Toyota Repair: 93 Landcruiser neutral switch repairable?, shift linkage, shift mechanism

Question
Ted, first let me say thanks for volunteering and for the many well considered responses to others in the past.

I have a 93 Landcruiser and the shift mechanism has seemed a bit loose for years. In fact the Drive light has not come on in years though it used to come on for 6-month periods at a time. Now I can't always get the engine to crank over until I wiggle the shift lever or put it in neutral or into neutral and then back into park. All the lights on the dash always come on immediately, but it won't crank over until I get the shift lever in just the right position.

I have been told by my dealer (sight un-seen) that this is the "Neutral Switch" and they want $250 for the switch and another $200 to put it in. More than I can afford at the moment.

1) Is it possible that the switch is simply loose and could be tightened in position and work fine again?
2) If the switch is failing is there any way to repair the switch?
3) is the failing Drive light related or unrelated to the starting problem?
4) Can I bypass the switch and just be careful in the future to always be in Park when cranking the motor?
5) Is there any other alternative to replacing the switch?
6) If I have the switch replaced would a used switch be a prudent or foolish investment?

Thanks again,

Selby in Houston

Answer
The answer to the first question is a definate yes, there are(I think) two 10 mm bolts that connect the switch to the transmission and if the bolts come loose it can cause this problem, also check the shift linkage, it uses bushings which can wear, this can be checked underneath. The indicator light itself can't cause the problem. Bypassing it is a bad idea, not recommended. If necessary a used switch will be a viable alternative, it will save you more than half of the cost of a new one. The switch can be removed and taken apart and the contacts cleaned if you would like to try that. Finally I'm a little concerned about the dealer making a determination without even looking at the vehicle and making a diagnosis that the switch is bad. The reason I say this is that I don't remember to ever have this switch malfunction on a landcruiser of this year model. In your first sentence you said that the shifter feels loose, I think that this has to be addressed first, as I said earlier it may just be that the shift linkage bushings are worn which will not let the shifter go into the correct position to let the neutral start switch work correctly to let the engine start, this is what it sounds like to me.