A malfunctioning neutral safety switch can wreak havoc on your car. Failure to address it on time might cause irreversible damage to the transmission and engine.
Like any other safety feature in your car, repairing or replacing a damaged neutral safety switch is essential. However, some drivers bypass the switch as a temporary fix. If you’re driving and the neutral safety switch acts up, you can bypass it before considering a permanent fix.
But how should you bypass the switch, and what are the consequences?
Luckily, this guide takes you through how to bypass a neutral safety switch. You’ll also discover the risks of bypassing the switch.
Question: What Is the Purpose of a Neutral Safety Switch?
The neutral safety switch is a critical safety feature that restraints cars from starting when the transmission is in gear. It ensures your car starts when the transmission is in neutral or park.
The switch works with the battery, starter motor, solenoid, and ignition. When you turn on the ignition switch or key, the electrical current from the battery passes the neutral safety switch. It then goes to the solenoid and finally to the starter motor. The motor will eventually kick the car’s engine to life.
The shifter must be in a neutral or park position for this process to be complete. Otherwise, the neutral safety switch will cut current flow if the shifter is in gear.
This safety mechanism prevents the chances of accidents when starting the engine. If your engine starts in gear, it can suddenly move forward or backward and cause accidents.
The safety switch disengages the transmission from the engine to avoid such incidents. This ensures your car starts safely in a neutral or park position.
If your car uses manual transmission, its neutral safety switch is known as the clutch safety switch. It serves the same role as the neutral safety switch in a vehicle with an automatic transmission.
The only difference is that you’ll need to depress the clutch plate when starting the engine. Fully pressing the clutch plate down disengages the transmission from the engine. Doing so prevents the car from making a rapid motion while starting.
Answer: Neutral Safety Switch Location
The location of the safety switch varies depending on the car type and model. For cars with automatic transmissions, you’ll find this switch in the transmission housing, the shifter linkage, or the side of the transmission.
The switch is tiny, rectangular, and has several wires connected. The number of wires varies from vehicle to vehicle. If you can’t locate this switch in your automatic car, consult the operator’s manual or your professional mechanic.
On the other hand, the clutch safety switch in manual transmission is located on the clutch plate. Knowing the location of this switch will also help you during maintenance or repair.
Answer: How To Bypass a Neutral Safety Switch
Before bypassing this switch, consider various safety precautions to avoid potential hazards. Below are the safety precautions for bypassing a neutral safety switch:
- Park your car on level ground
- Put the car in neutral
- Jack up your car
- Wear protective gloves and safety glasses
Then, consider the type of transmission and switch in your car. Here’s how to bypass the switch in cars with manual and automatic transmissions.
Clutch Safety Switch
Cars with manual transmission feature a clutch pedal safety switch. This switch is simple to bypass as it consists of input and output wires. These steps will help you bypass a clutch safety switch:
- Locate the two wires connected to the neutral safety switch. You’ll find the switch behind the clutch.
- Disconnect the two wires from the switch and connect them. You can solder the wires or use electrical tape to secure the connection and prevent the chances of electrical shorts. Alternatively, unplug the cables from both ends and use another wire to bridge the two points.
- Test your car to see if you bypassed the switch effectively.
Neutral Safety Switch
Unlike the clutch safety switch, the neutral safety switch in vehicles with automatic transmission has 4-6 wires. These wires integrate gear indicators and send signals to the ECU. They allow your car to start in neutral or park positions.
Bypassing a neutral safety switch is challenging because you must know which wires to connect. If you don’t have prior experience, buy a workshop manual for your car model and use the steps provided to bypass the switch. You can also seek help from an experienced mechanic.
If you’re a DIY enthusiast interested in getting the job done, we’ll show you how to bypass this switch. Follow these steps:
- Locate the electrical connector connected to the switch and disconnect it. Disconnecting this connector requires loosening and removing bolts or clips with a wrench.
- Identify the wires that need to be connected. If your switch has four wires, you’ll only need to identify two wires – one going to the ignition switch and the other to the starter solenoid. However, if your switch has 5-6 wires, you’ll need more effort to locate the wires.
- Disconnect the two wires from the switch. Before disconnecting them, ensure no voltage is present. You can use a voltage tester or multimeter to check for voltage.
- Connect the two wires. You can use a jumper wire to bridge the two wires. Then use electrical tape or wire nuts to secure the two points.
- Test your car. After bypassing the switch, your car should start in any gear.
- Reconnect the electrical connector. Reconnect this connector to the switch and reattach the bolts or clips holding it. Replace any components you removed while bypassing the switch.
Answer: Risks of Bypassing a Neutral Safety Switch
You’ve learned how to bypass a neutral safety switch. But is bypassing the switch safe? Below are the risks of bypassing the neutral safety switch.
- Unsafe starting: The role of the switch is to prevent starting the car in gear. When you bypass the switch, your kid or inexperienced people can start the car in gear. Starting the car in gear will cause it to lurch forward or backward. In this case, your vehicle can hit a wall, other cars, or people nearby.
- Damage to the transmission: This is because if you’re starting the car in gear, you do so with an engaged transmission. As a result, the transmission rotates while the engine is spinning. Eventually, the transmission gears succumb to irreversible damage.
- Lowers battery life: A functional neutral safety switch ensures the starter doesn’t engage the car in gear. However, if you bypass the switch, the starter can engage in any gear and eat up the battery charge.
- Liability issues: If you bypass the switch and your car encounters an accident, you could be liable.
- Reduced resale value: The resale value of a car with a bypassed neutral safety switch is usually lower.
Answer: How To Replace a Bad Neutral Safety Switch
If your car has a bad neutral safety switch, replacing it can be a permanent solution. So, locate the switch and test it to ensure it’s defective. Then follow these steps to replace it:
- Park the car on level ground.
- Engage the parking brake.
- Disconnect the battery.
- Access the neutral safety switch and disconnect the wiring.
- Loosen the bolts holding the switch into place. In this case, you’ll need several wrenches and ratchets to remove the bad switch.
- Take the new switch and install it while securing it with the bolts. Connect the wires appropriately.
- Reconnect the battery and start the car. Ensure the vehicle starts in park or neutral and not in any gear.
Final Thoughts
The neutral safety switch plays a critical role when starting your car. It ensures the car starts in a neutral or park position, not in any gear. If the switch is bad, you can bypass it as a temporary fix. Luckily, we’ve shown you how to bypass a neutral safety switch.
However, bypassing poses several potential risks. The best way to fix a defective neutral safety switch is by replacing it. You can also reach out to a professional mechanic for help.