I think I need to replace the neutral safety switch on my 1993 245. (The reverse lights stopped working, and it will only start when you fiddle with the automatic gear shift lever).

I see Scan-tech, Kostal, and MTC. One site said that Kostal was OEM.
Any experience (good or bad) with these brands?

-Mike

Have never had the dubious pleasure of replacing a NSS, but my experiences with other parts from ScanTech and MTC have been far from positive. Poor materials + poor quality control + poor fit and finish = difficult to install, premature failure, and unreliable or imperfect operation.

If Kostal is shown as OEM, go with that one. Or buy an OE switch from Tasca. Keep in mind that this is a part that can leave you stranded when it fails, buying a cheaper switch will almost certainly turn into a false economy.

John

You say a bad NSS will leave you stranded.

Why can't one just bypass the NSS and start the car in Park or Neutral? What damage would occur if one tries to start the car in other gears with the NSS bypassed?
--
1980 245 Canadian B21A with SU carb but electronic ignition and M46 trans in Brampton, Ont.

Trev, I think I reacted the same way to John's warning. The "you" probably would not be you, Mike, or I, but if a cheap switch fell apart it could leave my daughter or wife in need of a rescue. Or at least telephone support.

If you cranked and started an automatic in gear without the hand brake set, it would begin to creep away, but not be as immediately noticeable as when you do that in a stick shift car.
--
Art Benstein near Baltimore

I wonder if other dogs think poodles are members of a weird religious cult.
-Rita Rudner

Have you removed the metal plate and cleaned the contacts? There's not much to the NSS.

For the fun of Volvos,
Mike
--
'83 245 GLT, '92 245DL, '90 760 GLT

There's not much to the NSS.

Right. Might be out of adjustment because of sloppy (broken/missing) linkage bushings under the car. Or burned contacts can be restored: Fix Your Backup Lights
--
Art Benstein near Baltimore

Anybody who doesn't know what soap tastes like never washed a dog.
-Franklin P. Jones

I haven't opened it up yet. I just heard that the NSS has likely gone "bad" when the reverse lights quit working. Thanks to the great photos, I see that the NSS can be cleaned up. The photos explain it much better than the text in my manuals.

I'll try the cleanup first. I assume it's better to have an old, quality part than a new cheap one?

Okay, it's late and I'll probably kick myself in the morning for asking this, but....the "wiper" contacts refers to how the shift lever wipes against the contact, right? At first I thought "what does the shift lever have to do with activating the rear windshield wipers?" (I only got 3 hrs. sleep last night because I replaced both tailgate wiring harnesses - I'd best quit while I'm behind!)

Right. In the context of a switch, the wiper is the contact that moves.