took it off. cleaned it. gonna put it back on soon. didn't ever put the jeep in neutral. Why does every write up say, "made sure it was in neutral... proceeded..."???!!!

 

To ensure it is adjusted properly, but sometimes you can get lucky. Adjusted like this picture.

 

I adjust the thing in Reverse, thusly:

- Have a helper stand behind the vehicle, and block the wheels.
- Put the key in the ON position (you do NOT need to start the engine.)
- Shift into Reverse
- Crawl under, make a witness mark on the transmission case.
- Move the switch to one end of its adjustment travel
- Move the switch SLOWLY until the reverse lamps turn ON.
- Mark the switch against the witness mark you made earlier.
- Continue to move the switch until the reverse lamps turn OFF.
- Mark the switch against the witness mark. again.

Turn the switch so that the witness mark on the case is midway between the two marks you just made.

Verify that the starter motor will crank in both Park and Neutral - it should (you don't need to start the engine, you just need to make sure that the starter motor will crank. If it will crank, it should start.)

I don't remember if I got this from the FSM or what, but it's worked very well for me over the years, and I don't see any reason why I shouldn't stop doing it...

 

I agree, this is a better way of doing it. To the OP, it's no biggie if you didn't put it in neutral. The procedure described by 5-90 works really well and can be done alone if you do it in a dark garage or driveway with your Jeep backed near a light colored wall so that you can see when your reverse lights come on from under your rig.

The factory alignment mark on my NSS was so finely etched, as if by the most precision laser ever invented, that it was almost invisible and impossible to see while laying on your back and looking up at the angle you have to look at in order to even see the NSS when you're trying to calibrate it.