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Reverse Lights

XJ4Christ

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Topeka, KS
I was searching for this as mine do not work (new bulbs and fuse inside the fuse box is fine). I guess there is something on the tranny that signals it, but some of these guys said there is a fuse in the engine compartment 7.5 amp that burnt out on a couple of their XJ's around same year XJ as mine (give or take couple years). I was wondering if anyone has a location or pic with an arrow (grins) of general area this might be found? I would like to check this next before crawling under the Jeep and such (especially since the guys seem to have done all that only to find out its a burnt fuse). Oh and my rig is a 1990 model, automatic transmission.

http://www.naxja.org/forum/showthread.php?t=976337&page=3&highlight=back+lights
 
its the neutral safety switch on the trans. either take it apart and clean it, or replace it now, if it fails completely you wont be able to start your XJ without bypassing it. the reverse lights going out is the first warning sign. mine werent working for about a month, then one day the jeep wouldnt start and i had to have it towed home.
i bypassed mine, i could care less if my reverse lights work, but either way do something about it now before you get stranded somewhere.

:cheers:
 
its the neutral safety switch on the trans. either take it apart and clean it, or replace it now, if it fails completely you wont be able to start your XJ without bypassing it. the reverse lights going out is the first warning sign. mine werent working for about a month, then one day the jeep wouldnt start and i had to have it towed home.
i bypassed mine, i could care less if my reverse lights work, but either way do something about it now before you get stranded somewhere.

Humm... that might explain why sometimes if my XJ isnt in Park it doesnt want to start (even though it is in park) and I have found if that happens I just push it forward a little more til it "catches" or something than it fires up no problem. Although it also makes my stereo go crazy when I try to start it and its not in park "right." Then it looses its memory presets and such, so I figured it might be a wiring issue, but maybe its all related or something (I am not a big electrical guy heh).

Yeah I might think about bypassing mine, but its sort of become a daily driver as well atm so I need it to work for night driving and such. I am going to go see about looking at it this weekend then so I can catch it early. Does a new Neutral Safety Switch cost a lot? I was just wondering as cleaning it or bypassing it would make it sound so...
:cheers:
 
Clean it. Don't buy a new one. I got a $1500 discount on mine because the NSS was "bad" and needed replacing. It worked for me (except reverse lights) for 6 months then started acting up and gave out eventually. I cleaned it (cost me $13 for grease, brake cleaner, and a wire brush) and it's been fine for the 4.5 yrs since.
 
Clean it. Don't buy a new one. I got a $1500 discount on mine because the NSS was "bad" and needed replacing. It worked for me (except reverse lights) for 6 months then started acting up and gave out eventually. I cleaned it (cost me $13 for grease, brake cleaner, and a wire brush) and it's been fine for the 4.5 yrs since.

Yeah I happened to check some other sites and such and look at prices of new ones. It looks easy to maintain them (and I am guessing after 20 years of it working it should keep going on a few more years) :).

While I am on it i have been in process of fixing and maintaining this and that. Is there anything else (small like this but can cause BIG issues) that I can easily check and maintain while I am at it? I think if Grimm didnt get my attention on it I would have shined the NSS for awhile and possibly been very upset sometime heh :).

thanks again guys! :)
 
mine was doing the same thing, sometimes slamming it into park hard while turning the key would get it to work, then one day nothing in front of 7-11. its dirt and buildup on the contacts inside the NSS. read some threads about rebuilding it on here and go for it. worst case scenario you break it and have to buy a new one anyway.
 
mine was doing the same thing, sometimes slamming it into park hard while turning the key would get it to work, then one day nothing in front of 7-11. its dirt and buildup on the contacts inside the NSS. read some threads about rebuilding it on here and go for it. worst case scenario you break it and have to buy a new one anyway.

Thanks Grimm :). Good to know that then makes me for sure know what to do now... and I am happy I didnt have to find out at a 7-11 :).

I plan on looking into tearing it down when I get a chance.. i might not drive it until then though just in case :). I wonder if my YJ has same or simular setup.. if so maybe I will tear it apart after the XJ and clean and lube it as well as it is a 93 model :).
 
if you need to bypass it temporarily its actually very easy, i did mine by just bridging a couple pins inside the connector, no wire cutting needed and its removable if you change your mind. i did the same thing to Bryce's (thewarwagon) green jeep a couple years ago and as far as i know his has held up fine. mine has been bypassed for 4 years.
 
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