89 4runner 22re 5spd
as of yesterday after wheelin it hard, my backup lights come on when the ignition is turned on. the lights stay on all the time in any gear on neutral. but heres the kicker they get brighter when tranny is in reverse. I can understand being on all the time or not working at all but WTF? Surely I cant be the only one this has happened to can I?

 

First step would be to unplug the wires from the backup light switch on transmission and see if the light goes out. If so, then the switch is probably not fully releasing in other gears (resulting in a dim light) and then fully making contact in reverse. Easy enough to test with an ohm meter and fairly easy to replace if needed.

 

Thanks,
I didn’t even have to unplug the connector and it started working like it should. IDK? mud, crud, snow, water, whatever something in the connector was amiss.

 

Thanks,
I didn’t even have to unplug the connector and it started working like it should. IDK? mud, crud, snow, water, whatever something in the connector was amiss.

 

It could be an indicator of a future problem with the switch. If its corroded, it bound to happen again. Try removing the switch and cleaning it.