WON'T Start In "Park"

[k_williams1982]

I can't get my truck to start when in park. If I shift it into "N", it will start every once in awhile. I know that this most likely means that the "neutral saftey switch" is going bad, but can I wire around it to let the truck start so that I can get it back home and get me by until I can buy a new switch? Thanks.

 

[gandalf]

I think you can get around this by jumping it under the hood, at the solenoid on the passenger side fender. Turn the key to "Run", and, of course, be sure that the truck is in either park or neutral. You don't want it to leave home without you.

I've done this on my '86, with c6, when it had a bad key switch, and on a neighbor's slightly newer truck which had a standard transmission. I never did replace the key switch on my '86. I just wired in a pushbutton to the solenoid.

Hope I'm right about this.

 

[k_williams1982]

I think you can get around this by jumping it under the hood, at the solenoid on the passenger side fender. Turn the key to "Run", and, of course, be sure that the truck is in either park or neutral. You don't want it to leave home without you.

I've done this on my '86, with c6, when it had a bad key switch, and on a neighbor's slightly newer truck which had a standard transmission. I never did replace the key switch on my '86. I just wired in a pushbutton to the solenoid.

Hope I'm right about this.

It'll start almost everytime in "N" with the key now, but still nothing in "P"... Guess I'll just park the truck until I get a new switch on the transmission.

 

[suv7734]

A lot of times you can get it to start by moving the gear shift lever up or down a bit with the key turned to the start position. The neutral safety switch is adjustable so you can set it for the correct position of the gear shift lever. Check the linkage from the column to the trans for worn bushings etc. that may be causing a problem. I'll try to look for a pic.

 

[k_williams1982]

A lot of times you can get it to start by moving the gear shift lever up or down a bit with the key turned to the start position. The neutral safety switch is adjustable so you can set it for the correct position of the gear shift lever. Check the linkage from the column to the trans for worn bushings etc. that may be causing a problem. I'll try to look for a pic.

I checked the linkage and everything is working fine there. The switch on mine has two bolts that hold it and it doesn't look like it's adjustable because the bolt holes on the switch aren't slotted.

 

[suv7734]

Check here and enlarge the pic. The adjustment isn't that much but there should be a bit. Hope that helps...

 

[k_williams1982]

I'll just order a new one and fix it right.