Backup Switch is also...safety switch?

I thought I'd throw this out there--I couldn't find any documentation that even mentions it, although I didn't study any wiring diagrams.

I recently learned that the starter on an 1987 (guessing also '88?) Turbo Coupe will NOT operate unless the backup switch on the T5OD World Class transmission is properly connected. There is a click which I'm guessing is something like the power relay on the upper firewall, but nothing else.

I first ran into this "discovery" when I was installing a new clutch this past July. Since it is Gawdawful hot here in Phoenix then, it was a "how many hours can you stand working in the heat today?" project. After several weeks had gone by (work schedule and other obligations also played a part), I thought it might be a good idea to fire up the TC for a bit to keep the battery charged up. There was no transmission in the car, just the flywheel/clutch assembly/bellhousing. I turned the key and...click. That was it. I jumpered the starter solenoid, the starter...all worked fine. But no key start.

When I put everything back together it started right up, no issues. But a couple of weeks ago I took everything apart again because I was getting a bad rattling sound that I was pretty sure was the throwout bearing. I replaced it, had a marathon reassembly session that lasted until 11 pm. Next day tried to start it--same thing, just a click. I turned on the key, jumpered the starter, it fired right up. Oddly, however, the backup lights were on...in ALL the gears. I shut it down and got underneath, saw that the backup switch connector was not put together properly. Reconnected it, lights went out.

I was all set to head out for a new starter switch when I thought "Why not?" So I turned the key...success!

Common thread here? First issue, NO backup switch. Second occurrence, not connected properly. So, concluding, it's sort of a safety switch.

sounds like the neutral switch and back switch are reversed, was this previously an automatic car? nseems like someone rewired it in correctly to get it to start.

sounds like the neutral switch and back switch are reversed, was this previously an automatic car? nseems like someone rewired it in correctly to get it to start.

Nope, always been a T5OD. The World Class 5 speed transmission for the Turbo Coupe has no Neutral Safety Switch, that would be the one designed for the Mustang. The TC's safety switch is found on the clutch pedal.

There are two connectors: one for the speedometer/odometer, one for the backup light switch.

when I did my T-5 swap, I wired them backwards. I was too lazy to fix it, so I just took the bulbs out of the back up lights and now you have to put it in reverse to start. Makes a good "anti theft" device! On a side note, if you need a push start your screwed, as you have to have the clutch peddle in for the neutral safety switch, but have to have in reverse to start, rolling backwards. I have done it, but its a bitch gotta catch it just right to get it fired! I used a cable clutch and peddles from an 86 turbo Cougar when I did my swap, not sure if the 87-88 peddles are the same as far as neutral safety switch, also now I have no backup lights, but they were pretty worthless anyway!

The automatics use the neutral safety switch and the sticks use a clutch pedal safety switch ( at the clutch pedal), if I remember correctly.

On my 87 TC I installed a remote start keyless entry unit and I had to make a NSS so my car never tries to run away on me
The pro 5.0 shifter made it pretty easy to install on my car

I thought I'd throw this out there--I couldn't find any documentation that even mentions it, although I didn't study any wiring diagrams.

I recently learned that the starter on an 1987 (guessing also '88?) Turbo Coupe will NOT operate unless the backup switch on the T5OD World Class transmission is properly connected. There is a click which I'm guessing is something like the power relay on the upper firewall, but nothing else.

I first ran into this "discovery" when I was installing a new clutch this past July. Since it is Gawdawful hot here in Phoenix then, it was a "how many hours can you stand working in the heat today?" project. After several weeks had gone by (work schedule and other obligations also played a part), I thought it might be a good idea to fire up the TC for a bit to keep the battery charged up. There was no transmission in the car, just the flywheel/clutch assembly/bellhousing. I turned the key and...click. That was it. I jumpered the starter solenoid, the starter...all worked fine. But no key start.

When I put everything back together it started right up, no issues. But a couple of weeks ago I took everything apart again because I was getting a bad rattling sound that I was pretty sure was the throwout bearing. I replaced it, had a marathon reassembly session that lasted until 11 pm. Next day tried to start it--same thing, just a click. I turned on the key, jumpered the starter, it fired right up. Oddly, however, the backup lights were on...in ALL the gears. I shut it down and got underneath, saw that the backup switch connector was not put together properly. Reconnected it, lights went out.

I was all set to head out for a new starter switch when I thought "Why not?" So I turned the key...success!

Common thread here? First issue, NO backup switch. Second occurrence, not connected properly. So, concluding, it's sort of a safety switch.

I was doing a search regarding the "Backup Lights", and came across this thread (Posted in 2015).  In the follow on post, Brian Larkin asked if the car had been converted from an automatic to a stick.  I was checking my lights the other day as I readied the TC for state inspection and the backup lights did not work.  My TC was converted from automatic to T5 by the previous owner (somewhere in Iowa).  When I got under the car, there were no wires connected to the backup light switch.  There was however, the pigtail from the AOD hanging nearby.  I thought this would be an easy fix and fetched wiring diagrams, which really made me scratch my head.  Back under the car to check the wiring color codes in the harness (pigtail) I found two wires had been soldiered together.  That brought me to this post.
When my conversion was done, no one installed a clutch pedal switch.  I found that problem when I drove it home from Iowa in 2004 and lived with it ever since.
Bottom line, which wires from the AOD pigtail do I connect to the back up light switch for the lights to work?  Also, keep in mind that my TC no longer has an LA3, I have a Stinger PiMP, if that has any bearing on Neutral Safety activation.

Sorry I can be no help with this, as I have a T5OD.

I recently re-installed the clutch pedal neutral safety switch, which if you have ever worked with that damned thing is a real PITA. You can’t see what you’re doing and you’re working in a very small area that helps if you have fingers like E.T.

The ONLY reason I did it is because one day I came out of a store and got into my TC to start it, and the *&*$# solenoid locked up and the starter was stuck in cranking mode! Turning the key off did nothing, it kept cranking away. In a panic eventually I was able to get one of the battery cables off and it stopped. Solution #1: quick disconnect battery cables! Solution #2: another solenoid that WAS NOT from NAPA; fortunately in the same parking lot there was an O’Reilly’s that I could walk to and get a new solenoid. That had never happened before, or since. My thought on replacing it was that, had I reinstalled a new switch instead of jumpering over it when the OEM one broke, the connection would have been broken as soon as I released the clutch pedal.

I don’t know what’s going on with NAPA’s parts. I’ve had several defective items in the past few years, it’s used to be they were one of the few suppliers for hard-to-find parts that were reliable.

I was doing a search regarding the "Backup Lights", and came across this thread (Posted in 2015).  In the follow on post, Brian Larkin asked if the car had been converted from an automatic to a stick.  I was checking my lights the other day as I readied the TC for state inspection and the backup lights did not work.  My TC was converted from automatic to T5 by the previous owner (somewhere in Iowa).  When I got under the car, there were no wires connected to the backup light switch.  There was however, the pigtail from the AOD hanging nearby.  I thought this would be an easy fix and fetched wiring diagrams, which really made me scratch my head.  Back under the car to check the wiring color codes in the harness (pigtail) I found two wires had been soldiered together.  That brought me to this post.
When my conversion was done, no one installed a clutch pedal switch.  I found that problem when I drove it home from Iowa in 2004 and lived with it ever since.
Bottom line, which wires from the AOD pigtail do I connect to the back up light switch for the lights to work?  Also, keep in mind that my TC no longer has an LA3, I have a Stinger PiMP, if that has any bearing on Neutral Safety activation.

Are the two soldiered wires red/light blue and white/pink? If so, they did that to bypass the neutral switch circuit that would have been on the automatic version of what you had. It's necessary to pass power onto the starter.

Never did such a conversion but looking at the circuit, the backup lamps are grounded full time so the hot side is switched to activate them. The black/pink wire carries the 12V hot to light the backup lamps and receives its power from the Pink/Orange wire. I currently don't have my book but you'd need to find the circuit with the switch that is closed (connected) when the transmission is in R and that circuit needs to be connected to the Pink/Orange wire and black/pink wire. You may have a white/pink wire in there but not sure exactly what you have when someone else did work.