Anybody know how to start a 92 XJ 4.0 AW4 if my neutral safety switch is toast? Can I just stick a probe in the connector on the green wire prong and run it to the battery? Anybody ever wired around that $300 mother to just eliminate it?

I have heard of people rebuilding them. can't remember the URL but there is a write up somewhere. I read it after I bought my new one for $200 or some insane amount.:mad3:

I did the rebuild and got it working long enough to pass inspection - it also controls back-up lights - but I think it's toast soon. I don't want to buy a new one ($287 list) and I haven't found a reasonalby priced used one yet. Several people have told me you can wire around it but I haven't found anyone who has done it.

you can definitely disable it. i dont have specifics, but i know it can be done.
post on NAXJA.org

i tried bypassing it but must have connected something wrong cause my tranny wouldn't shift right. You can take it apart and clean it and then put it back on. Real simple just take it off open wipe off with carb cleaner put it back together. Be real carful when you take it off, it has one bolt and one stud once those are off wiggle it gently until it comes off, it will take a while, Don't pry , i did and it broke. You can get a new one from autozone for like 70 bucks

AZ quoted me $229 for my 92, which I think uses the same NSS as yours. I hope you're right, I'll try calling a different store, but I still want to figure out how to wire around it cuz it looks to me like a big Chryco rip-off (or maybe Aisin Warner ripoff - the one for Chrysler trannys costs $12.)

As best I can figure, all it does is indicate which gear is active. I'm guessing that I could undo the connector and connect different pins to tell it which gear I'm in, maybe through some sort of device on the shifter. A guy on NAXJA just told me to connect the B&C pins to start it, so that combination would mean Park. I've got the wiring diagrams in the FSM, maybe I can figure it out from that.

well shiat man, i just called AZ and they say 229 and advanced says 250. i have the reciept in front of me for 73 bucks for one from AZ. guess their prices raised. sorry
i say try to clean it first, ALOT cheaper. i'll try to find a write-up

I got a write up of how to do it. It's a zip file and might help ya out. Hit me backchannel and I'll email it to you.

Thanks for the offers, guys, but I've done the rebuild (see above) and it works now only it's in bad shape and could fail again. I'm gonna buy a spare dead one as soon as I find a good price on one (cheap) and rebuild it too but i STILL want to figure out if I can wire around it. I'm shooting for reliability in this jeep and I think it'd suck big time to have to hike out because my jeep wont start because of a dead NSS.

Also, i think it'd make a killer write-up to be able to tell people how to do without it, cuz it looks to me like a price-gouging thing going on. Hey rockready, how long ago did you buy yours at $73? AZ used to be a good company (based in Memphis where I am) but I've noticed the last couple years they seem to be getting into the price-gouging thing in several lines.

yo waaaaazahhhhhhhp girl friends, I bypassed mine a few years back, works mint, i cant remember what i rewired but if you hold tight i'll check back tomorow, it'l start in gear but who cares? in the meen time if the pig wont start, put the key in run and jump the solinoid on the starter, watch the pretty sparks fly but she'l start!

I actually got my answer a little earlier but I just saw this post over on jay-ewe with photos and charts and the whole she-bang. Anybody with an AW4 auto, you really ought to learn about this, if you haven't had NSS troubles yet, you will one day - and the car repair muggers are just waiting to charge you $300 + labor + towing. Rebuilding is the preferred course but this works on the trail and it works even if your NSS is toast.

http://forums.jeepsunlimited.com/ubb/Forum39/HTML/001865.html

BTW, my cracked-open one still hasn't completely given out yet. I've been mudding in this sandy/clay stuff a lot lately that I thought sure would kill it, but when it quits working I just bang on it and sometimes readjust it and its okay again. Go figure.

Whooo ! Thanks for the link. Every once and a while I have to move the shifter around and try to make it 'catch' so it will start. But no more:smokin:

I cleaned mine out, the little tabs that are supposto float on springs were all gummed up and wouldn't float, a little break clean and some dielectric grease when clean, and the thing works like new, I bolted the thing back on, put it in reverse and turned it till the lights came on, and at that point, it would start in neutral and park. I don't expect to have to do that again for another 200k miles.