Neutral safety switch

[CSL DART]

I posted a thread earlier this week regarding a starting problem and thanks to everyone's feedback I'm fairly certain it's the neutral safety switch because as soon as I move the column shift to neutral it fires right up! I found it when I was under the car today and I'm gonna have a helluva time getting around the H pipe exhaust that is actually welded to a hanger close by, to get to it. I've been hesitant already because when I bought the car I forgot to ask the previous owner what tranny fluid he used after he rebuilt it. I've read several opinions on this forum and it generally sounds like dexron 3 is not gonna hurt anything, but I'm not sure if I might be mixing it with a different fluid he may have used? If so, what could be the effect? Also curious as to how much tranny fluid I can expect to lose changing the the neutral safety switch? Thanks in advance for your feedback!

 

[RedFish]

If the switch works with shifter in neutral the switch is good. Simply adjust the linkage. The switch will work with shifter in park and neutral if the linkage is right.

 

[CSL DART]

If the switch works with shifter in neutral the switch is good. Simply adjust the linkage. The switch will work with shifter in park and neutral if the linkage is right.

Okay I'll give it a shot. I bought a Chrysler transmission rebuild book and I have a Haynes, but I'm still working on getting an actual Dodge service manual. I'll do some reading before I touch anything... thanks for the heads up!

 

[1969383S]

Unless the rooster comb in the trans is messed up, if it works in neutral it should work in park. Likely the linkage adjustment is not just right. Do your reverse light work correctly?

 

[CSL DART]

Unless the rooster comb in the trans is messed up, if it works in neutral it should work in park. Likely the linkage adjustment is not just right. Do your reverse light work correctly?

I'll have to check, but I'm pretty sure there's no reverse light.... hopefully I'll have a chance to check it out tomorrow

 

[Charrlie_S]

Agreed, most likely likely adjustment. But about replaceing the switch. If you jack the car up from the driver side (to tilt the car), you will loose very little to no fluid when you remove the switch.

 

[RedFish]

I'll have to check, but I'm pretty sure there's no reverse light.... hopefully I'll have a chance to check it out tomorrow

Not quite. I've seen a few cases where the switch did work with shifter in neutral but you could hardly pull the shift lever upward far enough to get switch closed in park. And I should ad this normally occurs in column shift examples after the steering column has ben lowered and bolted back up again. The N position of the shifter does have a lot of travel with R and D above and below. Park engages a detent, a park paw, and dead ends. Very little switch fishing you can do.
I have wondered why the service manual says, shifter and trans lever centered in neutral positions when adjusting the linkage setting but.... it works. Do that and closed switch in park will be there.... every time, believe it or not.

 

[CSL DART]

Thanks again to everyone for all the feedback! I had to take my but back to work this week so I probably won't get around to anything until the weekend but I definitely have plenty of ideas for things to look for. Hopefully someday I'll have a sliver of wisdom I can freely share with someone lol!