hey guys, kinda new to the saturns, just picked one up today for dirt cheep with very little wrong with it. I have a 2003 Saturn ion 2.2L standard. everytime I put it into reverse I have no reverse lights come on, ive checked the bulbs and both were blown, replaced them and still nothing, I'm not sure where to go from there, any ideas? is this common with these cars?

 

1) Fuse/Is there 12V at the sockets?
2) Reverse/Backup switch. These thread into the top of the tranny (will be forward of the firewall) and there's a piece of the internal shift linkage that comes along and leans on it, closing a switch inside it that completes the electrical circuit for the reverse lights.

Check for V at the sockets first: The reverse switch my be broken internally and stuck in the "completed circuit" position. Both bulbs may have been blown b c the previous owner either never knew the reverse lights were stuck on or they knew but didn't care enough to fix it.

If you need a new back up switch, get the AC Delco one for about 20 + shipping from rockauto.com. costs just a few more $ than the POS at autozone