Bad neutral safety switch symptoms manual transmission

Table of Contents Show

Failure to Start
Check Engine Light and Code
Starts in Gear
Wiggle the Shifter
More Articles
What Are The Symptoms Of A Bad Neutral Safety Switch?
1. No Crank When in Park
2. No Crank When in Neutral
3. You Can Crank the Engine in Any Gear
The Function of a Neutral Safety Switch
Neutral Safety Switch Location
How do you test a neutral safety switch on a manual transmission?
Is there a neutral safety switch on a manual transmission?
How can I tell if my neutral safety switch is bad?

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All modern cars equipped with an automatic transmission have some sort of neutral safety switch to prevent the car from starting while in gear. The neutral safety switch on most vehicles attaches either to the shift mechanism on the outside of the transmission, or to the shifter mechanism itself. Failure of this switch with prevent the engine from starting under otherwise normal conditions.

Failure to Start

While specific designs vary, the neutral safety switch usually acts as an interrupter between the starter relay and the starter, or the key and the starter relay. During normal operation, the switch's internal circuit will only close while in neutral or park. In no other position will power make it from the ignition key to the relay or the relay to the starter. If your vehicle's starter does not engage in any way when you turn the key in park or neutral, the neutral safety switch may be at fault.

Check Engine Light and Code

The neutral safety switch is an important component in preventing injury and death, so it may be part of your vehicle's diagnostic circuit. Your manufacturer may have incorporated a feedback circuit into your starting system or transmission, allowing the computer to diagnose the problem and notify you via a check engine light. If you suspect a faulty neutral safety switch and your check engine light illuminates, have a technician read the codes with a scanner. Many chain auto parts stores will pull and clear your vehicle's codes for free, but you'll have to get it there first.

Starts in Gear

Modern neutral safety switches are a default-off design, meaning that if the switch fails it will immobilize the vehicle instead of allowing it to start in gear. Still, it's not impossible for contacts to cross over due to moisture in the switch, metallic debris, physical damage, metal shavings from wear or any number of other faults. If this happens, the power side of the switch terminal will short against the housing or power-out terminal to the starter, allowing the vehicle to start in gear. Older neutral safety switches may not incorporate a default-off design, so failure can manifest as a constant-on and starting in gear.

Wiggle the Shifter

One way to diagnose a bad neutral safety switch is to place the shifter into park or neutral, then try to start the engine while gently wiggling the shifter so that it almost goes out of gear. This will engage a different part of the contact inside your switch, allowing power to go through to the starter relay. If your vehicle only starts while wiggling the shifter, then you need to replace the neutral safety switch.

Writer Bio

Richard Rowe has been writing professionally since 2007, specializing in automotive topics. He has worked as a tractor-trailer driver and mechanic, a rigger at a fire engine factory and as a race-car driver and builder. Rowe studied engineering, philosophy and American literature at Central Florida Community College.

While there are tons of electrical components in modern vehicles, most of these components serve a critical function. That’s definitely the case with the neutral safety switch.

But while it keeps you and your vehicle safe when everything is working correctly, when it’s not, it can be incredibly frustrating.

In this guide, we’ve broken down the three most common symptoms of a faulty neutral safety switch before diving into everything else you need to know about these critical components.

From what it does to where it’s at on your vehicle and how much it will cost to replace, we got you covered. All you need to do is keep reading.

What Are The Symptoms Of A Bad Neutral Safety Switch?

The main symptoms of a bad neutral safety switch include:

No crank when in Park
No crank when in Neutral
You Can Crank the Engine in Any Gear

But while those are the most common symptoms, those aren’t the only things you should look out for.

Moreover, just because your vehicle won’t crank while you’re in Park doesn’t mean you should jump to replace your neutral safety switch. We’ll dive into each issue below so you know exactly what you need to look out for.

Here’s a more detailed list of the signs of a bad or failing neutral safety switch to look for:

1. No Crank When in Park

If your vehicle is in park – and double-check that it is in park – but you can’t get it to crank at all, you might have a faulty neutral safety switch. But make sure that your battery has a good charge, and that the starter is in good working order before jumping straight to the neutral safety switch.

2. No Crank When in Neutral

While most people that drive an automatic vehicle try to start their vehicle out of park, you should be able to start your vehicle out of neutral as well.

If you can start your vehicle in neutral but not in park, or vice versa, you likely have a faulty neutral safety switch. However, sometimes your vehicle won’t start in either park or neutral, and the neutral safety switch is still the problem.

But if you’re lucky, you might be able to buy yourself a little more time before making repairs if it will still start in either neutral or park.

3. You Can Crank the Engine in Any Gear

Another problem that you might experience with a faulty neutral safety switch is that you can crank over the engine in any gear. While this might not seem like a big deal, if you accidentally hit the ignition as your traveling down the highway, you can cause serious engine damage and get into an accident.

If you can’t get your vehicle to crank in neutral or park, it shouldn’t start in other gears, but if you can start it in other gears, you should still be able to start your vehicle in park and neutral. This can make it tempting to just ignore the problem, but it’s just an accident waiting to happen if you do.

The Function of a Neutral Safety Switch

Your vehicle’s neutral safety switch is there to ensure that you can only start your vehicle with the transmission in neutral or park. This is a critical function because if you try to start your vehicle while the transmission is in gear, you can cause engine damage, and if you’re not careful, your engine can launch.

Another feature of the neutral safety switch is that it prevents you from accidentally engaging your starter when the engine is running. If this were to happen, you’d likely damage your starter and engine, and it can lead to an accident. Not only can this be extremely expensive, but it can be dangerous too.

There is a reason safety is in the name of the switch, the neutral safety switch is a critical safety function that keeps you from damaging your engine or accidentally hurting someone.

However, when this component malfunctions, it can prevent you from starting your vehicle in any gear, or it can allow you to start your vehicle in any gear at any time. Either condition can lead to big headaches.

Neutral Safety Switch Location

Your vehicle’s neutral safety switch is mounted on the transmission by the shift lever. This is not the shift lever in your vehicle – it’s what the shift lever in your vehicle moves on your transmission.

If you’re underneath your vehicle looking at the transmission, it looks like a semi-circle metal block, often with a cord attached to it. This is what causes your transmission to shift gears, and it’s what sends a signal to your ECM/TCM to disengage the starter when your vehicle is in gear.

The average neutral safety switch replacement cost is between $150 and $300, depending on the car model and labor costs. This makes replacing a neutral safety switch one of the cheaper jobs. But keep in mind that your exact repair costs will vary depending on what you drive and where you take it for repairs.

However, if you’re looking to save even more money and do the job yourself, you can typically find an aftermarket neutral safety switch for between $20 and $125. If you want an OEM replacement part, realize that you’re likely going to spend a little more.

Meanwhile, the average labor costs typically account for $50 to $75 of the overall repair price. So, if you’re not comfortable doing the job yourself, you’re not going to spend much more to have a certified technician complete the repairs for you.

If you are looking to replace the part yourself, it’s generally not too difficult if you have access to your transmission. Just make sure that you reinstall your vehicle’s transmission gear selector lever in the correct position. Otherwise, you’re going to run into problems when you try to drive your vehicle.

Finally, once you replace your neutral safety switch, you shouldn’t have to worry about replacing it again, making it one of the more durable components on your vehicle.

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How do you test a neutral safety switch on a manual transmission?

Put the gear to Park, then try to start. If you notice the engine not cranking, step on the brake, then try starting in Neutral. If the engine starts, then the neutral safety switch has gone bad.

Is there a neutral safety switch on a manual transmission?

Manual transmissions have a similar apparatus attached to the clutch pedal. The clutch neutral switch prevents a vehicle from starting unless the clutch pedal is pressed. This is a simpler design than the neutral safety switch for automatics, and it's cheaper to replace.