So this '97 2500 5 speed I just picked up has an issue with the reverse lights. Bulbs look good, no bad fuses that I can see, but no lights. Harness is whole and not cut up. Switch somewhere?

 

You need to trace wires and narrow down the problem with your trusty multimeter. There's wiring diagrams in the Hanes repair manual and you can download the factory service manual from the FAQ/DIY section.

 

+1... And yes, there is a neutral safety switch on the tranny.

 

neutral safety switch (which would be attached to the clutch pedal) would have nothing to do with reverse lights.

likely a bad reverse light switch. its on the side of the transmission. can't miss it as it is the ONLY wires going to the transmission.

its a little ball switch. gear pushes the ball into contacts that complete the circuit. either that went bad, or the trans has slop or wear and is no longer close enough to push the ball in to complete the circuit (problem on my new 6-spd) I wasn't about to pull out the 6-spd and ship it back for another one, so I just made my own harness to plug into the factory one and put a toggle switch on the dash for my backup lights...


first unplug the switch and jump the cord with a paperclip with the ignition on and see if the backup lights come on...if they do, then you can try replacing the switch in the transmission. if that works, cool, if not, may need to bypass it with a toggle like I did.