Neutral safety Switch

[etcetera]

Is the E34 supposed to have a safety interlock to prevent starting in gear? Mine does not. Not a big deal, but if it's broken I'd like to fix it.

[acidfire52]

I know they usually are on the clutch. It has to be pushed down for the car to start. Have not tried it on mine without pushing it.

[BillionPa]

they are also not supposed to able to be put in reverse and removed from the garage with the car off and the keys out..... but i can do it anyway

[RallyD]

billionPa, you are referring to shift interlock. Solenoid triggered by ignition and brake switch. My 94 530ia has it and unlike most other cars it engages in neutral as well as park. If I take my foot off the brake in N i cant move the lever until the brake is depressed again.

My 91 525im has no neutral/clutch safety. I'm not sure what year it was required by law. I always just push the clutch to the floor by habit because that's how it is in my other cars.

[rob101]

neither of mine have one. big deal, at least if your clutch hydraulics fails you can drive home. rev match and start from a standing start using the starter motor :-) is apparently the way to do it

[BillionPa]

i am actually not referring to the shift interlock. when you turn the key a second non electric lock is disengaged that allows the shift lever to move. when the key is in the lock position its supposed to lock the shift lever in park, at least on my car, which is an auto.

the lock happens to be worn to hell though and is ineffective.

i am also thinking of grinding down the half of the shifter that meets with the shift interlock to prevent shifting to drive from neutral, as that seems unnessecary. leaving the part that prevents shifting to reverse however seems like a very good plan.

[RickyBimmer]

Is the E34 supposed to have a safety interlock to prevent starting in gear? Mine does not. Not a big deal, but if it's broken I'd like to fix it.

My 95 540i 6 speed has no such switch....I have often wondered if there is a safety switch or not also but then again I never have investigated either. Great question. :)

[etcetera]

Thanks for the input guys. I guess I'm still not sure if it's supposed to be there or not. Every other manual transmission vehicle I owned was much older and didn't include a safety switch, so I'm not worried.

[fujioko]

If the car runs out of gas while your crossing a railroad track and a huge freight train is heading toward you at 100mph….. Simply put the BMW in 1st gear and crank the starter.

Latter when the road service technician arrives with a few gallons of fuel, they can safely refuel the auto from the right side … out of harms way from on coming traffic.

Them Germans think of everything

[RallyD]

BillionPA, you are correct, there is a cable mechanism also.
From looking at the diagram (http://www.realoem.com/bmw/showparts.do?model=HE23&mospid=47406&btnr=25_0059&hg=25&fg=15) my 530ia has both, cable and solenoid. I also read in the owner's manual that there is a delay on the solenoid in case one needs to rock the car to free it from a stuck position in foul weather.


when you turn the key a second non electric lock is disengaged that allows the shift lever to move.