ok i just bought a B&M ratchet shifter from my buddy and i installed and hooked it up and it seemed liked the gears were all switching smoothly but when i got in the car to turn it on it wouldnt start. the started wouldnt even begin to crank over so im guessing something isnt hooked up right or at all. if anybody has any clue of wats going on please help me out this is my everyday car and it wont start so im stuck walkin to work.

 

did you hook up the neutral safety switch? if you did, you probably need to adjust it.

 

Sounds like the neutral switch to me too. While you are back in there checking it out is a perfect time to eliminate that "safety" feature.

 

87 are you talkin about the wires that i unplugged from the stock shifter. or the cable that goes somewhere on my fire wall up into my steering column

 

Our cars aren't meant to start in gear??

Guess mine is allready unplugged...because I can start my car in any gear I want...Not that its a plus or anything...

I just have that clutch safety switch.

 

Automatics are only supposed to start in park or neutral. Sticks will in any gear, as long as the clutch is pushed in. He said ratchet shifter so I assume automatic. If the neutral safety switch is the problem it can be adjusted so it is making contact in the correct spot, or like I suggested - bypassed - simply by connecting the 2 wires to each other.

 

yes, the ires you unplugged from the factory shifter. that thing on the side of the factory shifter is the neutral safety switch among a few other functions. without that wiring doing it's thing and sending signals were it needs to, the car will not start.

 

I had the exact same problem, and I just bypassed the switch. (Not too worried about starting it in gear) But I am having problems with the reverse lights not coming on. Anyone know anything about that?

 

The reverse light switch on the B&M shifter is next to the neutral safety switch. I highly reccomend you and others install both and hook them up according to the instructions. If the car starts in gear you may run over something or someone. As for the reverse lights, you have to adjust the switch per instructions.

 

Ok, so I finally figured out why the reverse and neutral switches didn't work. The Reverse switch (the top one) needed adjustment and the two wires from it needed to be plugged back in. The neutral safety switch just needed adjustment.

 

i had to take mine to an auto electric place for that problem and they hooked the yellow and purple wires together instead of through the relay like the instuctions say... i havent had another problem with it since