backup light replacement

[jvandyke]

my new GT has no backup light (that's the one right under the rear license plate I assume)
How hard are these to come by, any idea what a fair price would be?
Assuming the switch is still there, what else might I need to put one back on?
Gasket? special bolts? any of that?
(PS online version of FSM isn't working and I forgot mine at home)

[BQS4]

Check the connections at the trans first to make sure it's not that. If you have a lter style trans, there will be a cylindrical object protruding out the back of the trans with two terminals on it. Early style trans will have a little box bolted to the driver's side of the trans at the end of the shift arm. As for the lights themselves, they're on Ebay all the time. You might want to check the bulb in the unit too. Wosre/best scenerio, go to your local parts store and get a small fog light to replace the whole unit with. The OEM one didn't give off very much light when it was new anyway.

[jvandyke]

okay, thanks for the input, but I don't have any light at all right now, nothing but holes in the rear panel.
this GT has a 2.0 (which I've been searching for specs on btw, like how is it different then your typical 1.9 and HP numbers or something) so what the tranny could be is anybody's guess, but I would think no matter what it is, it should either have, or have the capacity to run, a reverse light, but, even if it doesn't work, it will be better then just empty holes back there

[namba209]

Presuming you have the original wiring harness, at the tranny main body, there should be two wires going to a switch screwed/bolted to the tranny. A purple wire is power to the switch, White/Black is the wire to the back-up lite. Both wires go forward to the fuse panel area, then the Black/White wire goes into the harness that runs along the driver's door channel on the floor to the rear of the car. The rear wiring harness is accessible through the rear tail light holes. HTH.

[Dan-MI]

I've seen these pop up on eBay occaisionally. You might try OGTS. They do sell the lenses, I bought a new backup light lense for my GT about a year ago from them. It was held on by a couple screws. The wire that connects to it comes out of the big wire harness in the back of the car. You can get to it fairly easily by taking the tail lights out.

[jlthunder]

I may have an entire assembly if you want. It will not be show quality, but it will get you by. PM me if you are interested.

[jvandyke]

It looks like I actually had a decent one in pieces in the stash of stuff from the PO. So I'm good to go, wont' be trying to actually hook it up though -3 or so is too cold.

[soybean]

If your switch on the transmission is gone here is what Tim found as the replacement for it. Hth, Jarrell

[jlthunder]

Originally Posted by jvandyke Assuming the switch is still there, what else might I need to put one back on? Gasket? special bolts? any of that? (PS online version of FSM isn't working and I forgot mine at home)

Here is the order of assembly of the rear back-up light.

There is a gasket between the tail panel and the housing, the housing(with bulb), a gasket between the housing and lens and then the lens.


HTH

Jeff

[namba209]

Don't forget the plastic/rubber grommet for the wire coming through the sheetmetal.

[hrcollinsjr]

Originally Posted by soybean If your switch on the transmission is gone here is what Tim found as the replacement for it. Hth, Jarrell

Is it a direct replacement for the stock Opel 4 spd? I'm sure there is a comparable part out there for the original 4 spd. A parts man at a GM dealership years ago took the original P/N and changed the number somehow and brought home a switch with a GM P/N instead of the Opel P/N. The part was identical.

Harold

[GTJIM]

The one Tim found is a BMW one for a Getrag 5-speed gearbox - I would think that one for the 4-speed would be different and similar (if not the same) as the GM one for the "Opel" 4-speed gearbox fitted to the early Vegas.
Most Opel parts do have both an Opel part number and a GM part number, which are completely different ... sooooo helpful!

[hrcollinsjr]

Originally Posted by GTJIM ...one for the 4-speed would be different and similar (if not the same) as the GM one for the "Opel" 4-speed gearbox fitted to the early Vegas. Most Opel parts do have both an Opel part number and a GM part number, which are completely different ... sooooo helpful!

My thoughts also, I've just not needed one since replacing my old leaking one years ago.

Harold

[jvandyke]

Originally Posted by jlthunder Here is the order of assembly of the rear back-up light. There is a gasket between the tail panel and the housing, the housing(with bulb), a gasket between the housing and lens and then the lens. HTH Jeff

I just put it on the car this afternoon (no attempt to wire it up, yet) and as i recall, one big rubber gasket then the housing/bulb which sits on top of the gasket, the plastic lens goes over and around this housing to contact the original gasket again, so only one gasket.
sorta like this (not many customers during a blizzard, time to dink around)http://homepage.mac.com/jvandyke/backupdraw.jpg