i need to change my neutral saftey switch. i removed the housing around the gear shifter and i noticed there are a few wires on the side of this switch.
do i need to unsolder all the wires before removing it and is the installation easy? is there a better way to do the job

here's how I did it last.
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Art Benstein near Baltimore

the reason i want to change this safety neutral switch is that my car will start up fine and other times it would not. i tried to start it it neutral when i am having problem but that did not help either.it does not even crank.
thanks for the advice. i will see if i can buy one from a junk yard and swap out with mine.

The wires all have plug connections, mostly under the carpet and under the plastic center console. You don't need to solder anything in there.
But I'm curious why you need to change it? These aren't exactly a failure prone item. And they are fixable internally if you like to fiddle with stuff- if you can take apart a relay or a power window switch you can fix one of these.
Does the car start in Neutral and not Park? If so, I'd be more likely to suspect the transmission mount is shot, and that's making the linkage pull the shifter out of alignment. If this is the case, then replacing the switch won't help. It just needs a new trans mount. Or possibly the linkage is really loose or needs adjustment- it's like a turnbuckle arrangement, but they do tend to be really rusted together.
If you find the linkage is messed up, replace the nylon bushings in it when you've got it apart.
In any case, working under the shift lever plastic housing is a royal pain. The shifter area box is way too small for what's in it.
Good luck!
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Rob Bareiss, New London CT ::: '87 244DL/M47- 228K, 88 744GLE- 212K, 91 244 183K-SOLD! Also responsible for the care and feeding of: 88 745GLE, 231K, 88 244GL, 146K, 87 244DL, 239K, 88 245DL, 246K

follow the wires. there are 2 connectors next to the center console on the drivers side. don't you have a new 1 to look at? chuck.