Back-up Lamp Switch Replacement 2003 Baja

[rp2813]

I swear I saw pictures and other information on the process to replace the back-up lamp switch on this site in the past, but a search turned up nothing.

I just took my Baja in for the Takata air bag recall and had the dealer check the back-up lamp switch because the lights haven't been working for a couple of years. They confirmed the switch was bad and gave me a quote for the part and labor. I was surprised at the labor estimate, which was 1.5 hours. I thought this was a fairly simple item to replace, and was planning on doing it myself. As I recall, the only tricky part was getting the wires up and over the transmission housing.

I haven't found any useful videos or step-by-step instructions for this job on line. My Chilton repair manual is pretty useless in this regard. Can anyone point me to a thread that contains information on this, or provide a link to something helpful?

[kamesama980]

You're missing an important bit of info: What transmission does your car have?

1.5 hours includes putting it on the lift, some allowance for cleaning, probably lowering the trans to get to it since it looks like the switch is on top,, and most importantly, consulting the service documentation to know what they're doing. If you don't like their quote, feel free to argue it or ask them to show you on the lift where it is/how to do it. The worst they can do is say no.

9 times out of 10 if you can't find a guide, it's because the job's simple enough not to need one.
Haynes/Chilton is pretty much worthless. Usually best relegated to looking up torque figures.
I'm all for DIY but if you can't even google where it is and figure it out...
Keep in mind the dealership is going to charge the most of any source for any job. Try a non-dealership shop for a quote.

[Mattiator]

What do you mean by "back up lamp switch"? Is it the switch labeled "Cargo Light" interior switch that turns the reverse lights on? If it's the switch itself that's broken, replacement ones aren't too hard to find on eBay.

[kamesama980]

What do you mean by "back up lamp switch"? Is it the switch labeled "Cargo Light" interior switch that turns the reverse lights on? If it's the switch itself that's broken, replacement ones aren't too hard to find on eBay.

Back-up as in reverse gear for backing the car up.

The cargo lights are not the reverse lights. The reverse lights are in the taillight housing and illuminate the area behind the car whenever the car is put in reverse. The cargo lights are in the center-high-mount brake light housing and illuminate the bed, though some light may bleed over into the area behind the truck.

[Nibbs]

I don't know that I can provide a link, but I can tell you that I just did this repair on my 2005 turbo 5 speed Baja and it didn't take long. Fixed the problem, which is always nice.

I just got under the car while it was on ramps and looked for the switch on the tranny. There were 2 similar switches, but I think the electrical connection was unique, so didn't take too long to guess right. Leaked a little transmission fluid, but not enough to make you want to drain before replacing.

1.5 hours of labor is excessive. This is 1/2 hour job for a garage. A 1 hour job for you, maybe, with getting the ramps out of the garage.

Switch is on the drivers side of the transmission.
~Ed