This weekend I replaced a faulty neutral start switch in my 89 Max. According to Haynes and Chilton it should be a simple job. After a good bit of tinkering I finally got the old one out and the new one in but it was IMPOSSIBLE to get the bottom bolt back into the switch. I finally had to take the transaxle mount out to get a straight shot at the bolt hole. Finally, I got it. But neither manual said anything about that. I think both are a piece of ****. I have Haynes manuals for my other cars and they are much better. It just seems that the one for my Maxima is very bad.

 

what were the simptoms did your idle fluctuate?

 

No, the neutral start switch is what allows current to go the starter when the trans. is in P or N. The symptoms were sometimes the car would not start. No juice to the starter. Moving the shift lever sometimes corrected it sometimes not.

Worked ok after I changed out the switch.

 

man mine has been acting up since I bought the car back in '99, never replaced it though...I'd say 5 times total its acted up on me, but I'd always just pop it in "N" and start it right up! to me it was one of those things you say you should get fixed, but never do! sounds like the replacement process was a ***** with teeth!

 

It was only a real pain in the *** because my manual did not tell me to take out the transaxle mount. I spent about 4 hours tinkering with the bottom bolt always thinking that I almost had it. It can't be done with the mount in. If I had taken the mount out to begin with it is probably a 2 hour job tops.