Review on Original Engine Management 8841 Neutral by Kevin Cheek

Original engine management 8841 The neutral safety switch was pretty easy to install (other than jacking it up and crawling under the truck) but the new switch didn't solve the starting problems on my 1998 Explorer. - About a For years it would sometimes not start (the engine would not start when the key was turned). This problem has been sporadic and often if you keep trying or if you wait a bit and try again it will start. After almost getting stuck one day I finally took the truck to a workshop but after a few days they couldn't find the problem. They said it could be caused by any of several things including the starter relay, ignition switch, neutral safety switch, or the starter motor itself. I suspected the ignition switch so I replaced it. After that, the problem seemed to be resolved, but a few days later it reappeared. At this point I finally tried moving the shifter from park to neutral and voila, it worked. For about another month, every time it wouldn't start (which was about 50% of the time now), I just put it in neutral and it would start. Apparently the problem was in the neutral safety switch and I ordered that switch as a replacement. Installation was relatively easy: I pulled the wire connector off the old switch and removed the nut that held the manual shifter, the lever itself, and the 2.8mm bolts that held the switch to the gearbox. Then slide the old derailleur off the shifter shaft. I made sure the neutral marks on the new derailleur lined up properly and slid it onto the derailleur spindle. I made sure the marks were still aligned, then screwed it on and reconnected the wiring. I then checked that the engine would start in both park and neutral and that the reverse lights would come on when shifting into reverse. But after releasing the car from the jack and trying to restart it (in park) it wouldn't start. But it still started (then and every time since) idling. As I said before replacing this switch, the engine started in park mode about 50% of the time, but with the new switch that percentage has dropped to 10-20%. It turns out that the new switch (like the 18 year old) in the park position has an intermittent connection. Since it always starts in idle and it's very difficult to lift the truck and crawl under it to get to the switch to replace it, I'm just living with this issue for now rather than returning a new switch the next day. Replacement (possibly defective). Update 1/14/2017: At the suggestion of the Highlander (and my mechanic brother - thanks to both) I tightened the 2 bolts that attach the shifter shaft to the lever arm that engages the shifter cable and that solved my starting problems.as well as a few other problems . Apparently this is a common problem with almost all Fords and poor design. If you're having problems like this, I recommend you search Google "Ford shifter problems" and watch a few YouTube videos on the subject. It doesn't take much mechanical experience or a few special tools to fix this (at least a Torx T30 screwdriver to tighten the screws), but it's a real agony to lay down on the floorboard and reach for the steering shaft to turn you to get it. Another thing I learned while working on the neutral safety switch: I didn't have to jack up my Explorer (and probably no other Ford trucks) to access the neutral safety switch - assuming you're of normal height. Person. Lifting the truck and setting up jacks saves a lot of time!