Hey guess I'm new here,I need help solving an issue I'm having

[neeble]

I have a 1990 Ford ranger stx with the 4.0, floor shift 4wd and I just finished the manual swap, I need help knowing what wires I need splice or mess with on the neutral safety switch to get it to start, to get my reverse lights, and I guess it has something to do with my brake lights too

 

[franklin2]

Negative on the brake lights. Here's a diagram showing the power wire feeding the switch for the back-up lights as a pink.orange wire, and the wire leaving the switch going to the back-up lights themselves being a black/pink wire.

 

[franklin2]

Here is the diagram for the start wire. Looks like there is a pink wire coming from the ignition switch to the neutral safety, and a red/lightblue leaving the switch feeding the starter solenoid.

Don't know what transmission you are swapping in and where the back-up light switch would be on it. On the start switch I would just twist those two wires together. Anyone who cranks a vehicle in without pushing the clutch in first deserves what they get.

 

[sgtsandman]

If you are having and issue with your brake lights, it would be a separate problem from the reverse lights unless the wire harness running back to the lights is damaged.

I might be a good idea to look at the wire harness for damage and check power at the lights before digging too deep.

 

[1990RangerinSK]

Don't know what transmission you are swapping in and where the back-up light switch would be on it. On the start switch I would just twist those two wires together. Anyone who cranks a vehicle in without pushing the clutch in first deserves what they get.

That would most likely cause a his truck to fail a safety inspection. AND, if somebody unaware (like I was once!) didn't step on the clutch, and the truck lurched into another vehicle, I wouldn't be surprised if his insurance company looked at the truck, saw the missing neutral safety switch, and denied his insurance claim.

About me being unaware, I've told this story here before. My car was an Automatic. I borrowed Grandpa's Ranger (5 speed) for a weekend. When I went to pick it up, it wouldn't start. I lifted the hood, checked the battery connections (tight), and tried again. Still nothing, so I checked the connections again. I tried three times before I realized what the problem was, stepped on the clutch, and it started first try. That was when Grandpa came out and asked me if something was wrong. "Nope. Everything's fine".

The neutral safety switch on these isn't on the transmission. It's on the clutch pedal. How do I know? My '91 would start in any gear, as long as the clutch was pushed in. So would the '85.

 

[1990RangerinSK]

I have a 1990 Ford ranger stx with the 4.0, floor shift 4wd and I just finished the manual swap, I need help knowing what wires I need splice or mess with on the neutral safety switch to get it to start, to get my reverse lights, and I guess it has something to do with my brake lights too

Somebody above said to connect the two wires for the neutral safety switch together. He's right, BUT...

WARNING: If you connect the two wires for the NSS together, your truck will start in any gear, unless you install the clutch switch mentioned in the above diagram. Bad things will happen if you can start the truck in gear without stepping on the clutch. YOU WANT THAT SWITCH (see my post above for my major concern about being able to start the truck in gear, without stepping on the clutch). It also, by the way, cancels cruise control when you step on the clutch, and may prevent shifting to 4Low without stepping on the clutch (what I think the third function of this three function switch is).

 

[neeble]

Somebody above said to connect the two wires for the neutral safety switch together. He's right, BUT...

WARNING: If you connect the two wires for the NSS together, your truck will start in any gear, unless you install the clutch switch mentioned in the above diagram. Bad things will happen if you can start the truck in gear without stepping on the clutch. YOU WANT THAT SWITCH (see my post above for my major concern about being able to start the truck in gear, without stepping on the clutch). It also, by the way, cancels cruise control when you step on the clutch, and may prevent shifting to 4Low without stepping on the clutch (what I think the third function of this three function switch is).

So do you think I should just install a switch on the nss and connect my clutch lever switch?

 

[neeble]

So do you think I should just install a switch on the nss and connect my clutch lever switch?

I also have a manual transfercase so I think I'm okay on that but I deffenetly want my cruise control

 

[franklin2]

If you want to do it like the factory did it, twist those wires together like I said down at the transmission area. Then go up under the dash and somewhere in the harness under there are several jumper plugs. The harness was made to accept a auto transmission or a manual transmission, and also with or without cruise. So there are spots under the dash where the clutch switch plugs in and where the cruise control interlock plugs in. It would be best to find a truck equipped like that in the junkyard, and get these switch and short wiring pigtails. Then you could just plug them in and go.

 

[franklin2]

P.S. I looked at the diagram above a little more closely, the section to the right is the manual version. It shows a "clutch triple function switch" which I take to mean it's one switch assembly with three different switches inside. That is probably what you need. You can see on the left side of the diagram that is the automatic wiring, and there is a jumper there instead of the clutch switch.

 

[RobbieD]

So do you think I should just install a switch on the nss and connect my clutch lever switch?

I suggest doing it right and installing the switch (triple function switch).

The truck already has the plug fastened to the big harness going through the firewall:

On my 1990 Bronco II the harness had green tape, and the jumper plug is the black block that it's plugged into. Just unplug the jumper, and plug the wiring harness connector into the triple function switch. A Ranger will be the same setup.

The triple function switch mounts like this (best view in another of my trucks; yours would be the same):

A metal clip mounts the switch to the clutch master cylinder end that sticks through the floor, which holds the switch, and the clutch pedal linkage rod slides inside of the switch, held in place with a plastic cover. The rod sliding through the switch opens and closes the contacts.

It's not difficult to set it up right, so why not?