Turn Signals & Backup Lights

[saxman2006]

I am having an odd problem. I have a 1994 Camaro 3.4L 5spd. Every time I put the car in reverse, the fuse labeled Trn Sgnl/BU Lmp blows. If I replace it, the turn signals will work normally until I put the car in reverse, at which point the fuse immediately goes bad. Any help is much appreciated!

[dk05]

Short in the reverse light wiring or maybe a fused filament in one of the bulbs? Will it still do it if you pull the reverse bulbs out of the car? If not I would try replacing the bulbs.

[saxman2006]

Yeah, I tried changing the bulbs, and it still does it. I washed the car yesterday, and it started doing this immediately after that

[saxman2006]

It seems to be a short in the system somewhere, but I don't even know where to start looking. Does anyone know of any particularly troublesome points in the turn signal/backup lamp wiring system?

[dk05]

Maybe the reverse light switch or the MLPS?

[saxman2006]

What is MLPS and where is it located? The guy we bought it from installed an aftermarket stereo, and he wired it completely wrong. Could that have anything to do with it?

[dk05]

MLPS = Manual Lever Position Sensor, and it is located on the tranny itself. I believe it is on top of it somewhere.

[saxman2006]

Is it ok to just unplug this, or will it cause damage to the car in any way? I just got done tearing the interior apart to try to get at the reverse sensor, and it is nowhere to be found on top of the tranny. I have to have the car driveable by tomorrow, so I am kind of going crazy right now. Thanks for your help so far!

[dk05]

You would not want to unplug the MLPS. The reverse light switch should be somewhere in the console by the shifter. Are you sure the terminals on the lights are not just corroded and/or touching each other somehow? Seems odd that it would start doing that after you washed it. If you have a multimeter you could check resistance between the bulb socket terminals on the lights to see if one of them is grounded out, or if you have a lot of fuses you could try using only one bulb at a time to see if it is only in one of the bulbs. Other than that it would have to be a short somewhere else in the wiring. I would say reverse switch is likely but why that would have anything to do with washing the car I don't know.

[saxman2006]

I unplugged the plug on the side of the transmission, and it solved the problem. The reverse lights don't work, but my father (who is a mechanic) says it shouldn't cause any additional problems. As for corroded connections at the taillights, they all appeared to be in good shape. The inside of the sockets were all coated in grease, and the wires were only dirty. There were no broken wires anywhere. This problem could have been caused by all of the snow we have had here recently. I live in Michigan, so you can imagine what I'm going through. I'm only 17, and the Camaro is my only source of transportation, so thanks alot for all of your help!

[saxman2006]

I unplugged the plug on the side of the transmission, and it solved the problem. The reverse lights don't work, but my father (who is a mechanic) says it shouldn't cause any additional problems. As for corroded connections at the taillights, they all appeared to be in good shape. The inside of the sockets were all coated in grease, and the wires were only dirty. There were no broken wires anywhere. This problem could have been caused by all of the snow we have had here recently. I live in Michigan, so you can imagine what I'm going through. I'm only 17, and the Camaro is my only source of transportation, so thanks alot for all of your help! It's finally back on the road!