OK, For those who may need to do this in the future. On a 92 940 and I guess later models, the shifter assembly must be removed. This is actually not too big of a job.

To Replace the Neutral Safety/Backup Light Switch

1. Remove center console. I removed the center console plastic following the instructions in the FAQ section on heater core replacement. (I actually removed part of the radio stack and its side panel without needing to do so.)

2. Disconnect / remove bolts connecting shifter to control rods. Under the car you need to remove the nuts holding the two levers from the shifter to the rods controlling the transmission (AW-71). These are very accessible if the car is on ramps. PLEASE make sure the parking brake is set and rear wheels are chocked since you will need to shift the transmission out of park at some points in the procedure.

If you have sloppy back and forth movement of the shifter this is the time to replace the plastic bushings on both of these connections. In may case there was no evidence of any bushing material left on either connection. To completely remove the bolts you need to use pliers to pull off the E-circlip holding the bolt on the levers and the nut from the other end. First mark the position on the rods for reassembly since they have long slots for adjustment. If no new bushings are needed just take off the nuts (13-mm wrench.

3. Back inside the car, disconnect all of the electrical connectors from the shifter assembly and remove the 4 bolts holding the assembly to the body pan.

4. Lift the shifter assembly out of the car. Suggest taking it to a workbench for the switch replacement. Now you can clean out 20+ years of junk from the bottom of the assembly.

5. There are two circular push-on fasteners holding the light module and the switch onto the shifter assembly on the driver's side. Carefully pry (If this was a Jaguar you would prise) them off in an area where they won't be lost if they suddenly spring away. I used a small flat bladed screwdriver and worked slowly around each one. Put these somewhere where they won't get lost.

6. Carefully slide off the light module from the two plastic pins.

7. Even more carefully work the switch assembly off the two pins. You don't want to break the pins which are part of the overall molded plastic. I found that sliding one end off and then turning the switch allowed me to then slide the other end off without stressing the pins. There is no way that this could be done in the car.

8. Install the new switch (you could clean and test the old one but after getting to this point I replaced the 23-year-old switch with a new blue box Volvo switch).

9. Just to be sure I used a multimeter to confirm that two of the contacts on the connector had continuity in Park and Neutral and the other two contacts had continuity in Reverse.

10. Reinstall the light module.

11. Push the circular push-on fasteners back on the two pins. I used needlenose pliers to push and pound them back on.

12. Return the shifter assembly to the car and bolt back in. Reconnect the electrical connectors.

13. Reconnect the shifter arms to the transmission control rods using the marks you made.

14. Check that the starter will work in Park and Neutral and that the backup lights illuminate in Reverse.

15. In my case since I wasn't getting backup lights in Reverse before and didn't mark the positions on the rods (oops. I needed to adjust the linkages. Put the transmission in Reverse. Under the car loosen the bolts to the control rods. Back inside the car, with key on move the shifter to a position in the Reverse range where the backup lights illuminate. Then underneath tighten the bolts on the control rods. Back inside confirm proper shifting into all gears.

16. Drive car off ramps and enjoy.

Brian Mee

92 945T
91 240
90 240 DL