[cobradawg]

Well after 14 years the clutch safety switch on my Mark II has started to fail. I have to push the clutch in two or three times before the car will start. Has anybody had to tackle this problem and what did you have to do change it out?

 

[Real time recon]

Well after 14 years the clutch safety switch on my Mark II has started to fail. I have to push the clutch in two or three times before the car will start. Has anybody had to tackle this problem and what did you have to do change it out?

Not so far.....My Mk 2 (built in 2004) still works flawlessly on the 1st push,the 1st time,every time .

 

[5.8Cobra]

The hardest part is getting to it! Its pretty far up on the outside of the pedal box where the clutch pedal mounts. There is a small hairpin clip you have to pull out and one nut and it should slide off. Here is a pic for reference of where it is. This is with the outside aluminum off. Hope this helps

Mike

 

[SC210Ford]

I had the same problem,
After a lot of time upside down in the foot box I gave up and made a bracket with a brake light switch.

The only issue is that the clutch only has to be pushed in a alittle to start the car.


I posted a thread on this topic, it might help if the link works

Clutch in Switch

Clutch in Switch

Has anyone changed the clutch in start switch on a completed car? My switch has stopped working and it looks impossible to change. It’s bypassed for now but I’d prefer to have it work. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

r.tapatalk.com

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[Ray]

I saw this as a "future" problem when we built our car and decided not to install it. Grew up driving manual's and pushing in the clutch and/or checking to see if it's in neutral are second nature to me. Was a whole lot more flexible back in 2001 then I am now and can not even see myself contorted/twisted on my back wedged under the dash trying to replace this switch. For the same reason, the brake light switch is plumbed into the brake lines and accessible under the hood.

Ray

 

[cobradawg]

I saw this as a "future" problem when we built our car and decided not to install it. Grew up driving manual's and pushing in the clutch and/or checking to see if it's in neutral are second nature to me. Was a whole lot more flexible back in 2001 then I am now and can not even see myself contorted/twisted on my back wedged under the dash trying to replace this switch. For the same reason, the brake light switch is plumbed into the brake lines and accessible under the hood.

Ray

yeah, I stared at it with worry before I put the body on, knowing it was going to be the devil to get to later. I did installa removable cover on top of the footbox am hoping that will help. Haven't tackled it yet due to cold weather, am gathering advive first.

 

[SC210Ford]

Not a fun spot to work!


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[rich grsc]

Easy peasy, if you have a 6' long arm and have 3 elbows

 

[Jim1855]

Life is easier if you don't install it in the first place. Can't fail that way, you might, but the switch won't.
Had to hot wire the switch in my Audi to get home from Texas, never failed again after that.
Jim

 

[s_martin]

I would second Jim on this one, my ffr doesn't have the switch installed. I only know this because I thought it went out, only to find out my clutch pedal had actually pinched and worked through my ignition wire... And by pushing in the clutch it was completing the circuit allowing the engine to start.

I didn't get a picture, but I spend a lot of time in the same position as SC210Ford.

Good luck!

 

[John Baker]

A clutch safety switch is a good idea

 

[SC210Ford]

I’m not in favour of removing anything with the word safety in its name.

I’ve been asked at the track to demonstrate that the car wont start with the clutch engaged.


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[Jeffrey C Bahret]

I eliminated it. Still have the transmission neutral safety switch.

 

[Boat737]

I ran both a clutch safety and a neutral safety switch in parallel. Either switch (or both) will allow for starter engagement, i.e. either the clutch pedal pushed down (all the way), and/or the trans in neutral. If the clutch is not pushed fully and the car not in neutral, the starter circuit is disabled, and a red dash warning light illuminates if start is attempted. In the event that both switches fail, I put in an override toggle switch under the dash that bypasses both switches, and the starter circuit can be activated irrespective of clutch or neutral positions.

 

[SC210Ford]

After having my clutch switch fail at the track and having to be push started in the staging lanes, I’m seriously considering adding an override switch.


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[Jim1855]

Boat737, I like your parallel & override solution. Provides the options. Jim

 

[EZ$]

I eliminated the neutral start switch when I rebuilt my trans, and am using a clutch safety switch. Reading this thread, and seeing the contortions it takes to get into the footbox to access the switch, (my body doesn't bend like that anymore), I've decided to use part of Boat's idea, and run pigtails off the safety switch to a spot I can access easily, and put them in the female side of a weatherpack connector. If the switch fails, I can just use a jumper to override the switch so I can start the car. Perfect timing on this thread. I was just about to install the body for the last time before paint, so I still have access to the switch.

 

[SC210Ford]

I did drive my car a whole summer with a paper clip in the pigtail of the clutch switch LOL


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[Joe Campbell]

I instead put those leads in the harness on a hidden button only I know about. Reminds me to make sure I have the clutch in and also doesn't let anyone start the car who doesn't know about it.

 

[glastron351]

I originally tied both my clutch switch and neutral safety switch in series thinking it couldn't hurt to be overly cautious. After jumping in and out of the car several times to depress the clutch during car set up it became very obvious what a pain in the a## this was. . Bypassed the clutch switch but kept the neutral safety switch. Makes it much easier to work on things that require frequent engine start/stop. .....just my 2 cents..
and yes...also a pain to get at the clutch safety switch.