lol kind of somewhat related? i just swapped in a kenwood flipout and installing a rear view camera that came with it...what color wire do i tap so it will turn the camera on when in in reverse? and the easiest spot to tap the wire

Do you have a spec sheet listing camera current draw?

Do you have day / night auto mirror? The B/U light signal is connected to mirror using light green color wire.

There's a schematic for 04 Vue in post #2 of this thread.

I suspect interconnects for all years are similar. The schematic indicates wire color before switch (either AT or MT) is pink and wire color for rear lamps and mirror is light green.

[YourMainParadox]

well in my quest to figure out why the backup lights do not work I put 12 volts into the housing of the reverse bulb and it started to lock and unlock my doors over and over O.O Why how...?

[far2grumpy]

well in my quest to figure out why the backup lights do not work I put 12 volts into the housing of the reverse bulb and it started to lock and unlock my doors over and over O.O Why how...?

Does this mean you applied +12 to the lead of the bulb socket normally connected to light-green wire?

Did you isolate (disconnect) the light-green wire from path back to front of vehicle?

If we believe the wiring diagram ... if you applied +12 to the bulb without disconnecting the light-green wire ... the only way your +12 could get back into other circuits would be if backup light circuit on transmission was closed (vehicle in reverse and switch working normally).

You might need to call Ghost Busters!!!

Do you know for sure both BU bulbs are good? Have you tried leaving the + side normal and connecting a temporary ground to non-+12 side?

[YourMainParadox]

Does this mean you applied +12 to the lead of the bulb socket normally connected to light-green wire?

Did you isolate (disconnect) the light-green wire from path back to front of vehicle?

If we believe the wiring diagram ... if you applied +12 to the bulb without disconnecting the light-green wire ... the only way your +12 could get back into other circuits would be if backup light circuit on transmission was closed (vehicle in reverse and switch working normally).

You might need to call Ghost Busters!!!

Do you know for sure both BU bulbs are good? Have you tried leaving the + side normal and connecting a temporary ground to non-+12 side?

Yes the bulbs work as I even tried the working brake light bulbs in the sockets as they have the same contacts (and just hooked up 12volts to it and it turns on). Also it was in reverse. Is it supposed to do that when 12v is applied to the reverse lights?

[far2grumpy]

Yes the bulbs work as I even tried the working brake light bulbs in the sockets as they have the same contacts (and just hooked up 12volts to it and it turns on). Also it was in reverse. Is it supposed to do that when 12v is applied to the reverse lights?

The +12 will go to bulb and also back along wire: (1) through trans switch, if closed, (2) through fuse, if installed, (3) to +12 source, which is active with ignition switch ON.

If the +12 you apply to the bulb is also causing door locks to cycle the path sounds complete back to fuse and possibly through the fuse.

Why not try again with trans in any gear but reverse as a sanity check.

If the BU lights light and locks still act up its time to break out the Jack - Black.

[YourMainParadox]

No clue why but they started working today and I have not touched them since my last post??????? grrr confusing buggers. My Blazer had the vanishing brake light problem LOL no fuse blowing but it would randomly work and then not work for the years I owned it. Hopefully the vue is not that way.