Will truck crank if neutral safety switch is bad?

 

Just went through this, myself, bigcountry. If you've snapped off the NSS pin that's clamped to the steering shaft inside the column, which is kinda common as I'm finding out, you can still start the truck by reaching down and moving the switch nub to the left about a quarter of an inch. And then, order a new one for $12 from Dennis Carpenter (the exact same flimsy piece of tin will cost you $40 from LMC Truck).

If the NSS itself is bad and isn't responding to moving that nub manually, I don't think it'll start unless you rewire it to bypass it.

Can anybody confirm or correct this?

 

What year is the truck ? 79 has it mounted to the transmission and yes they can give that problem. You can bypass it where it plugs in to the harness in the engine compartment just to get it going. Just make sure you have it in park with the brake set.

 

A lot of times you can start it in neutral if the safety switch goes bad. I've seen it done in a lot of the old Fairmonts and LTDs. A friend of mine had to start his Fairmont in neutral for a few months because no garage + new england winter = not working on a car.

 

It's a 78. Do I need to remove all the plastic covers off the column to get to it?

 

Had to bypass the switch on my 77 a few weeks ago. It's fairly easy to get to and you don't need to remove anything, it's on the top of the column a few inches away from the firewall.

 

Just checked it out and it's actually on the tranny. How do I tell if it's bad?

 

You might try moving the shifter in different locations while holding the key on the start position. Keep your foot on the brake in case its just out of adjusment as it may start in gear. Thats the way i did it, there was a no start in all gears , so i replaced it and that fixed it. I had mine up on jack stands too so there was no chance it would go though the garage wall if it started in gear. JIM

 

Or just unplug it and put in a jumper wire between the two wires that go to it. That way you can start it in any shifter position..........preferably "Park" That would be the safest way. If it starts with it jumpered, the switch is either bad or out of adjustment. You can check to see if the switch is actually bad by using an ohm meter and checking continuity. If you have continuity when the switch is activated manually, its just out of adjustment.

 

Bare with me, what can I use as a jumper wire that I might have sitting around the house? Paper clip?

 

A short piece of 14-16 guage wire would work better. A piece of old extension cord maybe? Surely you have a small chunk of wire somewhere........... A paper clip would work just dont let it touch ground anywhere............