vjz

First, on Christmas Eve day my 1998 sport wouldn't start. It acted like the battery was dead. The engine cranked VERY slowly, and eventually didn't start. All other features worked fine. I hooked up my jump box, but the battery status light on it said the battery was just fine. I put the jump box away and it started normally. Then, I drove it about 20 minutes and ran some errands. On my final stop to pick up some cards, it wouldn't start.

I called a tow truck and had it towed home. I decided to mess around with it, thinking the NSS was bad. Sure enough, I dipped into my Volvo knowledge from messed up NSS parts. We used to take care of no start issues by doing what was called a "ratchet cleaning." This meant moving the shifter all the way from park to low gears and back multiple times at a quick but careful pace. This would clean the contacts on the swing arm of the sensor.

It worked for me on the Cherokee this time as well and didn't have any issues with it.

Moving on...

I know how to bypass the NSS, however, in my searches, I get conflicting information.

Some say that by doing a bypass of the B and C wires disables cruise control. Other people sale that they have no issues with the bypass and all options function normally.

I am generally fan of replacing, rebuilding, or cleaning parts the right way and the first time. However, it's freezing outside and I really do not have a place to work on it until spring time.

What other information do I need to know about doing the bypass?

Please refrain from extraneous posts about "safety" or starting the car in gears. Sorry, but if one cannot figure out how to put the vehicle in park or neutral to start a vehicle, they shouldn't drive. I'm looking for what features of my XJ will/won't work. Lights, codes, etc.

All help is much appreciated

RTorrez1

It does not sound like it's your NSS. If the NSS is bad it won't turn over at all and you said it is turning but slow.

vjz

That's what it did first. Then on my last errand run it wouldn't crank at all. I got it to start by ratchet cleaning the shifter movements.

Sorry, I think I forgot to mention that

Lowrange2

My wife's 1998 Sport functioned 100% correctly while the NSS was bypassed.

I had 0 ill effects when bypassing the NSS.

But of course, I have to say... this should be a temporary fix. It's really easy to clean your NSS when you have the opportunity.

F1Addict

Wow. You must be super smart. I've accidentally tried to start my Jeep in gear a couple times (this is my first automatic) and I was very thankful for a functioning NSS. I've also jammed on the brakes thinking I was pushing the clutch in (unrelated).

vjz

Yeah I know it's a walk in the park. I just don't have room to work on it. We're getting hit with a lot of snow right now and I have all sorts of crap in my garage that I have no idea when will be gone (Just got a new sofa, stove, and dishwasher last week).

If it works for a few months, I'll either clean or replace the whole thing. I hate having to take this route as it is, but for right now it is the most feasible option.

vjz

It has nothing to do with my intelligence, sir. What my comment should eliminate are those who felt the need to contribute their opinions on safety to a thread of someone else asking about the NSS, instead of contributing to the original posting member's issue.

I have driven both automatics and stick shifts my entire life. My hardest switch was going from an old Saab back to a Jeep. For those not into Saabs, the ignition switch is mounted in the center console, so I'd get in and reach for the ignition in the center of the car. Not there.

If the comment offends members out there, I apologize. However, I don't need to hear anything about accidentally starting my car in gear. I need to hear about how to temporarily fix this issue so I do not get stranded on a cold winter night.

F1Addict

Jesus Christ, it's called a Neutral SAFETY Switch and it seems as though you've already figured out how to bypass it. Not having cruise control won't leave you "stranded" anywhere. If you don't want to be stranded, stop whining about the cold and rebuild your NSS

vjz

Touche....but still.

And if you can develop a cure for my arthritis, I'll go fix it tomorrow.


NOW...back on subject. What's the complete low-down on the process and what works/doesn't work.

F1Addict

As you know, pins B and C are linked when in Neutral or Park which completes the circuit to the starter solenoid. Pins A and E are for your reverse lights. There are two other jumps that occur which have to do with gear selection. Pins A and H are jumped in 1-2 and pins A and G in 3rd. Drive is an open circuit so your cruise should function normally when in Drive. The 1-2 and 3 jumpers may prevent your cruise from engaging when in those gears or they may just communicate with the TCU for some purpose I can't explain.

The bottom line is that jumping B and C will bypass the starter cut-off and should have no affect on your cruise provided it's being used while in Drive and not one of the lower gear positions.

Radi

When I bypassed mine in the '96 I got a CEL ( I forget the code, it was for bad range sensor or something similar). Seemed to drive and function just fine otherwise.

F1Addict

It's weird that you would get a CEL only because the NSS essentially does the exact same thing as the external jumper. I don't doubt you, just think it's weird and trying to figure out why that would happen.

F1Addict

Now that I think about it, you may have gotten a CEL as a result of having B and C jumpered while in Drive when the TCU and/or ECU were expecting to see an open-circuit condition. I suppose you could avoid this by having a switch to disengage the jumper after starting but that seems like more work than just rebuilding the NSS. The OP may have to live with a CEL until the weather warms up a bit so he can get in there to rebuild.

My point about safety is to anyone who may stumble on this in the future. Jumping the NSS is a great way to get yourself home in an emergency but it's not a long-term solution and it's unsafe as a permanent fix. It will allow your Jeep to start while in gear which could produce unpredictable and potentially dangerous results. That's my disclaimer... I'll shut up now.

DJ420

Find the purple wire in the NSS harness, ground it to the chassis. Voila.. truck will start! (in all gears tho, so be careful!)

hotrod68

just rebuilt my NSS a few days ago,
after removal i disassembled it then used degreaser to clean it up inside and out, sprayed some electrical contact cleaner to clean it better then used a little emery cloth on contacts before putting the lithium powder on the contacts before i re-assembled it.

just make sure contacts that are spring loaded inside the NSS move freely. shouldnt have much trouble.

BTW, i was told that the reverse lights wouldnt work when bypassing the NSS. where i live it wont pass inspection like that so i had to do the complete fix.

good luck.