The back-up lights on my Echo (manual transmission) don’t work. I have replaced both bulbs and checked the fuse. Is there a switch somewhere in the transmission that should trigger the lights to come on when the car is in reverse gear? If so, where is the switch? Would it be hard for me to replace (I’m not much of a mechanic, but I can do a little), or will it cost a bundle at the mechanic’s or dealer’s shop?
Usually there is a switch in the rear of the transmission. Look for a connector with with one or two wires on it. It will most likely switch a ground connection to make the lights turn on but I don’t that that for sure, it may switch power to the lights.
If the switch is not in a convenient location (meaning a lot of labor to access it), I would suggest that you just wire a toggle switch to activate the back-up lights. That is what I did on my '74 Volvo in order to save some $$, and it was actually a good solution. When people tailgated me, activating those big back-up lights was very effective in getting them to back off.
Would this switch on the rear of the transmission be inside the car (near the gear shift) or outside the car (underneath somewhere, near the tranny case)?
Here are the instructions for adjusting the switch. http://www.autozone.com/shopping/repairGuide.htm?pageId=0900c152801a9236 You can’t get the images ----which would help, of course. The instructions begin: “Raise the vehicle …”. You may want to farm this job out. It shouldn’t be that expensive; but, ask the potential repairer.
Thanks for finding that info. I’ll take it to the mechanic and see if they can give me an estimate.