I just replaced the whole shifter assembly in my 94 940, pretty straightforward, hard to screw up. However, now the car will not start, no crank or noise.
As the replacement shifter was bought used, could it be the that the neutral safety switch is bad?
Also, there is a small cable at the top of the shifter that was disconnected from the original shifter assembly, but there is nowhere to hook it into on the replacement assembly. What is that cable for and is this the reason the car will not start?
The backup lights also do not go on when the car is shifted into reverse.

Any help would be much apprciated.

Have you tried to move the shifter to the neutral position and try to start?
If it still doesn't start move the shifter between the park and neutral position while trying to start at the same time you are moving the shifter(make sure your emergency brakes are ON and wheels are blocked for safety) if it starts you have to realign the shifter from the bottom.

Yes, have tried starting the car in all gears and between gears etc. Nothing works.

Thanks for the suggestion.

There is clearly a wiring issue. Get a wiring diagram from the shifter and make sure you have everything re-connected properly. See the FAQ for diagnostics on the park-lock switch as well as the overdrive override in the shifter knob.

That thought occurred to me also, and I did recheck the connections this morning. Both wiring harnesses (small 4 prong and large 7 prong) are properly connected (all numbered connections match) and the small round harness is properly connected under car. All the wires coming off the shiftier are intact.

Dear jbon,

Hope you're well. I recently replaced the Neutral-Safety Switch (NSS) on a '93 940. I suspect there's a problem with the switch in the donor shifter unit. The giveaway: the reverse lights don't come on, when the shifter is in "Reverse".

Before replacing the NSS, get a can of De-Oxit. This is an aerosol corrosion-remover, which dissolves corrosion on switches, etc., without damaging them. If the NSS is simply dirty or corroded, De-Oxit will remove the crud/corrosion. If De-Oxit doesn't cure the problem, then the switch will have to be replaced. Do not rely on a visual inspection: a layer of corrosion invisibly thin can keep a switch from working properly (or at all).

If the switch must be replaced, be advised that the shifter has to be put on a workbech and the center shaft removed, so that the NSS can be removed. There is no alternative method. Be careful removing the two PAL washers (internally toothed washers) that secure the switch to two posts on the shifter housing. The washers cost $3 each at a Volvo dealership. Standard internally-toothed washers do not fit tightly (or are too small to fit) on the mounting studs.

The plastic plate - that shows transmission position - had to be compressed (front-to-back) to disengage it. If you have large, strong hands, you can compress the plate and lift. If your hands aren't large enough, then a large water pump pliers (jaw teeth covered in tape) can be used to compress the plate enough, so that it disengages.

Hope this helps.

Yours faithfully,

Spook

Spook,

Thanks for the advice. I will definitely try the De-Oxit.
If it does not work, I have the old shifter assembly that I know had a good NSS, I can swap it with the one from the donor shifter. If I find it is too difficult a job to remove, I may just get another donor shifter assembly as they are cheap enough at this point (As long as I don't have to buy more than two).

I'll keep you posted on what happens...

Thanks

Spook,

Thanks for the advice. I will definitely try the De-Oxit.
If it does not work, I have the old shifter assembly that I know had a good NSS, I can swap it with the one from the donor shifter. If I find it is too difficult a job to remove, I may just get another donor shifter assembly as they are cheap enough at this point (As long as I don't have to buy more than two).

I'll keep you posted on what happens...

Thanks

Dear jbon,

Hope you're well. Be advised that shifters do not interchange as between 1993 and later 940s (1994 and 1995). While the shifter housing and mechanism are the same, the wiring harness formats - connectors and length - are different.

If I recall correctly, in the '93 940 shifter, the NSS has a four-wire short connector, while the 1994 and 1995 NSS has longer harness that ends in a six or eight wire connector.

Hope this helps.

Yours faithfully,

Spook

http://www.volvowiringdiagrams.com/volvo/940%20Wiring%20Diagrams/Volvo%20940%201994.pdf