:Back-up lights

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GTG3

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My 65 Dart with a 4 spd has the back up lights wired that they are on with out the key. I would think that is not the way it came. Without hunting down a wireing diagram and finding were everything is or cutting things up any good idea were to look. I would think somthing is hooked on the wrong spot of the fuse box.
The raido doesn't work with the key off so someone didn't jump over the pannes so everything is hot all the time.
Oh and it is a factory 4spd car.
:rolleyes:
Thanks,
GEORGE!!
 
I can tell you that the hot feed for the backup lights comes from the wiper switch. The wires for the backup switch are white and purple with white being the hot feed and the purple being switched. Since you have a 4 speed, the wires will run through the firewall to the tranny. You may wish to check you firewall connector for any signs of melted or shorted wires first. If your wipers are only working with the key on, that is not the source of the always on hot feed to the backup switch. Something else must be shorted down the line to an always on hot feed. Wiring is not real fun to trace down but at least you now know what color of wires to look for and where the hot feed should start to that circuit. Check the wiring at your wiper switch for possible shorts as well.
 
My 66 valiant "Victoria" does the same thing, When I first got her I found this out by parking it in reverse, It is a three on the tree and walked away from the car and seen my reverse lights on. Makes you wonder if it was wired that way from factory she has 57.000 miles on here and my wiring has never been touched that I know of. But I did change out to electronic ignition

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If you look at the wiring diagram, the pink wire is the hot feed to the wiper switch and marked with a "B" on the switch terminal. The backup switch terminal also has a "B" terminal marking. This hot feed comes from the ignition switch black wire on the ACC terminal and is hot in both run and acc position. The ACC feed runs to the flasher unit, the wiper switch, and back to the fusebox to feed the radio, rear defroster, heater blower motor, and brake warning light on their respective fuses. So in theory, the backup lights should be off when the key is off as the hot feed has been turned off at the switch. Not to say you are wrong in your wiring being right but I would be curious to see where the hot feed is coming from with the key off. Assuming your wiring matches the diagram as shown, the radio and wipers should work with the key off as well. Now we have a mystery on our hands.
 
Dartnewbie said:
If you look at the wiring diagram, the pink wire is the hot feed to the wiper switch and marked with a "B" on the switch terminal. The backup switch terminal also has a "B" terminal marking. This hot feed comes from the ignition switch black wire on the ACC terminal and is hot in both run and acc position. The ACC feed runs to the flasher unit, the wiper switch, and back to the fusebox to feed the radio, rear defroster, heater blower motor, and brake warning light on their respective fuses. So in theory, the backup lights should be off when the key is off as the hot feed has been turned off at the switch. Not to say you are wrong in your wiring being right but I would be curious to see where the hot feed is coming from with the key off. Assuming your wiring matches the diagram as shown, the radio and wipers should work with the key off as well. Now we have a mystery on our hands.
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Very nice :cheers:and thank you for the info :cheers: I will be checking this out and get back to this thread.
 
Nope the wipers don't come on without the key. No short eiter as the lights would not work if there was a short.. You are confusing the word short but thanks,
GEORGE!!
Dartnewbie said:
I can tell you that the hot feed for the backup lights comes from the wiper switch. The wires for the backup switch are white and purple with white being the hot feed and the purple being switched. Since you have a 4 speed, the wires will run through the firewall to the tranny. You may wish to check you firewall connector for any signs of melted or shorted wires first. If your wipers are only working with the key on, that is not the source of the always on hot feed to the backup switch. Something else must be shorted down the line to an always on hot feed. Wiring is not real fun to trace down but at least you now know what color of wires to look for and where the hot feed should start to that circuit. Check the wiring at your wiper switch for possible shorts as well.
Click to expand...
 
Well maybe the same guy at the factory worked on both cars:thebirdm:I believe most of the stuff is orignal as it is just over 100,000 mi and it sat for 18 years with the engine out when I bought it. I did get the slant with it and put it back in. It's has the orignal radio and nothing else so there is no reason to think someone whould have been hacking at the wires.
Thanks,GEORGE!!

memike said:
My 66 valiant "Victoria" does the same thing, When I first got her I found this out by parking it in reverse, It is a three on the tree and walked away from the car and seen my reverse lights on. Makes you wonder if it was wired that way from factory she has 57.000 miles on here and my wiring has never been touched that I know of. But I did change out to electronic ignition
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I started looking at the diagram. Now I'm crosseyed, part blind and have screwed-up lights.
I guell i'll have to crawl under the dash anllook for the hot wire. I didn't think about the wiper switch being a terminal. I was thinking it would come off the fuse box which has two sections, always hot (acc and run) and only with key on run only. Well at least I have colors. Maybe I can blow the digaram up so I can read it but I guess I have the info here.
I wonder if there was a TSB on some cars being hooked up wrong.
Thanks,
GEORGE!!
 
I went out and checked mine. They go off with the key. Don't know if it is because it is an automatic or not but the wiring is basically the same. Could be something they changed in 65 from 63 but like I said, the diagrams show them wired the same way.
 
I was thinking could we both have dealer installed back-up lights if there was such a thing. I don't know when they came as standard equipment.
Some shop workers could have taken a short cut and used the first wire they found that made the lights come on.
I guess the next thing for me to do is drop the wiper switch and find the terminal that should power the B/U lights and connect it to the wire going to the swithch that carries power to the switch.
Thanks,:-D
GEORGE!!
memike said:
My 66 valiant "Victoria" does the same thing, When I first got her I found this out by parking it in reverse, It is a three on the tree and walked away from the car and seen my reverse lights on. Makes you wonder if it was wired that way from factory she has 57.000 miles on here and my wiring has never been touched that I know of. But I did change out to electronic ignition
Click to expand...
 
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