heyben

Hi All! I've been lurking and reading for the past few weeks, great forum with lots of information. Also you guys have a terriffic vibe, always willing to help out (Unlike some other forums I frequent)! I just bought a 2000 Sport with a 5 speed tranny. Some mornings when I go to start it, it won't start no matter how had I press on the clutch. I use the clutch cancel button, and it will fire right up. I won't have the problem for the rest of the day. Really strange problem that I haven't had with any other vehicle. Any idea what could cause this? Is there some sort of sensor, or an issue with the clutch itself?

Thanks in advance!

Ben

eric-the-red

There's a switch on the clutch pedal that prevents the starter from engaging unless the pedal is pushed in. I would guess that the switch needs adjusting, or is going bad. Why it only does it when cold I don't know, dampness or contracting metal maybe.

On my 93 the clutch switch was threaded and had adjustment nuts on it, have a look at yours and see if it's the same. If it's between the pedal and firewall like the older ones then the switch needs to be moved closer to the pedal.

heyben

I'll check, thanks for the advice. However I don't think this is it because I can turn on the vehicle using the clutch cancel, then immediately turn it off, then start it the normal way (Depressing the clutch). The runner doesn't have time to warm up appreciably, thus negating any contraction of the metal. Any other ideas?

eric-the-red

If you want to eliminate the possibility of a bad clutch safety switch for sure just bypass it, connect both wires together. If the problem goes away then it's the switch.

andyf80

good suggestion there Eric

it does sound like the switch...I mean even with the fact that you can turn it off and then turn it right back on...it still might be the switch either way. electronics can do funky things when they're going bad.

I once had a fuel pump shut off switch on an old mercury that was going bad progressivly getting worse as time went on. For a quick fix when I was broken down on the side of the road I stripped the wires on both sides of the switch and away I went.

good luck and keep us posted as to what you find out.