Hi,

I've been battling this for years now. My (manual trans) overdrive works fine, but the 4th gear detector switch thingy is not so good -- I can't get overdrive unless I really push on the stick in the right way, unless it is really warm. Any idea on how to fix this? How hard?

Thanks,
Kevin

I've replaced two of these switches. They are on top of the tranny on the passenger (rt) side. While many of the directions say you need to remove the tranny mount and lower it down to get room to work, that isn't necessary. Here's how I did it:

1. Drive up on a ramp or place jack stands under the car so you can crawl under.
2. Reach up on the right side of the tranny and disconnect the wire to the switch.
3. Clean any dirt away from the base of the switch so the dirt won't get into the tranny when you take out the switch. I loosen the dirt with a small screwdriver and then blow it away with an air hose (protect your eyes).
4. I use an O2 sensor socket which is a 7/8" socket with a slotted side and a 6-point end on it. This socket fits on the switch and extends just far enough that you can use an open-end wrench or adjustable wrench on the 6-point end. These O2 sockets are easily found in many auto parts places, not expensive.
5. Loosen the switch using the socket and finish unscrewing the switch with your fingers.
6. Installation is the reverse of the above.

This is a very easy repair and I did my last one in about 20 minutes.

In my experience getting the car on extended jackstands was necessary; of course a lift would be nice for jobs like this :-)

The work area is tight in the sensor location. Follow the wire to the passenger's side of the transmission- up high and towards the back. Remove the wire and find the correct deepwell socket to fit the sensor. Adjust a pair of large vise grips for a tight fit on the socket. Place the socket on the sensor and then lock the vise grips on the socket. Loosen sensor and remove.

Randy