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How do you disable the clutch starter cutout switch thing? [Merged 10-6]

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98TsiAWD

DSM Wiseman
2,861
8
May 19, 2002
94 3000GT VR-4, North Dakota
Just wanted to do some preventive crankwalk maintenance. How do I make it so I can start the car without the clutch pressed? I'll just have to always be sure to make sure I'm in neutral. I always park in Neutral anyway so that wont be a problem.:)
 
If it's just a switch then disconnect the 2 wires from it and connect them together with a crimp connector. I'm only guessing as I do not have a wiring diagram in front of me.

If it is one wire then you have to add a device that simulates the same signal from the switch probably just a simple ohm load.
 
on a 2g, all you have to do is disconnect the harness up twards the top of the clutch (under the dash)... and you will no longer need to push in the clutch to start the car.

You don't need to splice or crimp anything on the 2g's.
 
Originally posted by Black95GSX
on a 2g, all you have to do is disconnect the harness up twards the top of the clutch (under the dash)... and you will no longer need to push in the clutch to start the car.

You don't need to splice or crimp anything on the 2g's.

doesnt work, I unplugged it from the clutch switch (just like brakes have one too to turn on brake lights). Still have to push the clutch to start.

So how do I do this? There must be a switch inside the tranny or somthin? Also, wont this make my cruise not work, because when you touch the clutch, the cruise kicks off?
 
There should be two seperate switches. One for Neutral Safety switch, and the Cruise Control switch. I'm not for sure on that. I would think that if you unplugged it that it would be the same as not pushing in the clutch because it is still not recieving a signal from the switch. I guess it's back to the cut and splice theory....
 
Originally posted by 98TsiAWD


doesnt work, I unplugged it from the clutch switch (just like brakes have one too to turn on brake lights). Still have to push the clutch to start.

So how do I do this? There must be a switch inside the tranny or somthin? Also, wont this make my cruise not work, because when you touch the clutch, the cruise kicks off?
The switch with the button is not where its at. If you look at where the bracket for the clutch pedal bolts to the firewall you will a smaller white plastic with a green striped black wire and white dotted black wire, this is the the thing you disconnect.
 
I couldnt get it unplugged (can barely get fingers up there) so I just cut the wire and taped the end off.

Dont have to push the clutch to start anymore, and the cruise works just fine.:thumb:
 
Originally posted by 98TsiAWD
I couldnt get it unplugged (can barely get fingers up there) so I just cut the wire and taped the end off.

Dont have to push the clutch to start anymore, and the cruise works just fine.:thumb:

Ack! No! For anyone else reading this thread, follow the wires down a bit and there's another connector that takes 5 seconds to unplug. It's really easy once you know which one to pull, and it involves no cutting or splicing.

http://www.dsmtalk.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=63275&highlight=clutch+switch+disable
 
Originally posted by CornerHard


Ack! No! For anyone else reading this thread, follow the wires down a bit and there's another connector that takes 5 seconds to unplug. It's really easy once you know which one to pull, and it involves no cutting or splicing.

http://www.dsmtalk.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=63275&highlight=clutch+switch+disable

i know, it goes to a white plug, I couldnt get it to come apart, I spent about 30 minutes using all kinds of tools etc. to try to get it to come undone. I gave up and just cut the wire, then pulled the rubber sleeve over it.

what is wrong with doing it this way? As long as the wire is sealed from touching metal it will be fine.
 
Originally posted by 98TsiAWD


i know, it goes to a white plug, I couldnt get it to come apart, I spent about 30 minutes using all kinds of tools etc. to try to get it to come undone. I gave up and just cut the wire, then pulled the rubber sleeve over it.

what is wrong with doing it this way? As long as the wire is sealed from touching metal it will be fine.

The big reason I encourage people to just unplug the plug is it's reversable if you should ever need to hook it up (I think one of the aftermarket ECUs makes use of the switch), and it's just plain easier :D I, like you, saw the switch at the back of the pedal assembly and tried forever to unplug the white connector behind it in the impossibly tight space. I don't think anyone with medium-large hands can get this undone. Eventually, I followed the cable down to the next connector on the front of the pedal assembly and unplugged it there. It only took 5 seconds, and I felt really stupid for not doing it at the beginning.

To summarize for anyone reading this for the first time:

- Look for the small black button that your clutch pedal pushes when it's all the way down. It will be towards the firewall.

- Notice the white connector that the button attaches to, and notice how hard it is to reach.

- Follow the wires from this connector down to the front of the pedal, and notice the easy-to-reach connector there.

- Unplug the easy connector

That's it! No more pushing the clutch down to start the car, and worrying about extra thrust bearing wear.
 
Have any of you disconnected, or just connected the wires permanently so that you don't need to disengage the clutch during start-up? Being that our engines are more prone to a "walking crank" than many others, I would think that this would help a significant enough amount in preventing it, considering the lack of oil on cold start -up.
 
Its super easy to do...just reach up there and cut the green wire coming out of your clutch switch and you will never need to push in the clutch to start it again. remember to cut it long enough so that you can reconnect if later if need be.
 
Originally posted by Dannyboy1201
Its super easy to do...just reach up there and cut the green wire coming out of your clutch switch and you will never need to push in the clutch to start it again. remember to cut it long enough so that you can reconnect if later if need be.

don't cut the wire, just unplug the connector.....
 
yep my very first mod. just unclip it from the very top of the clutch pedal. There is one that is right there, that's not it, it's wayyyy up there and a real pain to get your hands on.
 
I was reading somewhere that you can disengage the clutch switch. What does that do, and how would you go about doing that? Sorry if this is a repost. I did a search and couldn't find anything. Thanks a lot.
 
you are talking about doing it so you can start your car without the clutch right?

you need to follow the clutch pedal up and you will see a white connector on it, i think its the 2nd connector on the way up, just unhook that
 
I've been going nuts with this for six months, because I'm stupid. And blind.
Lie on your back and get your head up there in the footwell (gee, why did I ever give up being a mechanic?). WAAAY the hell over there to the car's left, where the clutch pedal disappears, you'll see a switch on the "back" (toward back of car) of the lever. That one's the cruise control cutout- ignore it.
Way, way, way the eff up there, on the front side of the pedal, is the switch for the clutch interlock. When your clutch is all the way up, it closes that switch, and that runs the starter relay straight to ground so that it doesn't energize and let the solenoid kick the starter etc. So when you press in the clutch, that switch opens. Take my word, it's up there. No one's ever seen it in the car, other than firemen with Hurst Jaws of Life. Which is tempting enough....
However if you look up there in the corner -you do have one of those hats with the headlight, don't you?- you'll see a wire disappearing away from the huge wad of wires up there, heading toward the front of the car. It should be black with a blue stripe. Follow that wire back down to the white (they're all white, by the way) connector that's got an integral clip on it, holding it to the back of the steel box the pedal assembly pivots live in. That's the connector you want. Of course, there's a damned little lock on it, but it's not one of the superhuman ones they put in the car to make money for the doctors in the emergency ward who get paid when they sew the gash in the back of your hand back together.
Once you get that little connector undone -again, this only took me six months to find- you'll have a starter that acts on your command, and doesn't make you press against a semi-dry crank thrust bearing on startup. You'll only try to start a car in gear once to learn the lesson forever.
Now, the final step: connect those wires you just disabled to a cleverly hidden switch, and have one more defense against theft.
 
i want to disable the clutch safty switch in my 93 awd so i can start the car without pushing in the clutch, but i cant seem to find any type of instructions on how to do it, if anyone can tell me the procedure or preferably give me a link to somewhere that explains it in depth i would appriciate it
 
Not much depth to it, look up in the footwell, on the 1Gs the switch is nice and obvious (not like the idiot three months I spent trying to find it on the 2G, while looking PAST the connector right out in front, duuuuh) on the pedal arm. The connector's got one of those cursed locks on it, so you have to press the button to get it to let go (nose around in the engine compartment and find one you can look at, they're all the same principle). Then once it's off, get clever and wire a hidden pushbutton to it so you have a nice starter lockout for almost free.
 
thanks, i figure me and my mechanic friend can find it, if he can get far enough under my dash to adjust the clutch engagement this shouldnt be any problem, one of my friends 2gs had it done already when he bought it and its nice to not have to push the clutch in, thanks again
 
Originally posted by my95tsi
how do you diable the clutch switch on a 2g? IO unplugged it but it didn't work at all...
You probably unplugged the cruise control disconnect. The clutch switch can't be seen, it's way the eff up on the front side of the clutch arm, and it sure can't be reached. However, there's another connector on the back of the pedal assembly, and it leads to the clutch switch. Disconnect it there, and you'll be able to start your car like a grownup, without the damned government telling you how.

Then take the chassis side of that connector and run it to a hidden switch, and you'll have yet another step for a car thief to figure out before starting your car.
 
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