Thread: Neutral Safety Switch Wire?

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We're working more on the drag car today and I'm puzzled as to a particular wire and hope someone could tell me what it does. Here's how it goes:

From what i can see: Previous owner had 2 wires running from push button starter. Of those 2, one goes to fuse box, and the other goes to neutral safety switch at the shifter. Also, An Orange wire is spliced/mated into this one NSS wire that goes into neutral safety switch spade. From the other spade on the neutral safety switch, a wire is ran back out from the NSS and into the engine compartment. This wire still has the markings 'safety switch,' so we know it goes to starter and is in general location where it should be in the engine bay. What I cannot figure out is that orange wire i mentioned earlier. It too shoots out into the engine compartment but have no clue what its there for? does it too go to starter? I dont know but would like some thoughts

Originally Posted by Rdobbs1977

We're working more on the drag car today and I'm puzzled as to a particular wire and hope someone could tell me what it does. Here's how it goes:

From what i can see: Previous owner had 2 wires running from push button starter. Of those 2, one goes to fuse box, and the other goes to neutral safety switch at the shifter. Also, An Orange wire is spliced/mated into this one NSS wire that goes into neutral safety switch spade. From the other spade on the neutral safety switch, a wire is ran back out from the NSS and into the engine compartment. This wire still has the markings 'safety switch,' so we know it goes to starter and is in general location where it should be in the engine bay. What I cannot figure out is that orange wire i mentioned earlier. It too shoots out into the engine compartment but have no clue what its there for? does it too go to starter? I dont know but would like some thoughts

Re-reading your description, it sounds to me like you have a fused 12V supply coming from the fuse box that is your start circuit, landing on the push button (NO, close to crank). From the other side of that push button you have a wire to the NSS (NO, closed with shifter in P or N). From the other side of the NSS the wire likely goes to the starter solenoid to crank the engine. Your orange wire might be landing on the (+) terminal of your coil, if you have a traditional coil type ignition; or to your distributor for crank power to the ignition and that's just a guess.
With a pushbutton start setup, what is NOT apparent is where you're picking up your ignition "Run" voltage, assuming that your PB is a simple momentary action, only closed while pressing the button, returning to open. Mine is a relay system that uses a dual action PB, push for "on" for crank, spring return to maintained "on" for ignition; then push for "off". Makes for an "interesting" crank sequence if it doesn't start on the first push....
I'd scan the engine compartment for that orange wire, and as has been said, the test light is your friend.

We'll be getting close soon to trying to start this engine for the first time and can pull out the test light, try some things, and see what goes on with that wire. I'd say if the guess was correct that this wire goes to coil or distr., i'd say distributor. Previous guy had a blaster coil (which we'll use) mounted to firewall so if it was attached to the coil, i'd seen no reason for him to have disconnected when he sold car to me as a roller, but then again ya never know what the other guy did or did not do or just 'the why' of things. I tried looking at Hurst quarter stick wiring for NSS and it showed the NSS wire going from push button thru a fuse to NSS and another wire coming from second spade on NSS to starter. That thrid wire (orange wire in my current case) is why I asked as it was not in the diagram and we were just a bit stumped at present.

I wouldn't think it would go to the distributor. I would be more inclined to interrupt the starter circuit. Prevent the motor from cranking when NOT in neutral or park.

My 2 cents..