Where is the neutral safety switch? (back-up light switch)

20

Asked by fixbike888 May 24, 2009 at 03:29 PM about the 1993 Chevrolet Astro

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

I have 1993 Chevy astro AWD. does anyone know where the neutral safety switch is? my Chilton's book says it's on the steering column...but where? is it under the collar connected to the gear selecter lever, or in the mass of wiring further up the column toward the steering wheel....i assume, either way I need to pull the steering wheel.  I suspect my intermittent start issues are due to a worn neutral safety switch. that's my theory for now..I can hear a single click from my starter when I turn the key and it won't turn-over, but if I monkey around with the gear shift lever, the starter will eventually engage.  I'm sure there a other possibilities. thanks.

3 Answers

20,115

Yeah its a half Moon type switch and sits directly on top of the steering column. Column lowering is essential to proper installation Good Luck

8 people found this helpful.
20

hmmm...okay, just for fun...I was able to reach in with a pair of needle nose and pulled each of the two plugs attached to the neutral safety...before lowering the column I wanted to see if I could reproduce the ignition failure deliberately. i counted a total of three wires. one double plug and one single. i removed each by itself and turned the key. with one or the other plug removed, the starter would still turn after one or two tries. how is that possible? shouldn't one of those plugs interrupt the ignition circuit? I checked the wiring diagram in the chiltons, and mysteriously...they don't even show a neutral safety switch in the ignition circuit, but hey do show a "park switch" in the middle of windshield wiper controls. possibly related or not, there's a bunch of slop in my gear shift lever, which I always assumed was related to the neutral safety. the linkage rod wiggles around quite a bit, but it's just some washers and a bushing where it attaches to the arm that goes into the column, so I think the play is originating from the column and not the linkage. of course, the chiltons book doesn't even show the gear shift lever assembly at all in the book. any insights? thanks.

2 people found this helpful.

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