Neutral Safety Switch - Photos?

[Chythar]

I've been plugging away at my Cobra conversion again, and finally got the ignition cutoff installed. I did make a newbie mistake - I started the engine with the tranny in gear. Lucky for me the engine didn't turn over, or I might have been in REAL trouble. The car did lurch forward slightly, which surprised me. Didn't help that the driver's seat wasn't in. Reading the Talk post on remote starting reminded me - the neutral safety switch is supposed to prevent you from starting the car while the clutch pedal isn't pressed, yet I was able to do this on Sunday. This is an auto-to-manual conversion as well, so it's possible I forgot to hook something up.

I used the Cobra's manual pedal assembly, so if the neutral safety switch is on the clutch pedal it should still be there. I just might not have hooked it up.

For those that did an auto-to-manual conversion, did you have to do anything besides plug in the switch to get it to work? I do remember plugging in an extra connector that was just taped up under my dash.

I don't remember if the Cobra's neutral safety switch worked when everything was still in the wrecked Cobra. Never tried to start it with the car in gear. When the neutral safety switch is installed, does it need to be aligned properly like the brake pedal switch does?

At least the ignition cutoff is installed. It simply cuts power to the inertia switch in the trunk - the engine will crank all day, but it won't get fuel until the system is disarmed.

 

[Chythar]

*sigh* Thought I was in Tech, not Talk. Oh well.

 

[94GTCoupe]

i've got all my wires plugged in,but i can still start the car without depressing the clutch pedal.

i THINK there is something that needs to be disconnected???

not too sure.

 

[94GTCoupe]

did a search,cant find any thing on our issue.

i know my safety switch was working,i drove my parts car the day before i did my swap.

the parts car would not turn over at all without the clutch pedal depressed.

i did a straight swap with no modifications other than enlarging the hole in the shifter tunnel.

i dont know if the switch needs to be aligned,but i do know i did not mess with any of the switches while swapping out the pedal assembly.

right now my car will start just like when it was an auto.put key in and start,i just double check the shifter is in neutral.

so all this lead's me to belive something in the wiring needs to be disconnected.

wish i could be more help

but i think Hissin hail2 is preparing for the AODE to T5 swap.

hopefully he will have the answer

 

[Chythar]

I did find one reference claiming the 94-95 T5 did NOT need a neutral safety switch. It did not give a reason why not, so it was very useless. Unless a good reason why is listed, I will treat it as internet rumor.

Anyone else have a working neutral safety switch?

 

[MysteryMachine]

mines a stock 5 speed and from what I remember I had to have the clutch pressed to start

 

[mhespenh]

mines a stock 5 speed and from what I remember I had to have the clutch pressed to start

Ditto. Couldn't tell you where the switch is though.

 

[Chythar]

Aha! A read through my 1994 Ford Service Manual (big score on eBay) shows two electrical connectors going into the "clutch pedal position switch" on the outside of the pedal assembly. I'll try to look for that tomorrow (Wednesday) evening and see if I can get some photos.

 

[HISSIN50]

Davis3, good memory.
I did the swap awhile back. I can't help much though.

No NSS on the trans I installed.

The clutch safety switch and neutral safety switch (for MANUAL cars only) are different switches. The NSS was on early aero fox T5's, near the front of the trans. This switch could prevent someone from retrieving KOER codes (as could having the AC turned on. It was because of the need for idle speed calculations. They did not want the AC on, nor the car in gear with the clutch depressed).


I also have the start-up in-gear being possible. I am using an AODE trans harness still. I have tried having the CSS connected and disconnected, no change. I DID jump the crank wires on the MLPS, thinking that not doing this would lead to a no-crank situation. I have not disconnected those wires to see if it would make the CSS functional. Seeing what you good folks are saying, I dont think it would help.

I need to look at the schematic one of these days. In my case, since I have the AODE harness, I have considered running a new wire from the output of the CSS to the relay coil of the starter relay (underhood fusebox). I would simply be circumventing some extraneous wiring, having power go from the ig switch, to the CSS, to the starter relay. The existing (OEM) crank wire going to the starter relay coil would need to be disconnected and insulated, and I need to be sure there'd be no other issues with doing this.

 

[satanas]

the switch that is conected to your clutch pedal has to be disconected. I did my remote starter and disconected the switch but put a fuse in it it will fit with no mods. That way it like you are pressing the pedal

 

[HISSIN50]

the switch that is conected to your clutch pedal has to be disconected. I did my remote starter and disconected the switch but put a fuse in it it will fit with no mods. That way it like you are pressing the pedal

The issue for most of us (with converted cars) is that even with the CSS connected or disconnected, the car still starts with the clutch pedal at rest.

FWIW, you could make your CSS active again by tapping your crank signal wire into the output (normally open side) of the CSS (on the side that goes to the starter relay). Then you can reconnect the CSS, since it will not be an impediment to the current flow while remote starting.

 

[satanas]

MIne was converted I actually have a 95 t5 and I didn't have a problem with it i change the transmission hardness also the one thats under your carpet on the drivers side. I think they are almost the same but the t5 hardness has a loop and the auto doesn't I think thats for the neutral swithch , but i can be wrong.When I installed my alarm all I had to do is disconect my clutch pedal and added a fuse so it can be a loop, but if your car happends to be in gear it will take off on your @ss....LOLhad to chase my car down the parking lot.........

 

[Chythar]

OK, found it. There's a jumper on the AODE Stangs that bypasses where the neutral safety switch would be. It basically closes the circuit all the time. Here's some photos from the Ford manual. As you can see, the AODE cars have a bypass for the switch:

Here's the location of connector C253 (the AODE bypass). It's behind the driver's kick panel.

I don't have any actual photos of the connector, I'm hoping to do that on Turkey Day.

 

[94GTCoupe]

good work,Chythar

i'll have to keep my eye's peeled for one of those service manual's.

let us know how it turn's out.

 

[HISSIN50]

FWIW, I removed the jumper and my car would still start in gear.

The harness is real easy to find, and we connect it to the manual pedal wiring as I recall. I think that's the one that hangs down from the front of the pedal box (it drops down from the sheetmetal above the box, close to the column).

 

[Chythar]

Hissin, I know the jumper you're talking about and that's not it. Here's a photo from my Cobra clone, showing the jumper. The clutch pedal is in the foreground, and you can just barely see the brake light switch at the top of the photo.

I simply pulled that jumper, and now my Stang will not crank unless I put the clutch pedal to the floor.

 

[94GTCoupe]

 

[fivemustangs]

I know this thred is LONG gone, but If anyone who has done this swap and can tell me how you turned your transmission range switch off for your aode after you swapped to the T5 that would be great. I cant get my car to turn over because it is stuck on. I am using my AODE tranny harness.

 

[Chythar]

Sorry, can't help you too much; I'm using the T5 harness.

There is a cable that attached to the auto shifter that leads under the dash and attaches to the steering column. Did you remove that cable? It's not necessary for a manual.

You might want to try taking the MLPS sensor off your old AODE and namually turning it to neutral and see if that would help.

I do recommend that you buy a manual computer and a T5 harness, it would simplify this part a lot. You can probably get them from MPS Auto (MPS Auto Salvage - call them, their web inventory is fubar'd).

 

[HISSIN50]

I know this thred is LONG gone, but If anyone who has done this swap and can tell me how you turned your transmission range switch off for your aode after you swapped to the T5 that would be great. I cant get my car to turn over because it is stuck on. I am using my AODE tranny harness.

I'm pretty sure that I jumped Red/lt blue and white/pink together. White/pink will show 12V while cranking. Red/lt blue goes from the 'output' of the switch to the starter solenoid under the hood.

You can also splice in the back-up light wires to make them functional. They are bk/pink and pink/or as I recall. Post if you need a way to make the connection to the back-up light switch. I have a link saved where I got some connectors.