Principles of Operation
WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2006 Mercury Montego, 2006 Ford Freestyle, and 2006 Ford Five Hundred. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.
The transmission control module (TCM) sends gear status information to the instrument cluster over the communication network. The smart junction box (SJB) receives transmission gear status from the instrument cluster over the communication network. When a message is sent over the communication network stating the transaxle is in REVERSE, the SJB energizes an internal relay which supplies voltage to the reversing lamps.