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Pardon me for not searching the forum, seeing if this has been covered!
My daughter just bought a 99civic. automatic. The key doesn't want to come out and it doesn't want to start sporatically. I looked up the info and it appears to be a problem with the neutral safety switch.
My question... two wires leading to it (the neutral safety switch). If I clip these wires will it eliminate the problem. I figure that switch either completes a circuit, or breaks a circuit.
Anybody with any info please chime in asap. My daughter is being totally irrational, pissing me off, etc.
Not sure exactly what sensor you're referring to (I'm not familiar with this gen or autos in general) but according to the service manual there are two switches with two wires; park pin switch (white/black and black wires) is closed except when in park, A/T gear position switch (black/blue and black wires) is closed only in park. Hope this helps.
Wires leading to the switch are black, white with black stripe. So that would make it the park pin switch. Closed would indicate a lack of continuity so If I cut the wires and tape them off it should take care of the problem.
As far as the other switch, the gear position switch. Does the manual your looking at mention the location of that switch at all?
And thank you so much for the quick response. I'm at work, and my kid freaking out about this small problem has stressed me out!!!!
The schematic I was looking at only shows two wires but it actually has a 12 pin connector. Below is a link to the service manual you can download for free.
The schematic I was looking at only shows two wires but it actually has a 12 pin connector. Below is a link to the service manual you can download for free.
Okay. As far as the key not wanting to come out. The switch (marked red) needs to be in the position shown in the picture, up. It goes down when you take the car out of park. When going back into park it sticks in the downward position which keeps the key from coming out of the ignition. When I unplug that switch the key comes out regardless of the switch position. I thought that would be the only thing to deal with. Not quite so easy.
My other problem is with it not starting all the time. After messing with it for a while I see that the lever (marked green) is pushed forward by the solenoid (marked purple retracting). That solenoid is activated when I depress the brake pedal. It also clicks (even without the brake pedal depressed most of the time when I go to start the car. Every once in a while that solenoid doesn't respond to the brake pedal, and thats when the car will not start.
So I start looking through the FSM. I find the other side of the shift mechanisim covered in two seperate sections, but cannot find any information on the solenoid or that other switch (marked red).
How did this become my damn problem. I love my kids but sometimes it's a pain in the *** trying to help them!!!
With the switch (marked red in the pic) unplugged the key comes out %100 of the time now.
I cleaned up around the switch some, and made sure the solenoid (purple) connection is secure. I took a drive, stopping, shutting the car off, back and forth from park to drive, reverse. I did this no less than 40 times. The car started flawlessly. Pulled into my place, shut it off, and the solenoid failed to engage, which meant the car wouldn't start. If i try it a few times it will eventually work.
What would I use to lubricate the solenoid (in case its just dragging/ excessive friction)
Hell if I knew where I could get a new solenoid I would gladly buy one for piece of mind, but as I said before the FSM doesn't address these two switches.
I need to know this solenoid problem is fixed before I give the car back to my daughter. Otherwise I know I'll get a call at 2am. some night (murphys law is my reality)
