neutral safety switch

[yycwesty]

Just wondering if this looks right to you folks. Can start the van in reverse and drive which I shouldn't be able to. Pulled the auto cover and found this (see below)..Seems to me there should be 2 other wires coming out of the right side of that switch but maybe I'm wrong (sorry can't seem to upright the picture, so right side actually means top of switch)..Appreciate any input

cheers
Al

[PDXWesty]

You need to adjust the position of the switch so that it works in park and neutral. It looks like the correct wires, but the position seems to have slipped. Get it back to where is needs to go.
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89 Westy 2.1 Auto

[AtlasShrugged]

Looks like someone bridged the big Red wires together with yellow shrink wrap.. I recall one was red and the other red/black..its been a while since I was in there, could be wrong.

Anyways, there should be two Big wires (red or red/black) on the safety switch. Sorry, I don't recall the exact position on the terminals.

Use an ohm meter to find the correct locations.

If your safety switch is bad (must be..that's why the wires were bridged) ..Rockauto has them for about $20. Just clean and polish the contact on the shifter and install the new safety switch..use your ohm meter to adjust for starting and back up lights. Use a smear of dielectric grease on the contacts.

[PDXWesty]

Good eye! I didn't see that. The red wire with the black stripe has to pass through the neutral safety switch contacts, then it goes to the starter solenoid. If these wires are tied together, the switch is taken out of the circuit and your van will start in any transmission position.
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89 Westy 2.1 Auto

[kamzcab86]

There are 4 terminals on the switch, wired thusly:

1986

RF: Black/blue wire, which splits off to the back-up lights
50A: Red/black wire, which goes to starter terminal 50
15: Black/yellow wire, which goes to fuse 15*
50: Red/black, which goes to D24 pin on relay panel and then out at pin B8 to ignition switch

*Also shown as red/black in the diagrams

From 1987

RF: Black/blue wire, which splits off to the back-up lights
50A: Red/black wire, which goes to starter terminal 50
15: Black/gray wire, which goes to fuse 15
50: Red/black, which goes to D24 pin on relay panel and then out at pin B8 to ignition switch

From 1990

RF: Black/blue wire, which splits off to the back-up lights
50A: Red/black wire, which goes to starter terminal 50
15: Black/gray wire, which goes to fuse 15
50: Red/black, which goes to D24 pin on relay panel and then out at pin B8 to ignition switch

As already said, a PO bypassed the starter cut-out side of the park/neutral safety switch.
_________________
~Kamz
1986 Cabriolet: www.Cabby-Info.com
1990 Vanagon Westfalia: Old Blue's Blog
2016 Golf GTI S
"Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance." - 孔子

[yycwesty]

man you guys are good..looks like I need to find a new neutral safety switch..

Kamzcabb would this setup apply to a 1985 westy auto which I have..Will give rock auto a call

Thanks guys

Cheers
Al

[kamzcab86]

[AtlasShrugged]

The Red/Black wires are starter (50).the other two wires are back up lights. An Ohm meter in hand do a test.. if your back up lights were working and wired correctly..a quick test to see which contacts work for letting the starter engage once N or P are selected.

[yycwesty]

well unclipped the two red wires that were joined together and attached them to the two terminal posts on the right side. Also cleaned all the contacts and low and behold I have the neutral switch working..

Cheers
Al

[davideric9]

LUBRICATION:
I'm installing a new neutral safety switch and selector contact, confused about the lubrication, the grease. Seems like the old ones have a layer grease on them. Di-electric grease is non-conductive so wouldn't this act as an insulator and cause a bad electrical connection? Should these parts be installed dry? What about lithium grease?
_________________
1987 Syncro Westfalia, stock (bought 1994)
1986 Syncro Westfalia SVX, 3 knob (bought 2008)
1987 Westfalia (bought 2010)
1988 Wolfsburg GL (bought 2012)

[Phishman068]

Is there a reason to not just bridge the two wires and eliminate the switch?
I thought I recalled Canada Ben advocating that, as the switches are a weak problem.

I have a slow cranking problem in my AT van, and I have thought about just pulling the switch and bridging the wires.

[davideric9]

Its a SAFETY switch. Imagine starting the van in a parallel parking space and smashing into the cars around you. If this will NEVER happen to you, then electrically it should do no harm, as you can idle in park or neutral (switch closed) without any problem.
_________________
1987 Syncro Westfalia, stock (bought 1994)
1986 Syncro Westfalia SVX, 3 knob (bought 2008)
1987 Westfalia (bought 2010)
1988 Wolfsburg GL (bought 2012)

[Vango Conversions]

I was actually the one who bridged the two wires on this van due to a slow cranking issue. The NSS is a weak link and can create problems, but if you have a safety inspection you may be failed if you can start the van in gear.

If you don't have inspections in your area, go for it, just make sure you're on the brake when you start the van just in case you're in gear.

[yycwesty]

as nolan (vango) mentioned he had bridged the neutral in the van. Since putting it back to original parameters, I have never had problems starting it (he also helped that he put in a really nice starter that seems to reduce power needs to start) plus it passed the inspection and if I ever do have problems it would be easy to bypass the neutral safety switch to start it

Al

[randywebb]

why does the neutral safety switch have 3 sets of contact pairs on it?

2 would cover P and N, which are the only positions it should flow current in...
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1986 2.1L Westy 2wd Auto Trans.

[crazyvwvanman]

I think if you read this thread from the start it becomes clear.

Mark

[djkeev]

[PDXWesty]

[randywebb]

thx PDX
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1986 2.1L Westy 2wd Auto Trans.