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**bige** · 02-09-2009, 06:36 PM

You don't want to graound anything in the existing neutral safety switch.

You're right it's a switch that just completes or breaks the circuit. So one end is live all the time and the other is the powered wire to the starter switch. Nothing grounded there.

I don't know the Painless system but I don't know of any neutral safety switches that are ground and unground. I guess,
you could power the starter switch all the time and use the neutral safety switch to complete the ground but it seems like a lot of work for no good reason, that I can think of anyway.

ErnieR

On its way to a 15.097 Spring 2006.

**wcarroll@outrageous.net** · 02-09-2009, 06:53 PM

Basically the Painless harness is setup up for use with common column type switches.

Their harness has has two wires. One is a signal wire for the computer and the other is a ground. The signal wire has to be grounded in order for the car to start (Park/Neutral positions) and ungrounded when the car is in any other gear.

I'd like to try to use the original Powershift switch if possible to ground and unground the signal wire.

So I'm thinking if the original switch completes the ignition circuit in Park/Neutral positions, then it should complete the circuit with the new harness if I wire the signal wire to one switch lead and the ground wire to the other.

bige:
On another note, I still need to connect the 4L60E to the Powershift setup. I remember you helping me out on another post when I inquired about it but was unsuccessful finding it.

I removed the shifter today and noticed I am missing the linkage/shifter rod for both the Powershift and tranny.

What was it you suggested I get to connect the two -a kit of some sorts?

Thanks!!

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**bige** · 02-09-2009, 07:14 PM

I bought a universal neutral safety switch from Lokar and a shift linkage adapter from Kugle Shiftworks.

Stude International has shifter and switch parts they may have the linkage you're missing. If not, the Lokar switch works fine but then you have to come up with a back up light switch. I haven't fabricated mine yet so I don't have a method for you yet.

I'm still lost on the ground thing...the way I see it these switches are designed to complete a circuit, ground or hot. So, either one wire is grounded already and the other there to complete the ground circuit or one live and the other ready to become live. So as long as the 'signal' wire is also a ground, yes you can ground the other terminal but if one is live and the other a ground you will 'dead short' the circuit.

On its way to a 15.097 Spring 2006.

**Rerun** · 02-10-2009, 02:22 AM

The Powershift neutral safety switch is an SPST (single pole single throw) switch. Yes, the switch is closed in the P and N positions of the shifter. In the original application, it closed part of the circuit to the starter solenoid (between the ignition switch and the solenoid).

But, it is simply a switch. If the new application requires pulling a computer input to ground (a common method of switching) this switch will be fine. Just connect one lead to the computer input and the other to a good ground. While you are at it, the back-up light switch is also on the Powershift linkage. If the new system also looks for a grounded input to switch this circuit, it would be done in a similar fashion.

Jim Bradley
Lewistown PA
'78 Avanti II

**wcarroll@outrageous.net** · 02-10-2009, 10:46 AM

Thanks Jim -that's exactly what I wanted to know AND hear!!!

I kinda figured a switch is a switch, so why wouldn't it work.

I also talked to a tech at Painless who told me I could just attach the two wires together if I wanted, but I'd much rather have the safety feature working.

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