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Missing backup lights

Old Jul 8, 2016 | 04:06 AM
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Missing backup lights

Hi all, am new here. My dilemma, I pulled bed with intent to replace. While bed is off I replaced gas tank ,fuel lines, shocks, and replaced a butchered wiring harness for tail lights with a brand new one only to find out there previously no back up wire.Being an automatic transmission I believe that the back up switch is trans related, is it? I have no switch assembly tied to steering column. I don't want to run a switch to dash for obvious reasons.
 
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Old Jul 8, 2016 | 07:52 AM
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What year truck? 73-77 had the switch on the steering column, 78-79 had the switch mounted on the side of the trans.
Did you have back-up lights before you pulled the bed?
Does the neutral start function? The switch is a compound switch, it functions as both the neutral start switch and the back-up lights.
BTW, welcome to FTE, lots of good, knowledgeable people here.
 
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Old Jul 8, 2016 | 09:40 AM
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It's a 78. I did note a lighting issue prior to removing bed but I forgot what that issue was. They may have wired the backups to another source? By time I continued project it was forgotten. When I pulled bed it was a mess. Multiple trailer plugs and splices. Coming from front I have 7 wires, 1 to 1st gas tank, 1 to 2nd tank and 1 to tank selector. Leaves 4 left where 5 is needed. Looks like I will have to decrease and wash Trans area. What I see there is no wire coming from Trans. I checked shop manual it shows backup switch on column for some. Not mine, but it doesn't show diagram of alternative. Thanks
 
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Old Jul 8, 2016 | 09:43 AM
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I will check neutral start and follow up.
 
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Old Jul 8, 2016 | 02:48 PM
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Originally Posted by Cajungtr
I have 7 wires, 1 to 1st gas tank, 1 to 2nd tank and 1 to tank selector. Leaves 4 left where 5 is needed. I checked shop manual it shows backup switch on column for some.
A '78 model won't have the neutral start switch on the column, it's mounted on the driver's side of the trans. It's mounted so the manual selector lever and the kickdown arm come out of the middle of the switch.
The wires that should go to the back are
1) Front fuel
2) Rear fuel
3) Tank selector
4) Taillights, tag lights & side marker lights
5) Left turn/brake light
6) Right turn/brake light
7) Back-up lights
The wire for the back-up lights should be black w/ red stripe.
This is what your NSS (neutral start switch) should look like:
 
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Old Jul 8, 2016 | 04:52 PM
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1978/79: Be aware that C4 uses a different NSS than C6.
 
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Old Jul 8, 2016 | 07:34 PM
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Thanks for the heads up on different types. I may have found issue. Due to discoloration of wires not being replaced color coding with new is tricky especially with the 5th wire on new harness, so I used a tester and trial and error, bottom line is I gave the brake lights a dedicated line. According to info from previous response brake lights are with turn signals? My confusion is I only have 1 lead for brake, does it need to be split or use either turn signal? Thanks I feel confident that I may getting somewhere.
 
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Old Jul 8, 2016 | 08:06 PM
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Originally Posted by Cajungtr
I only have 1 lead for brake, does it need to be split or use either turn signal? Thanks I feel confident that I may getting somewhere.
There should be two separate wires for the rear brake lights because the brake light is also the turn signal. There is a left brake light and a right brake light, not a single wire for both.
The left brake light/turn signal wire should be yellow w/ black trace, the right brake light/turn signal is green. The taillight/tag light/ side marker light is a brown wire.
 
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Old Jul 8, 2016 | 08:46 PM
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I have from front 7 leads
1 fuel tank
2 fuel tank
3 selector switch
4 yellow with black left/brake
5 green right/brake
6 brown running lights
7 black ?

The new harness is basically the same but has 5 leads. Yellow to yellow,green to green. Brown to brown, and black to black. Leaving 1 wire left for single filament back up and no where to go.
So it appears I am missing a lead. All else is working. Thank you your help is appreciated.
 
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Old Jul 8, 2016 | 08:48 PM
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Black to black? Ground?
 
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