Ford Neutral Safety Switch Wiring Back Up Lights

Hello i need some help I have had my new floor shifter b&m pro stick shifter in my car and im going to hook up the neutral safety and reverse lights. but I dont know where the wires under the dash are any help would be greatly even pictures
Thanks Micheal
If your car was a column shift, it's at the bottom of the column before it goes through the firewall. This has been discussed before, you should be able to find the technical info by doing a search. If not, the wiring diagrams are online somewhere....
jmgford Member

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Column-shift Mavericks ('70-'72) do not have a neutral safety switch. That function is handled mechanically within the column. They have a 2-wire switch at the base of the column, but its only function is back-up light activation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jmgford
Column-shift Mavericks ('70-'72) do not have a neutral safety switch. That function is handled mechanically within the column. They have a 2-wire switch at the base of the column, but its only function is back-up light activation.
__________________

You're both sort of right.

The schematic does show the 71 and 72 auto columns having 4 contacts on the neutral safety switch, for the starter solenoid, and backup lights.

However, my 72' Grabber has only one set of backup lights contacts (2 wires) on it's column mounted switch, while the connector plug is setup for 4 contacts. The extra 2 connections on the plug are jumpered with a short length pig-tail factory wire, where the neutral safety contacts "could" have plugged into.

Mine is an early 72 Grabber. Maybe this was in preparation for later models that would actually use the neutral safety contacts in the tandem mounted switch. I know you can buy NOS switches that have all 4 contacts for 1972, so I wonder if some of the Mavericks actually used all 4 contacts?

This looks to be another case of where some of the schematics are not exactly what came from the factory in these cars.

Maybe some others should chime in?

Update:

It's possible that the schematics show all 4 contacts wired on the 71 and 71 schematics, because the schematics have to be correct for the auto floor shifter cars as well. The Auto Floor Shift Cars in 71 and 72 actually use all 4 contacts, on the tranny mounted switch.
That jumper wire, is a good spot for a kill switch, I bought one that had the jumper cut, and the car would not start, till I repaired it.
I always thought they were neutral safety switches? I know my 74 had an issue years ago, and it wouldn't start, or were they switches in 74?
so do I conect all four wires together? and for my reverse lights in the second picture its says black and pink so i hook that up to the micro switch on my b&m shifter?
It's best to use both Switches (upper Reverse Lights and lower Neutral Safety) in your new B & M Shifter.
Run the 2 wires that connected to your old Factory Backup Lights switch on lower Column, to the UPPER contacts switch on your B & M. (Factory Plug end should be Black w/ Pink, and White w/ Pink)

For the LOWER switch contacts on your B & M, there should be either been a single wire jumpered between the other two places in the Factory Plug reverse lights plug (Red w/ Lt Blue), or it had 2 wires, if it used a 4 contact style reverse/neutral safe switch. Either way, use those neutral safety wires, or cut the jumper in half, and run both conductors over to your LOWER switch in your B & M. This will allow your car to start in Neutral and Park.

Let us know how it goes. Good Luck.

Last edited: Sep 10, 2011
As I have a 3 speed column shifter, and I just replaced the neutral switch, yes, there is one and it is at the base (top side) of the column. Mine popped right our but it was tapped to the column to prevent it from popping out. IT IS A REAL PAIN TO REPLACE but doable. The connector is actually 2 connectors. Really screwy wire setup but once you get under there, you'll recognize the connectors and wires.
jmgford Member

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I am pretty sure the later Mavs had conventional electrical neutral safety switches.
Would the two wires closest to the floor(purple and green) be my neutral safety and the black and white with a purple strip wire be my back up lights?
When I get home, I'll photograph an extra switch that I have. Can't remember at the moment. Also, before you snip any wires, you can test the switch by putting the car in reverse and seeing if any power is running through the wires.
Here's my switch.
Two wires coming from the switch are black with violet stripe and white with a violet stripe. The other two plugs simply plug into its opposites near the column. Make sure that you're in neutral before installing it. It just pops in but that's easier said than done depending on the size of your hands. Also, my original one had been taped into place (I guess that was to prevent it from popping back out) so I taped my new one into place also. If you read my threads about my reverse lights, you find that my problem actually wasn't my switch but wrong bulbs. Not sure if that matters to your problem.

I hope that this helps.
Attached Files:
boy, that photo sucks. If you want a better one, let me know and I'll break out the Canon.
1971Mavboy Member

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So which ones were the back up lights the black with a light pink line white with light pink line do I run both of those over to the reverse light switch on the B&m shifter