I think I found it! Neutral Safety Switch???

[Mjfan12]

For a while, I have been complaining about my problem. Sometimes the car won't start. I replaced the starter (needed it), replaced the main relay (seemed to be cracking, but who knows?).


Anyways usually the problem occurred after a drive so the engine was hot, I figured the heat had something to do with it and replaced the main relay, and thought my fans not working were the problem, maybe they contribute but I don't know.

So I drive to my jiu jitsu class tonight and park it, then I'm away for 2 hours. The car should be sufficiently cooled by now. I get in and nothing! No crank, or anything. It was 72 degrees out and was night, so not hot at all.

Only thing that happens as usual is all the dash lights come on and they flash when I turn the key but nothing else happens.

I was real frustrated and didn't know what to do. I removed the ecu fuse to reset it to see if that did anything, nothing.

I then had a moment of genius, I cranked the car without depressing the clutch and the same problem happened without the flash. I then remembered my auto shop lessons and the neutral safety switch.

I reached down near the clutch and wiggled the wires, and viola! The car started!

So now I'm 99% positive that this is the main cause if not the only culprit.

Are these easy to replace? how much do they cost? where can I find it for a manual car?






Cliffs

Car doesn't start
symptoms same as not depressing clutch
wiggled wires near the clutch
car started
thinking it's the neutral safety switch.

[bruno8747]

Its ontop of the clutch pedal assembly, its a 2 wire switch, Screws into a nut onto the pedal assembly. You can jump the 2 wires together with a paper clip to bypass the switch and see if thats the problem for sure.

[Mjfan12]

the problem only happens sometimes so I can't replicate the problem on purpose. It usually leaves me stranded in the most inopportune times.

The previous owner was a dumb kid who messed with the wiring down there, it sticks out and is a mess.

is there a way to diagnose it to be 100% sure if it works or not with a voltmeter?

The symptoms are 99.9% the same as not pressing in the clutch.

[bruno8747]

Change the swith and see first,

Could be the wiring is just loose, hence the intermittent problem.

Also, you could try and put a multimeter on the 2 terminals of the switch and push in the black tab, Check for continuinty on the multimeter and that way you can see if the switch is good or not.

[Mjfan12]

where can I buy a new one besides the dealer? searching onling give me automatic trans results, not manual.

[bruno8747]

http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/x,ca...4,partGroup,78

You have to get the 2 pin one, The 3 pin switch is used for the cruise control.

[Mjfan12]

I'll check this out, but I wiggled some wires so maybe the wireing is bad and not the switch itself. I'll have to see what I find I guess, this hooptie is making me real frustrated.