When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
New to the site and was hoping someone would be able to help me out.
I’m almost done my ls swap project (5.3L paired with the 4 speed automatic 4l60e) but wanted to see if someone could help me with a detail I am unsure about. I have the terminator x max (Part # 550-917) with trans control. I am wanting to use an American Shifter transmission mounted shift kit that had two prongs for a neutral safety switch on the side of the shift kit. I’m wondering when it comes to the neutral safety switch, would I have to wire in the factory neutral safety switch with the transmission or would I be able to just wire the neutral safety switch on the aftermarket American Shifter transmission mounted shifter?
Any help would be great.
thank you. Linkage (without factory neutral safety switch) The project My transmission mount shifter
The Neutral Safety switch is not needed for proper transmission operation. The switch only allows the starter to be activated with in Park or Neutral; it also feeds the Reverse lights when in Reverse.
Often the shifter has its own switches, one for the Reverse lights and one to provide a closed circuit when in Park or Neutral. This is my personal setup; there is no OEM switch.
Hopefully that helps you make your own decision; personally if your shifter has those switches, I would use them. For one it reduces the wiring under the car which can get wet and damaged.
Use the one on the shifter, have it be the ground to the Starter Relay. Pin 85 on the relay to one terminal of the switch and the other side grounded to the chassis in a good spot. When in Park or Neutral the switch is closed and Relay will energize, car will start.
Last edited by the_merv; Apr 19, 2024 at 10:36 PM.
Yep, B&M Mega shifter here and I go from the Key Start to Shifter Switch then from the Shifter Switch to the Starter Noid.. I wire Reverse lights to the shifter switch as well.
The shifter you are looking at using looks a lot like a Lokar shifter. I've used the rod style like yours and the cable style. Both have worked well.
The Lokar shifter only has one switch and that's the NSS. When the shifter is in park and neutral the switch is "closed" allowing 12 volts to the starter. Any other position like drive or reverse the switch is "open" not allowing 12 volts to the starter. Make sure to check it with a meter to confirm 12 volts in park and neutral only when you get the shifter rod adjusted.
I've never used that switch for back up lights. I don't care if I have back up lights.
If you decide to use the GM switch on the trans shift shaft make sure you run all 12 volt output thru a relay. The trans shaft switch is not designed for high amps or volts.
You have to put 12v to the switch to get 12v out of it, so don't say it's only that. I use my switches as switched grounds that control Relays for things.
I guess I'll be the odd man out. I actually like the idea and did use the OEM neutral safety switch on my 4l60e. Using a B&M Pro Gate shifter. I like NOT having any wiring having to go to the shifter.
No need for a relay to operate the signal wire for the starter relay wire. Nor am I running a relay for the reverse lights and I don't believe the OEMs did either.
the_merv is correct. The switch doesn't care what you are feeding through it. It just does an on or off. So, you can use the OE to feed ground signals to relays for triggering, if desired. The OE schematics do show that the ignition line does feed directly through the PNP/NSS to the reverse lights. There is no relay inline. There are a few fuses, but no relay. And his configuration for an NSS relay is probably the most widely used.
Now, I don't know whether your PCM has been reprogrammed to only need a one wire range signal or not, so I don't if that will create issues. I'm only working off of the instructions that are here, and I too am working with the OE single plug PNP/NSS.
I guess I'll be the odd man out. I actually like the idea and did use the OEM neutral safety switch on my 4l60e. Using a B&M Pro Gate shifter. I like NOT having any wiring having to go to the shifter.
No need for a relay to operate the signal wire for the starter relay wire. Nor am I running a relay for the reverse lights and I don't believe the OEMs did either.
If you have a newer vehicle, like you seem to, which came with Neutral Switch Wiring from the factory, it of course makes sense to continue using it.
Since the OP has a much older vehicle, I suggested keeping the wiring in the car and using the shifter switches.
ALSO - as a long time contributor/moderator in the Automatic Transmission section, I wanted to dispel the frequent belief that this switch is needed to make the transmission work properly. It is not, many swaps with 4L60E/4L80E skip the Park/Neutral safety switch. The PCM/ECM knows the position of the shifter through the main wiring harness going to the trans.
I do like @the_merv 's suggestion of running the ground for the starter relay through the shifter, instead of the starter circuit from the key. With the moving parts of the shifter, it is easy for a "hot" wire to get shorted.
In older cars the key's starter circuit often went directly to the starter solenoid (Fords were a bit different). Most modern cars use a starter relay. In Camaro/Firebird/Vette it is located in the main fuse/relay box.
See also: https://ls1tech.com/forums/general-m...-location.html
I do like Ground triggers as well and configure that way when I can
which leads me to a quick but related hijack question.
I’m sending 12v thru my switch on my B&M shifter to the starter noid. Is that a problem? I didn’t think there was a big draw here and figured the switch could handle it.
With the Lokar shifters I've used I always run the 12 pos signal thru the shifter switch. Never have had an issue. I have a Lokar shifter in my 98 Wrangler with a LS6/4L60E combo. It has 15 years on with zero issues.
The side says its rated at 16 Amps for AC power but only 0.1 Amps for DC power, which makes no sense at all.
The following thread on another site discusses the issue of running the starter solenoid power through this microswitch; a bunch of people say they have been doing it for years without problems.
FYI, a Google search indicates that a typical starter solenoid takes 8-10 Amps when energized, which agrees with the relatively large OEM wiring to the solenoid.
Also, since you usually shift into Park and then hit the starter, and not the other way around, the switch isn't getting much electrical abuse.
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Slideshow: From wobbling harmonic balancers to failed EBCMs, these are the issues that define long-term C5 ownership and what repairs typically involve.
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Slideshow: A modern Camaro transformed into a retro icon, this limited-run "Bandit" build blends nostalgia with brute force in a way few revivals manage.
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Slideshow: Cadillac didn't just crash the high-performance luxury vehicle party, it showed up loud, supercharged, and occasionally a little unhinged...
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Slideshow: A one-off sports car that looks like a vintage Italian exotic-but hides a C6 Corvette underneath-just sold for the price of a new mid-engine Corvette.
Ls swap neutral safety switch 
