Bill;

Absolutely... see: http://www.intelab.com/swem/service%20notes.htm#Automatic%20Transmission
for info on starter cut-out. Unless your starter relay contact is welded shut, it sounds as though the tranny switch failed (like mine) and someone has done the bypass as I explained there (connected wire from terminal 87 of relay to wire on terminal 30/51).

Your backing lights not working is a seperate issue, that is, another (black) wire (also in harness going down to tranny switch) is grounded when in reverse. This picks the backing light relay. Power is supplied by fuse No.2. Check the 122 wiring diagram, its all there and should be fairly straightforward to follow.

It sounds like we both may need to replace those tranny switches!

Cheers, Ron