It was the damn neutral switch after all

So my 1996 2.4 manual was dead ass dead, turned the key and nothing. New battery, new ground strap, 3 year old starter. Has to be the neutral switch not engaging, right?

I got out my phone and took a pic of the bracket for the switch and it seemed bent. And of course the rubber tip on the pedal was worn down after 27 years. So that made me think the pedal wasn't reaching far enough to engage the circuit.

So I held the neutral switch completely closed with my left hand and turned the key with my right hand and...nothing.

So, could be a bad switch, a bad ignition, or a wire fell off the starter.

In my younger days I would have cut those wires and bypassed that safety switch so fast it would have made your head spin. Nope, my spine is fused in 2 places and I'm not able to get up under that damn dash. But I did try my best to unhook the plastic coupler to the switch, but it would not budge and I know from experience I would be left with nothing but a handful of crumbled plastic if I kept messing with it.

Towed it in, guy said it was the neutral switch, $292 complete out the door with switch and all. I know you do it yourself types are howling, "I could have fixed that in 10 minutes", yeah and if I was twenty I could have fixed it in five minutes.

Anyway, those switches do go out, and if you don't know now you know.

 

Getting old Sucks! At least your mobile again.

 

One follow up. I had to rent a brand new Nissan Maxima and with my spine the only way I could get in that damn thing was the sales guy had to move the front seat as far back as it would go, then lean it as far as it would go. Then once I slithered inside I had to move the seat back up and forward.

They say people aren't buying sedans anymore and I will tell you why. They design them with the roofs so fucking low to make them look cool. Idiots! I'm not even 5' 10"and I could not get in our out of that damn thing if my life depended on it.

I will say this, it was the widest car and best handling I've ever driven. Acceleration was amazing, and this was only the V6 and not GDI. I can only imagine what a V8 with GDI would be like. Brakes were incredible, too. Trans was a CVT but felt okay to me. But damn that roof was low and the car itself is only 4 inches off the ground.

Be glad to pick up my Taco Bender at 10 tomorrow