Does anyone know the correct term for the safety switch that allows you to start your car only in park or neutral? Mine is on the fritz, and I've scoured my Haynes manual and cant find it in the electrical, or transmission sections. I have to jiggle/shake/work the shifter to get the switch to make contact and allow the car to start. Looking to repair or replace or adjust, but I guess I'm not searching for the right term.

 

it's called the Inhibitor Switch, located in front and to the right of the shifter, under the console panel, and this switch also controls the Cruise/Speed Control activation in certain years. In my '84 it does.

here's a scan from the Factory Service Manual. It needs adjusting. You might just throw away the Haynes manual since they are useless. Order a Factory CD Shop Manual here:


http://www.lbcarco.com

Jose

[IMG]local://upfiles/1235/698FA514757949A3B0EB0FF274C9A907.jpg[/IMG]

 

Thanks! I'll get on it tonight. I have a Haynes because the P.O. included it with the car and it beats having nothing. Funny you should mention speed/cruise control, because that's not working either. Maybe I can kill the proverbial 2 with 1. Thanks again.

This just occured to me. Is it possible that this faulty/misadjusted switch could be draining my battery? Sometimes if I leave the car for 3 or 4 days the battery runs down. But not always. Could this be the result of the shifter *sometimes* not activating the switch correctly?