Won't start in park half the time

Feels like some sort of linkage problem, have to slam it back and forth into park a few times, before it will crank over. And..sometimes it just starts right up with no wiggling. They did a recall fix, on a linkage, seemed to help a little..but still happens. Any ideas?

Likely a faulty NSS (neutral safety switch). This can usually be dismantled and cleaned, or just replace.

DaveD in Canada said:

Likely a faulty NSS (neutral safety switch). This can usually be dismantled and cleaned, or just replace.

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$310.91 for one of those..kay, not this month..hell, prolly not this year. Thanks for the info, but damn, that's expensive.

poomba said:

$310.91 for one of those..kay, not this month..hell, prolly not this year. Thanks for the info, but damn, that's expensive.

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I don't seem to have the link on my traveling computer, but if you do an archive search, you should be able to find a reference somewhere to a page that gives pretty good details on disassembling and cleaning the thing. It isn't that hard. The main sticking point is getting it off intact in the first place. The rotating part of the switch is held to the shaft on the transmission by a nut that squeezes on a split aluminum collar, which can corrode to the shaft. It's easy to break the aluminum part. If you're very careful and patient, it will usually come off, and if it isn't too dirty and corroded, it might just slide right off. Just don't succumb to the temptation to spread the split portion open. ON my stepson's 93, it was very easy, but the donor vehicle, an 89, was a struggle. Once it's in your hand, it's quite easy to clean and lube, so it's worth looking at.

I will, and thanks. I'm seeing far lower prices on other forums for this..so will have to do some research. Ah well. Off to try and do something about the hole in my floorpan. Prolly why it sank so fast when I did the infamous "how deep can that lil ole puddle be?" Thanks again, guys....

http://jeepin.com/features/nss/index.asp. This is a site I found at BMJA just seconds before I seen your post. Anyway it gives a good description w/pictures of how to clean the NSS.

I just bypassed mine, got a wiring diagram and just grounded out the wire, yes I can start it in any gear but when does that happen? Saves ya 300 bucks!

Chris

Poomba, Just to add my .02.

http://www.jeepin.com/features/nss/
I wasn't too psyched to shell out that cash either! But cleaning it up ala the above link worked perfectly, and easy. I could live with having to start it in N, but losing reverse lights sucks, especially around inspection time!

kccherokees said:

I just bypassed mine, got a wiring diagram and just grounded out the wire, yes I can start it in any gear but when does that happen? Saves ya 300 bucks!

Chris

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Did same thing, but then the ECU thinks it's in park at all times and the cruise control would not come on. So I went to radio shack and got a contact switch and put it in a box. When the ECU thinks it is in park at all times, it makes the idle speed stay the same in any gear. It is sapossed to climb up a little in gear. Find the plug for the NSS by the heater valve and dipstick on pass rear of enging compartment. I taped into the NSS side of switch instead of factory harness (switch is gone and wires too when a new NSS is put in) and tap into wire B and C on harness, the bottom middle 2 with clip of plug pointed up. If it don't start in park, push the button while turning key and let go once started (works in any gear). Make sure you get a normal open switch and not a NC.

poomba......I took mine apart and cleaned it as described at that link. Worked like a charm and wasn't at all difficult. Once you get all the crusty, hard grease out of it and clean it out, it works great. Hard to believe that sucker costs that much, huh?
Later, Phil

I also bypassed my switch for a little while. I don't know why but a couple times the computer would do this goofy thing where it wouldn't idle the engine at all. I'd start it up and everything would be fine, but a soon as I touched the gas pedal, I couldn't let off the gas or it'd stall. I wasn't real popular driving through my neighborhood at 40mph.

Matt

Might as well add to the article list -

Here's a zip file for a NSS rebuild article that I got somewhere...
NSS .zip file

Another NSS rebuild article:
DirtDevils.org NSS article

Doing the rebuild really is easy - just use a bit o' emory cloth on the contacts inside & fill that sucker up w/ dielectric grease before ya close it back up.

I broke off the switch's vent tube & had to epoxy a small bit of brass tubing into the switch body. Ran vent tube up firewall along with diff vent tubes as well.

HTH