I'm kinda new to the Dakota world. I'm not even sure what a 2nd generation Dakota is. If I had to guess I would say that's what I have. I've got a 98 Dakota with the 318, paint,rims,bags.... Blah,blah,blah.... My reverse lights are not working. It's not electrical! Could it be the linkage inside the tranny? HELP!!!

 

How do you know it's not electrical? What have you tested already?

 

My cousin is a wiz with electrical things. Its good all the way down to the switch itself that screws into the tranny.

 

So, you have power going to the switch but not coming out of it? Kinda sounds like a bad switch.

 

Yeah, it does sound like that but its not.

 

Put a jumper across the terminals at the switch. See if the lights work then.

 

I have power to the plug. What would that help? Do you know anything about how the linkage works with the switch or not?

 

Did you ever think to check the connections there, i assume your break lights work? Have you checked and swapped the bulbs? to make sure the bulbs aren't blown?

 

It'd help because you're not giving us much to go on.

Jump the switch and see if the lights work. If they do, great, we can rule out everything but the switch and linkage. Then, take the switch out of the transmission, you might leak a bit of fluid but not much. You'll be able to feel/see the detents in the linkage assembly. In park/neutral (all on the one switch) the fingers should be centered in the opening.

If it lines up replace the switch.

 

I have changed the bulbs and the switch. I have chased the electric to the switch. I checked both switches and they are good.