I did it now...Jeep won't start

Well, I was having issues with the XJ starting in park. Sometimes I'd have to put it in neutral, others I'd have to wiggle the shifter around, push it up, etc. I knew it was the NSS and today I finally got around to cleaning it. I had the key in ACC (that's back right?) so that I could listen to the radio during the process. I got the NSS out, cleaned w/ carb cleaner, lightly sanded the contacts, greased w/ dielectric, assembled and reinstalled. Everything went good w/ the exception that one of the 6 screws that holds the NSS together broke as I was taking it out. It literally sheared in half. Nothing I could really do, so I just left it w/ the 5...uh, and the half that's still in the sixth hole. I go to start the Jeep and nothing. Absoultely nothing. My idiot lights come on, radio is on, but no click, turnover, etc. The harness is tight, the reverse lights come on (which I know is also affected by the NSS) and the rod that sticks through the NSS turns with each selector change. If my reverse lights come on, that means it's working right? Is it possible to use too much dielectric? Is it possible to ruin this by having the ignition in the back position while working? I don't see how anything in this device can malfunction, short, etc. I get nothing though. Doesn't matter which gear, wiggle, etc. Any ideas???

try rotating the switch back and forth slightly to different positions and try starting.

Connector terminals B and C should have continuity in P and N, terminals A and E in reverse, A and G in 3rd, and A and H in 1st/2nd

jordo said:

try rotating the switch back and forth slightly to different positions and try starting.

Connector terminals B and C should have continuity in P and N, terminals A and E in reverse, A and G in 3rd, and A and H in 1st/2nd

Click to expand...

Whoa....lost me. The whole assembly is bolted in place, so that won't move. Are you suggesting putting a pair of pliers on the rod that sticks out (which appears to rotate w/ selection changes, so I assume that it rotates the arm inside the unit too). I also do not know the markings of the contacts inside the unit. Are they actually labeled? If so, I didn't see them.

Also, I didn't really pay attention to the position of the arm when I disassembled it. I know that it was about 1/4 of the way in from the right and that's approx. where I put it during reassembly, but I figured that wouldn't really matter b/c it was readjust itselft when I shifted from 1/3 gear to park b/c it would force it through the whole rotation. Am I wrong to assume that? (having bad feeling I am). I'm going to be REALLY pissed at myself if I have to pull that damn thing again and take it apart. If it is misaligned though, wouldn't the reverse lights mess up - either not work or come on in another gear?

The letters are cast into the plastic electrical connector to identify the wires.

Whoa....lost me. The whole assembly is bolted in place, so that won't move.
Not really, it's adjustable.

gone postal said:

Whoa....lost me. The whole assembly is bolted in place, so that won't move. Are you suggesting putting a pair of pliers on the rod that sticks out (which appears to rotate w/ selection changes, so I assume that it rotates the arm inside the unit too).

Click to expand...

the selector shaft rotates the switch to the appropriate contacts inside the unit but the position of the nss itself on the shaft is adjustable. Loosen off the adjusting and retaining bolts and rotate the nss til the flat sides of the shaft line up with the neutral std line as in Langer1's pic. tighten 'em up and should be good. check it doesn't start except in P or N and that your reverse lights work. if no go use the continuity specs i posted earlier to fine tune the nss' position.

the fact your reverse lights work now is probably that the switch is oriented in a way that the proper contacts are made in R but no other selection.

also make sure your tranny was in neutral when you first put it on.

Thanks for the help. I'll mess with it tomorrow. I had no idea that it was that sensitive or even adjustable.

jordo said:

also make sure your tranny was in neutral when you first put it on.

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Good call. I was thinking to myself that the rod wasn't vertical on mine like it is in that picture, but then it dawned on me that my vehicle is in park. :sad1:

jordo said:

also make sure your tranny was in neutral when you first put it on.

Click to expand...

When I did this to my bosses 98 to get his reverse lights working again, I had the tranny in park the whole time. I just took care as to assemble the NSS in the same way that I disassembeled it....meaning that the actual switch was in the same position inside it's little "cover" that it was in when I took it apart, after I moved it around to clean everything really good.

Fired right back up in both Park and Neutral.

jordo said:

also make sure your tranny was in neutral when you first put it on.

Click to expand...

Alright, I got under there and lined the switch up and still no luck. I gradually moved it through the whole range w/out success. At all positions the reverse lights worked though. I guess my next step is to check the wiring. My tranny was in park when I installed the switch...will that affect it considering that in was in park when I removed it? If so, would it be too late to remove the switch and reinstall with the tranny in neutral? I hope that I didn't screw anything up, but in the writeup I saw it didn't specify being in neutral or about lining anything up.

gone postal said:

My tranny was in park when I installed the switch...will that affect it considering that in was in park when I removed it? If so, would it be too late to remove the switch and reinstall with the tranny in neutral?

Click to expand...

since you mentioned you were pretty much guestimating the position of the internal arm when you reassembled it and it's not working i'd peel 'er off and start over with it in N.

the writeup i followed mentioned all the things i've posted and i had no issues.

Well, got it fixed. I tested the wiring and all was good except in park and neutral, so I had no choice but to remove the whole assembly again. I took it apart and somehow one of the lil spring loaded connectors in the arm had worked itself out. Put it all back together nice and tight and then reinstalled while in neutral. WORKS!!!