C6Z MT Reverse Lights Dont Work
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2024
Posts: 204
Likes: 68
From: South East MA
C6Z MT Reverse Lights Dont Work
In the middle of a stereo installation and having some issues with the back-up camera due which turns out to be due to the fact that my reverse lights are not engaging when shifting into reverse. This is a 2008 C6Z with manual trans. The reverse lights do come on when unlocking the car with the FOB. Both fuses are good (under the hood and in the pass side floor pan). Not sure where to go from here. I would like to try to resolve this myself since the entire dash is apart and really need to ensure stereo wiring is good before buttoning everything back up.That being said, I am skilled enough to be dangerous when it comes to electrical how-to. Tell me what to do, but dont expect me to fully understand "why".
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 5,429
Likes: 2,309
From: Billings Montana. Out in the wild west
In the middle of a stereo installation and having some issues with the back-up camera due which turns out to be due to the fact that my reverse lights are not engaging when shifting into reverse. This is a 2008 C6Z with manual trans. The reverse lights do come on when unlocking the car with the FOB. Both fuses are good (under the hood and in the pass side floor pan). Not sure where to go from here. I would like to try to resolve this myself since the entire dash is apart and really need to ensure stereo wiring is good before buttoning everything back up.That being said, I am skilled enough to be dangerous when it comes to electrical how-to. Tell me what to do, but dont expect me to fully understand "why".
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 5,429
Likes: 2,309
From: Billings Montana. Out in the wild west
If the fuses test ok, see post #2 in this thread. https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...t-working.html
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 932
Likes: 457
From: New Brunswick, Canada
There is also a sensor/switch in the transmission (at least for a manual transmission) that tells the car you have the transmission in reverse. This switch/sensor does fail which will cause the issue you describe (ask me how I know).
From what I remember, it wasn't an overly expensive fix.
From what I remember, it wasn't an overly expensive fix.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 5,429
Likes: 2,309
From: Billings Montana. Out in the wild west
Yes he got them working, I was in a PM conversation concerning this, and his install, and this is what he replied to me concerning his backup lights. Still not sure exactly what the issue was, but at least they’re working
Life is funny sometimes. I debated whether or not I wanted to put the car back together before replacing the reverse switch because I would not have the ability to test it. I decided that I was going to rewire the PAC the way I had it originally, leveraging the purple/white wire to engage the camera when putting the car in reverse. I decided to do that because that's the way it is supposed to be done, and it should work. So I removed the wire I ran that would have been connected to the reverse light wiring in the car and re-soldered my purple/white wire back together. I made all my final connections, cleaned up all my wiring with zip ties and tested the head unit functionality. All was working good so I put the dash back together. I decided to take the car for a ride yesterday and low and behold, when I got back from the ride and backed into my driveway, the back-up camera came on! I asked my son to get out of the car and check my reverse lights, and sure enough, they worked also. The only explanation that I can come up with for this, was that I did all the work on Easter Sunday. My mom came over for easter dinner with new Palms from Palm Sunday. Before I took my ride I pinned my palm cross on the sun visor.
Life is funny sometimes. I debated whether or not I wanted to put the car back together before replacing the reverse switch because I would not have the ability to test it. I decided that I was going to rewire the PAC the way I had it originally, leveraging the purple/white wire to engage the camera when putting the car in reverse. I decided to do that because that's the way it is supposed to be done, and it should work. So I removed the wire I ran that would have been connected to the reverse light wiring in the car and re-soldered my purple/white wire back together. I made all my final connections, cleaned up all my wiring with zip ties and tested the head unit functionality. All was working good so I put the dash back together. I decided to take the car for a ride yesterday and low and behold, when I got back from the ride and backed into my driveway, the back-up camera came on! I asked my son to get out of the car and check my reverse lights, and sure enough, they worked also. The only explanation that I can come up with for this, was that I did all the work on Easter Sunday. My mom came over for easter dinner with new Palms from Palm Sunday. Before I took my ride I pinned my palm cross on the sun visor.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2024
Posts: 204
Likes: 68
From: South East MA
They have been working.....mostly. There have been a couple occasions where they don't work exactly as they should. One occasion, I went to back-up and the camera did not engage on shift to reverse and then a few minutes later when I backed up, it did. There was also one occasion where the camera was cutting in and out before it stayed steady on. I noticed if I shift into reverse with a purpose, it tends to engage more reliably. I am assuming that the reverse lights are doing the same thing but was alone and did not have the ability to validate the reverse lights. I'm not sure exactly how the system works so, could this be the switch at the transmission starting to fail, or is there a mechanism in the shifter that may be compromised somehow, maybe the relay?
Last edited by NortheastZ06; Apr 30, 2025 at 10:36 AM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 5,429
Likes: 2,309
From: Billings Montana. Out in the wild west
They have been working.....mostly. There have been a couple occasions where they don't work exactly as they should. One occasion, I went to back-up and the camera did not engage on shift to reverse and then a few minutes later when I backed up, it did. There was also one occasion where the camera was cutting in and out before it stayed steady on. I noticed if I shift into reverse with a purpose, it tends to engage more reliably. I'm not sure exactly how the system works so, could this be the switch at the transmission starting to fail, or is there a mechanism in the shifter that may be compromised somehow, maybe the relay?
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Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2018
Posts: 932
Likes: 457
From: New Brunswick, Canada
They have been working.....mostly. There have been a couple occasions where they don't work exactly as they should. One occasion, I went to back-up and the camera did not engage on shift to reverse and then a few minutes later when I backed up, it did. There was also one occasion where the camera was cutting in and out before it stayed steady on. I noticed if I shift into reverse with a purpose, it tends to engage more reliably. I'm not sure exactly how the system works so, could this be the switch at the transmission starting to fail, or is there a mechanism in the shifter that may be compromised somehow, maybe the relay?
In my personal opinion, you have a defective backup switch in the transmission (this is how it detects that your manual transmission is in reverse) that is intermittent. This will only get worse. From what I remember, it isn't a huge ordeal to change this switch.
Since I've changed mine several years ago now, I've had zero problems (knock wood).
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Oct 2024
Posts: 204
Likes: 68
From: South East MA
This sounds exactly like what mine was doing, it would work intermittently, not work initially and then suddenly start working, or simply not work at all.
In my personal opinion, you have a defective backup switch in the transmission (this is how it detects that your manual transmission is in reverse) that is intermittent. This will only get worse. From what I remember, it isn't a huge ordeal to change this switch.
Since I've changed mine several years ago now, I've had zero problems (knock wood).
In my personal opinion, you have a defective backup switch in the transmission (this is how it detects that your manual transmission is in reverse) that is intermittent. This will only get worse. From what I remember, it isn't a huge ordeal to change this switch.
Since I've changed mine several years ago now, I've had zero problems (knock wood).
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 5,429
Likes: 2,309
From: Billings Montana. Out in the wild west
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2017
Posts: 5,429
Likes: 2,309
From: Billings Montana. Out in the wild west