After the last thread I started here, I finally got a nice set of used 5-panel lights . I put them in today and all seems fine save the reverse lights.

Now I can't seem to get any reverse lights despite anything I try. I have checked power at fuse 12 (this is a 1980 244) and find that if I remove the fuse I get 12 volts across the connectors. If I insert the fuse, I get nothing. This strikes me as strange but I am no good with auto electrics so maybe this is to be expected for some reason. Wish I knew why.

I have tested the conductors on the tail light assemblies that lead to the reverse bulb socket. Under no circumstances (car running/stopped, head lights on/off, etc) do I see any voltage coming to the reverse light bulb. I can see it coming to the other bulbs. But nothing to the reverse lights on either side.

So I am guessing there is a reverse light switch somewhere and that may be the cause of this. I cannot be sure but I thought I had reverse lights at some point early today while fiddling with all this and I find that a failure in the switch at the very time I am replacing the tail light assemblies to be just too much of a coincidence.

Any comments/tips?


Thanks