Car won't start

[Jarrett]

I seem to have stumbled upon some slight misfortune tonight. I drove my car to my girlfriend's house and when I went to leave about an hour later the car wouldn't start. The lights come on and all electrical systems work. The battery is nearly new but I jumped it just for the heck of it and still nothing. So let's rule that out.

I also reached up and pulled down the main relay to check it. It's not hot out or anything so I didn't think weak solder points would be the case but crazier things have happened. I checked all points and they looked great. In fact the main relay wasn't totally secured so the previous owner may have replaced it before me.

Something of note:
The past couple of days it seems that I have had two or three instances in which I thought I was depressing the clutch pedal enough to activate the clutch safety switch but apparently not. I would just try again making sure to press it to the floor and it would work. Then I wouldn't think anything of it. When I checked tonight it seems that the clutch pedal bump stop has broken into a few pieces and fallen into the floorboard. Based on what I THINK I know about the clutch pedal safety switch is that it's always pressed. Only when you press the pedal do you remove the bump stop from it and allow the plunger to extend, thus enabling the car to start. If that plunger is removed, as in my case, it would seem to remove the clutch safety switch from consideration and the vehicle would be able to start without depressing the pedal. The hole where the bump stop was in the pedal the plunger just passes straight through now.

I have no check engine lights whatsoever and the car has been running magically. Just in case the starter solenoid was sticking I got out and tapped it with a pry bar and hammer a few times also. It seems too coincidental to not be something associated with the clutch pedal, so that's where I'm focusing. Only my logic doesn't agree with me. Can someone tell me where I'm wrong?

I have my factory service manual I'm going to go through right now and I can try jumping the connector tomorrow. More or less I just want to know if my thinking is off.

Thanks.

[C91BLX7]

So its not turning over?

What happens when you put it in start, radio turns off, hvac turns off, everything else is normal? No lights dimming?

I'd say get a multimeter and check voltage at the starter, make sure its not a terminal/ connection issue. Then have someone put it to start and check the voltage going to the starter solenoid. If there's nothing, Try jumping the clutch safety switch. If that's a no go I'd look into the ignition switch.

[Jarrett]

No, it doesn't turn over. It basically happens exactly as you describe.

Nothing in my manual so far has been helpful. It constantly seems to default to having me replace my ECU.

[dj_ender]

I always thought it stuck out as well, and depressing the clutch closes/breaks a circuit, and allows the car to start. So is it just the bump stop that's broken, or the whole switch? Can you get down there and depress the switch by hand and start the car?

[Jarrett]

I forgot to add that. Yes, I've been pressing the switch with my fingertip and it has no effect.

[dj_ender]

Sounds like a bad switch? Is it possible to "hot wire" the switch? Like remove it and twist the wires together, thus tricking the system?

[Jarrett]

I put a paperclip in the harness to jump it and nothing changed.

My Fluke multimeter is back home at my parent's house so I haven't gotten the opportunity to test the voltage yet. But, my brother will be bringing it to me tomorrow with my extra starter. In the meantime I may go remove the starter and have a parts store test it for me.

[93redcb7]

test is your getting fuel and spark

[Jarrett]

Buddy, it's not turning over. Fuel and spark aren't the issue. The only reason I checked the main relay is because it was dangling there by the clutch from having been replaced by the previous owner.

[Jarrett]

Well I've never been so disappointed to have a starter pass with flying colors on an electrical test. I have a remanufactured starter at my parent's that my brother could have brought me but it seems to be something else anyway. I'm going to test the alternator and closely inspect the cable from the battery to the starter.

Edit* I just had the alternator tested in the sake of being thorough. It had previously shocked me about six months ago when I was working hurriedly in the rain and ever since then I had a small ground issue for a few components. It passed with zero problems also.

[SilverShadow]

Would it hurt to just for elimination sake, try a known working main relay. Yea yea I know you looked, yet yours just may be bad with a hairline separation in a solder point or along the circuit board that you can't see
. It could also (as was in my case) been lucky and running on the wrong relay? My coupe was using a "gasp" civic relay! I had similar start problems like you mentioned (yet auto not manual) replaced relay....NEVER a problem.

[wildBill83]

Is the ignition in the column possibly dead?

Obviously these cars are easy to hotwire (being they are on the top of the stolen cars list). Have you tried a simple hotwire job? Maybe add a hidden push button start?

[Jarrett]

If it was the relay it would still be cranking. Also, relay issues rarely ever present themselves in the folder months because the cold weather contracts the solder and hold it against the loose points.

I just checked it because it was dangling, not because I thought it could be the problem.

Tomorrow I'm going to the junkyard to get a neutral safety switch and rubber plug for the clutch pedal just do I can for sure rule that out. I thought jumping it would do the trick but I want to be certain.

I'll also have the battery checked even though it's brand new as of 3 months ago. It's an O'Reilly Auto battery from their top line, too.

[SilverShadow]

Yea I guess it would crank..mine did. I do think your other issue is the switch. But I guess it's just me...I like to know a part is good. Then you can post here and tell me to shut the beep up. Funny how you would suspect a new battery but not a old dangling relay. It had to be removed and like that for some reason. Hope you fix it.

[wildBill83]

I still say hotwire it and if it cranks it's the key ignition in the column.