Neutral Safety Switch
 

I have a 98 Boxster Tip with about 71K on the clock. It has been occasionally not starting in park but if I put it in neutral it will start. I believe that it is the Neutral Safety Switch, Does anyone know if the ability to start in neutral will degrade and it will leave me be by the side of the road someday. The $330 part doesn't bother me so much as the necessity to rip the majority of the car apart to get at the switch. Thanks for any and all help. Ed

Mine has been doing that for the past few years, every once in a while I have to put it in neutral to start it. I think you have to drop one side of the exhaust in order to replace it. I don't think it will hurt anything just shifting into neutral.

From what i understand you have to take down one cat, block up and support the engine and a bunch of other stuff which seems silly. There is really no room to deal with it. Good to hear that yours is still starting in neutral. Ed

Is this problem so rare that it has happened tp no one else?

Am I glad I'm not the only one... This has only just started happening to me.

Took me 10 mins on the phone to my mechanic trying all sorts of things to get it started. Bit embarrassing when you're in the middle of a car park :o

Did you ever get to the bottom of this? Is it ok just to keep starting in Neutral? Mechanic is going to take a look at it but really don't want to spend big money if it's a not going to be a major problem.

My main concern like you is will the Neutral one eventually go which will mean I won't be able to start it at all?!?!?

Just to keep you up to date. The car now intermittently switches between sometimes starting in neutral and sometimes starting in park... Sometimes it doesn't start in either which is really frustrating. Going to mechanics next week for a new switch :-(