Hello,

Keith in Detroit, here. Just before the truck was ready to pick up the 1978 Volvo 343 in California, the seller called and said that the car needs a neutral safety switch. As this switch is inoperative to car must be shut off & restarted when shifting back and forth between drive and reverse. Evidently, the car is drivable and roadworthy.

Due to this last minute glitch, they're giving me some cash back.

Does this sound probable? Based on my lousy 3rd hand description, does this sound logical? Is this an available part?

Difficulty to install?

Thanks to all...I'm a newbie!


Thanks

Motown CVT

Hi Keith,

The engine should only be able to be turned over to start in "P" or "N" (preferably "N" as anything above normal idle will start to engage the clutch in P and make it toast).

If the choke is out and engine revs are higher than normal it will cause the clutch to engage. Then it will be extremely difficult and unwise to try and shift it from "R" to "D" or "D" to "R". Having said that, when the button on top of the level is depressed it should really activate the servo clutch wotsit and disengage the clutch. This might be an issue. I'll need to have a look in a manual somewhere to see how it works as the earlier DAFs which I'm familiar with don't have all these extra safety/refinement gadgets.

So it could be:
a) operator error
b) electric problem wiring / switch.
c) vacuum clutch servo related.

HTH,
Rich

yeah it's probably the clutch servo!

since it's the first version with the button on top of the lever (MY78) my guts tells me that a wire is broken at the microswitch on top of the gear lever

when the engine is warm or you're of choke you should be able to change gears with no problem.

the clutch servo is located directly under de brakemastercylinder (for LHD models), if you measure volts on the 2 wires connected to it you should get 12v with the lever in D and the button pressed; if not it's definatly a broken wire near the gear lever, they fixed this factory fault with a new type of lever when the 340 was introduced