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1980 - 1986 Bullnose F100, F150 & Larger F-Series Trucks Discuss the Early Eighties Bullnose Ford Truck

Reverse Lights Not Working

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Old May 22, 2026 | 06:24 PM
  #46  
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I stumbled across this video which goes over wiring for the rear lights:

it was helpful so I thought I would share it here for someone else in the future
 
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Old May 22, 2026 | 06:55 PM
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Originally Posted by FuzzFace2
if this is for a AOD NSS and the truck was a swap to the transmission it has now would that plug not be jumped to get the motor to crank?…
One possibility is the PO disconnected and jumpered a different plug further upstream, perhaps closer to the starter relay. If so, and he left the downstream portion disconnected, that would explain why there is no power at that round 4 contact plug.

Or maybe he simply cut the wires and spliced them together. You may not find a plug that has been disconnected, but rather a mystery ball of electrical tape who knows where.

 
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Old May 25, 2026 | 03:32 PM
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Ok so I bridged the terminal corresponding to the black w/ pink trace and the adjacent terminal using a jumper wire. I got the reverse lights to come on. Both sides are working. I’ll attach a screenshot.

at this point, can I snip those two wires from that harness and splice them into the connector pigtail that I’ll plug into the switch?


 
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Old May 25, 2026 | 05:30 PM
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I can only see half of the connector with the 4 wires, one is the black pink to the backup lights. Apparently you have that connector apart and which side of the connector did you find the 12v? If it's an adjacent in the same side of the connector I have to ask how did the 12v get down stream of the undone connector? I wouldn't snip the 12v out of the connector yet as it may serve more than the back up lights. You do need a key on 12v source to attach to your reverse light switch pigtail.

You might want to figure out where the 12v is coming from. You could remove fuses until it goes out. Then see what else that fuse serves. You might decide it's the best 12v source for your back up lights. Then instead of snipping it you might want to create a splice connection on it so that if it's also powering other lights you won't be interrupting those.
 

Last edited by BigBlue2; May 25, 2026 at 05:35 PM.
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Old May 25, 2026 | 05:42 PM
  #50  
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Ok, thanks.

to be more thorough, I put the truck in RUN.

i don’t have the connector attached to the switch yet. I am bypassing that still

i had a jumper wire - one side hooked up to a ground. The other side I had a paper clip - one side of the paper clip I stuck in the terminal with the black & pink trace. The other in the adjacent (pink). I’ll attach a better picture
Right two terminals is what I bridged with truck in RUN
Right two terminals is what I bridged with truck in RUN


in terms of lights I saw just the reverse lights come on in the back. I didn’t see any others in the rear illuminate
 

Last edited by 19bulln0se85; May 25, 2026 at 05:44 PM.
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Old May 25, 2026 | 06:47 PM
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Is that a disconnected connector in your hand? Just like the other picture you posted I can't see what it is. The red wire has 12v on it. You made a circuit to the back up lights. Where does the 12v source come from? If it's disconnected 12v is coming from down stream.
If you snip it, where was it intended to go? You'll be interuppting power to where ever it was going if you snip it.
 

Last edited by BigBlue2; May 25, 2026 at 06:49 PM.
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Old May 25, 2026 | 07:07 PM
  #52  
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I believe the 12V feed is coming from the purple wire. When I bridge that with the black and pink trace, the rear lights illuminate

im not sure why my multimeter wasn’t reading 12v earlier. Maybe I was on a bad ground? Likely user error

yes - the connector is disconnected. kr discovered it came from an automatic with OD: https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/ford,1985,f-150,4.9l+300cid+l6,1121533,electrical-switch+&+relay,neutral+safety+switch+/+range+sensor,4584

went with the inline 6

i purchased a connector with a pigtail for my t18 which I thought I would splice these two wires with
 

Last edited by 19bulln0se85; May 25, 2026 at 07:10 PM.
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Old May 25, 2026 | 07:20 PM
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Ok, I reviewed this post from the beginning. That plug is a universal plug that can accommodate any transmission. What you now need is the harness that goes from the 4 pin connector to the two pin connector at the switch. The harness you need has only two of the four pins connected. I guess the other two are for a neutral safety switch on an automatic transmission. You might be able to buy a replacement or go to a junk yard and find the two to four pin harness off another manual transmission.
 
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Old May 25, 2026 | 07:25 PM
  #54  
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Originally Posted by BigBlue2
Ok, I reviewed this post from the beginning. That plug is a universal plug that can accommodate any transmission. What you now need is the harness that goes from the 4 pin connector to the two pin connector at the switch. The harness you need has only two of the four pins connected. I guess the other two are for a neutral safety switch on an automatic transmission. You might be able to buy a replacement or go to a junk yard and find the two to four pin harness off another manual transmission.
Wow! That didn’t even cross my mind. I’ll browse RockAuto tonight

Edit: Any ideas on what this adapter is called? I haven’t had any luck so far
 

Last edited by 19bulln0se85; May 25, 2026 at 07:29 PM.
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Old May 25, 2026 | 08:09 PM
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Originally Posted by 19bulln0se85
Wow! That didn’t even cross my mind. I’ll browse RockAuto tonight

Edit: Any ideas on what this adapter is called? I haven’t had any luck so far
Karl posted the connector link above at rockauto.com. If you can get the oval connector too you can make your own pigtail. You just need some wire.
 
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Old May 25, 2026 | 08:20 PM
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Here's the transmission end of the pigtail

https://www.partsgeek.com/qpv1ps4-fo...connector.html
 
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Old May 25, 2026 | 09:08 PM
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The link to parts geek, has a phone number. Call them and see if they have the whole pigtail. Alternatively call Summit Racing and see if they can get you one.
​​​​​​
 

Last edited by BigBlue2; May 25, 2026 at 09:09 PM.
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Old May 25, 2026 | 11:53 PM
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Look on the connector itself for any part numbers or other identification that might be helpful in locating a connector that fits it. The connector would be the best way keeping it stock and auto trans ready. But you could cut and splice as you first mentioned. Get some crimp shrink fit connectors. Connect up the trans connector the same way.
 
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Old May 26, 2026 | 11:28 AM
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Originally Posted by BigBlue2
Ok, I reviewed this post from the beginning. That plug is a universal plug that can accommodate any transmission. What you now need is the harness that goes from the 4 pin connector to the two pin connector at the switch. The harness you need has only two of the four pins connected. I guess the other two are for a neutral safety switch on an automatic transmission. You might be able to buy a replacement or go to a junk yard and find the two to four pin harness off another manual transmission.
I'm not sure this is entirely correct, if we are talking about the same things. I think that round 4 pin connector is the end of a short adapter, installed only on trucks with the AOD transmission. If originally equipped with a T-18/19, NP435, or any transmission with that 2 pin oval switch, the short adapter would have the corresponding 2 pin oval connector.

Depending how deep you want to dig, I'd suggest going upstream from the existing round 4 pin plug until you find the next connector. We'll call this mystery connector A. If you want to keep 100% stock wiring, you'd need to find a donor truck with the short adapter harness between mystery connector A and the 2 pin oval switch. Or you could be lazy like me and splice into the existing wiring. But I don't you'd find anything factory to link between the existing round 4 pin connector and the new 2 pin oval switch.



 
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Old May 26, 2026 | 01:16 PM
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Originally Posted by kr98664
I'm not sure this is entirely correct, if we are talking about the same things. I think that round 4 pin connector is the end of a short adapter, installed only on trucks with the AOD transmission. If originally equipped with a T-18/19, NP435, or any transmission with that 2 pin oval switch, the short adapter would have the corresponding 2 pin oval connector.

Depending how deep you want to dig, I'd suggest going upstream from the existing round 4 pin plug until you find the next connector. We'll call this mystery connector A. If you want to keep 100% stock wiring, you'd need to find a donor truck with the short adapter harness between mystery connector A and the 2 pin oval switch. Or you could be lazy like me and splice into the existing wiring. But I don't you'd find anything factory to link between the existing round 4 pin connector and the new 2 pin oval switch.
According to the door tag the truck was born with a T19. And Fuzzy Dave found that same round connector when you sent him under his truck for a look, thanks for permitting him to crawl out and attend to other business. I haven't looked at my truck yet, but putting 2 plus 2 together I surmised that Ford probably used the same main harness for every truck and then used the appropriate pigtail for what ever transmission went into the build. I can't see them only using a particular harness for the AOD. The bean counters and the production coordinators would be very unhappy.
 
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