What does a neutral safety switch do on a boat?
Because of this standard almost all boats, outboard powered, inboard, and stern drive powered boats have a neutral safety switch built into the engine control that prevents the engine from being started when in gear.
What does the neutral switch do on a car?
What Is The Neutral Safety Switch? It’s a safety feature built into an automatic transmission that doesn’t allow the vehicle to start while in gear – reverse or drive. The vehicle will start if the transmission lever is placed in park or neutral, both of which will not allow it to move forward when it’s turned on.
What are the symptoms of a bad neutral safety switch?
This prevents the starter motor from cranking the engine. This symptom indicates a completely open electrical circuit inside the neutral safety switch which may be due to a faulty relay, blown fuse, or electrical problem with the switch itself. If the issue is with the switch, it will need to be replaced. 4. Engine cranks in any gear
How to test an inhibitor switch or neutral safety switch?
How to test an inhibitor switch or neutral safety switch. You’ll need a digital multi-meter that’s able to test continuity. (Most multi-meters have this function.) Turn up your volume a bit on this one. The battery in my multi-meter was almost depleted and it’s a little tough hearing the audible indicator.
How much does a neutral safety switch cost?
A new neutral safety switch doesn’t cost that much – usually between $100 and $400 – and a mechanic will have all the necessary tools to do the job at their disposal. Labor costs will also usually be reasonable, as the job doesn’t involve tearing apart any major components.
The basic idea of a neutral safety switch is to prevent starting a boat’s engine when its transmission is “in gear”. This prevents the boat from moving suddenly and unexpectedly when an engine is started and is a good safety feature.