Transmission Neutral Safety Switch

The neutral safety switch is a safety device that only allows you to start your engine when the automatic transmission is in either park or neutral.

Transmission neutral safety switch.

Thus the starter solenoid receives power from the battery only in the park and neutral transmission thus allowing the engine to start only in these cases. The neutral safety switch is a small but very important part. The purpose of the neutral safety switch is to prevent the car from starting while in gear which would cause it to launch forward unexpectedly. The function of a neutral safety switch is to tell the engine to start when in neutral or park and prevent it from starting in gear.

The neutral safety switch only completes the starter circuit when the gearshift is in the park or neutral position and leaves it open when it is in gear. For instance if you inadvertently set the gear to drive and then try to start the engine the neutral safety switch will prevent the engine from starting. In an automatic transmission vehicle the neutral safety switch is typically placed inside the case of the transmission. That way the vehicle will not roll forward right afterward.

What is it how to replace it the cost failure symptoms and testing it are all questions to be answered. The purpose of the neutral safety switch is to. It is common for the neutral safety switch to be part of the same assembly as the reverse light switch which turns on your back up lights when you put your vehicle in reverse.