Backup light switch on automatic?

[Tomas]

i live in Sweden and I think my 92 ex have had some conversion done to the rear lights to pass the swedish traffic regulations. My rear lights have the blinkers with orange bulbs in the clear glass sections. Aren't those supposed to be the backup lights? Because as it turns out I have no backup lights at all.

I'm thinking that I will add some clear bulbs into that clear sections and hook it up to the backup switch. Only problem is that I dont know where the switch for the backup lights is. As I mentioned in the title I have an automatic transmission. Anyone know where that switch is and how I should hook it up?

There's of course the possibility if the original wiring still being there for the backup lights. Just dont know how it is supposed to be hooked up.

An info on this would be highly appreciated!

//Tomas the Swede

 

[Anime]

What are the regulations in Sweden?

The small clear lenses are for the reverse lamps as you've guessed.

The tail/stop/turn signal function is built into the main bulbs, they have a dual filament (Bulb size 3157) so they work as both.

Unless you must have amber turn signals, I'd just undo whatever modification was done and stick with using red for everything and using the white bulbs in the reverse lamps. I doubt they require amber only turn signals, otherwise all the European and American vehicles that use red lamps with no amber would be unlawful in Sweden. Generally red or amber for rear signal lamps is acceptable worldwide.

You shouldn't have to wire the reverse lights into the switch, they should already be wired into the factory wiring that way. You should just have to undo whatever was done to modify the wiring to turn the reverse lights into signal lights, if anything. It may just be amber 3156 bulbs in the reverse lamps with no other changes, so just using clear bulbs might solve the issue.

 

[Tomas]

Yes in sweden you're required to have amber turn signals on cars from 1976 or newer. So that's why they did the conversion. I'm just confused as the law also clearly states that you must have backup lights as well and mine doesn't.

So my options are slim. Either I add a rear facing white fog light and hook that up, or I go with the adding another white bulb into the same area.

 

[huntman58]

Wow that’s crazy being they did not come that way at all and many still do not.
Easiest way is add a white fog as a back up light with the benefit it’s a better and brighter back up light then the stock ones also.

 

[Anime]

It might be easiest to just add two aftermarket fog/driving lights in the rear, then hook them up with the backup lamp switch being the trigger for the relay.

Seems that the amber bulbs in the reverse lamp location is a common mod for vehicles with red lamps in Sweden. It does seem strange that they trade complying with the amber turn signal law for the law requiring reverse lamps, though. Seems having lamps with amber lenses just for these markets was out of the question.

Do the headlights use the same plastic lenses with 9004 bulbs as the US models, or those have the 200mm rectangular E-code lenses with the replacable H4 bulbs?

 

[Tomas]

After some investigation I found that there has been a rear facing light under the bumper that has been torn off. So it turns out it just got caught somewhere and disappeared before I bought the car.

I also found the original wiring for the backup lights, black wires with a pink stripe. I measured 12 volts on both sides when in reverse gear so that's good news! =)

I'm not sure about the headlights, I'll check it out.

Thanks!