Disabling the clutch switch?
09-14-04, 07:16 AM
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Disabling the clutch switch?
My clutch switch is starting to get hokey. You have to push the clutch in a few tmioes before it'll start on a cold day, so I figure I'll just remove it. I've been driving 5-speed vehicles for 8 years now, and have never attemtped to start the vehicle with the clutch engaged or in gear, so I think I'm safe. 
I took a look and there's two switches, one lower down and in front of the pedal, and one that's higher up and behind, on the firewall side.
Which one am I targetting for removal, and can I just splice the wires together, or does it actually break a connection instead of creating one?
Thanks for any answers you can provide.
I took a look and there's two switches, one lower down and in front of the pedal, and one that's higher up and behind, on the firewall side.
Which one am I targetting for removal, and can I just splice the wires together, or does it actually break a connection instead of creating one?
Thanks for any answers you can provide.
09-14-04, 08:33 AM
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The starter interlock switch closes when you step on the pedal.
I also want to bypass it.
Pro:
In an emergency, you can use the starter to move the car a few feet.
You can start the motor without getting in. (handy for testing & adjusting)
Con:
Chance of trying to start in gear.
Clipped fromthe FSM:
I also want to bypass it.
Pro:
In an emergency, you can use the starter to move the car a few feet.
You can start the motor without getting in. (handy for testing & adjusting)
Con:
Chance of trying to start in gear.
Clipped fromthe FSM:
09-14-04, 09:22 AM
#3
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The forward one (as if you didn't glean that from SureShot's pics), and it makes the contact, completes the circuit, however you want to say it. If you want to be lazy for now, just cut the two wires at the switch, and splice them together...Leave enough wiring hanging out of the switch to splice everything back together in the future should you want, unless you want to physically remove the switch for weight savings 
09-14-04, 10:14 AM
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Originally Posted by WAYNE88N/A
The forward one (as if you didn't glean that from SureShot's pics), and it makes the contact, completes the circuit, however you want to say it. If you want to be lazy for now, just cut the two wires at the switch, and splice them together...Leave enough wiring hanging out of the switch to splice everything back together in the future should you want, unless you want to physically remove the switch for weight savings
09-14-04, 10:56 AM
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On a series four, the switch is the upper one.
Follow the wires from that switch to its connector. Its a three hole connector with but two wires.
Pull the connector apart.
Make a single jumper wire with a spade connector on each end.
Install that jumper in the mating plug for that switch. On a series four it has two wires. One is black/green, the other black/red.
Put a touch or RTV around the spades after the install or wrap with electrical tape so it does not fall out by vibration
This WILL effect the cruise operation to some degree. When you are in cruise and press the clutch pedal, the cruise will not disengage anymore. The engine will rev up if you do that.
I've been driving a cruise control car like that for over three years. I can remember only two times I absentmindedly stepped on the clutch pedal while in cruise.
In other words...the cruise will still function as normal. If you step on the brake pedal it will still disengage the cruise. It just won't do that when the clutch pedal is depressed.
Follow the wires from that switch to its connector. Its a three hole connector with but two wires.
Pull the connector apart.
Make a single jumper wire with a spade connector on each end.
Install that jumper in the mating plug for that switch. On a series four it has two wires. One is black/green, the other black/red.
Put a touch or RTV around the spades after the install or wrap with electrical tape so it does not fall out by vibration
This WILL effect the cruise operation to some degree. When you are in cruise and press the clutch pedal, the cruise will not disengage anymore. The engine will rev up if you do that.
I've been driving a cruise control car like that for over three years. I can remember only two times I absentmindedly stepped on the clutch pedal while in cruise.
In other words...the cruise will still function as normal. If you step on the brake pedal it will still disengage the cruise. It just won't do that when the clutch pedal is depressed.
09-14-04, 10:59 AM
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On a series four, the switch is the upper one.
Follow the wires from that switch to its connector. Its a three hole connector with but two wires.
Pull the connector apart.
Make a single jumper wire with a spade connector on each end.
Install that jumper in the mating plug for that switch. On a series four it has two wires. One is black/green, the other black/red.
Put a touch or RTV around the spades after the install or wrap with electrical tape so it does not fall out by vibration
It's the other switch that controls cruise when the cruise is engaged and you step on the pedal to disengage the cruise. I also drive around without that switch in the car. I just have to remember not to ever depress the clutch when the cruise is engaged. The cruise control can still be disengaged by stepping on the brake pedal. That switch is the one with a black/yellow wire and a yellow/blue wire.
Follow the wires from that switch to its connector. Its a three hole connector with but two wires.
Pull the connector apart.
Make a single jumper wire with a spade connector on each end.
Install that jumper in the mating plug for that switch. On a series four it has two wires. One is black/green, the other black/red.
Put a touch or RTV around the spades after the install or wrap with electrical tape so it does not fall out by vibration
It's the other switch that controls cruise when the cruise is engaged and you step on the pedal to disengage the cruise. I also drive around without that switch in the car. I just have to remember not to ever depress the clutch when the cruise is engaged. The cruise control can still be disengaged by stepping on the brake pedal. That switch is the one with a black/yellow wire and a yellow/blue wire.
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09-14-04, 11:54 AM
#9
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Lol, well two posts, implying slightly different things, for starters...
I've always thought it was the aft switch for the cruise control also, because it actuates as soon as the pedal is pushed, much like the brake switch...But sure as $hit, there's a cruise control wire that gangs up with the starter interlock circuit in the wiring schematics (for the upper switch)- or is that for some other "cruise control" purpose, like a "reset" signal on startup, maybe? It can't be for the disengage signal...
I've always thought it was the aft switch for the cruise control also, because it actuates as soon as the pedal is pushed, much like the brake switch...But sure as $hit, there's a cruise control wire that gangs up with the starter interlock circuit in the wiring schematics (for the upper switch)- or is that for some other "cruise control" purpose, like a "reset" signal on startup, maybe? It can't be for the disengage signal...
09-14-04, 12:10 PM
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Obviously replacing the switch is the best thing to do. But if you have to bypass it, don't cut the wires. Make a jumper and connect the pins in the plug.
Rob
Rob
09-14-04, 12:21 PM
#11
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Two posts of mine? Or two posts, one by me and one by another?
I stated that what I wrote was for a series four. If someone has a series five, I assume he will take that into consideration.
Sectin L of the fsm shows the relationship of the clutch switch and the stop light switch. It shows the clutch switch has a black/yellow wire and a yellow/blue wire and the connector is a two wire connector and you can see how when it is depressed it pass 12v to a OR gate to cancel the cruise function. Also you can see in the same schematic the path from the other clutch switch i.e. the wire in the schematic that comes from ...the Starter Cut Relay or black/green wire. That circuit goes to an inverter in the Cruise Control Unit. The inverters input/outputs are described in the fsm.
Hope you can fix your hesitation....someday. Happy motoring.
P.S. The car I'm looking at is the 87non-turbo converted to a turbo. Both clutch switches are *modified*. The lower one is somewhere over the back fence, the upper one is still installed but not connected to anything. Its mating plug has its two wires jumpered in the fashion described above in the other post. The lower switches mating plug is not jumpered in any way.
I stated that what I wrote was for a series four. If someone has a series five, I assume he will take that into consideration.
Sectin L of the fsm shows the relationship of the clutch switch and the stop light switch. It shows the clutch switch has a black/yellow wire and a yellow/blue wire and the connector is a two wire connector and you can see how when it is depressed it pass 12v to a OR gate to cancel the cruise function. Also you can see in the same schematic the path from the other clutch switch i.e. the wire in the schematic that comes from ...the Starter Cut Relay or black/green wire. That circuit goes to an inverter in the Cruise Control Unit. The inverters input/outputs are described in the fsm.
Hope you can fix your hesitation....someday. Happy motoring.
P.S. The car I'm looking at is the 87non-turbo converted to a turbo. Both clutch switches are *modified*. The lower one is somewhere over the back fence, the upper one is still installed but not connected to anything. Its mating plug has its two wires jumpered in the fashion described above in the other post. The lower switches mating plug is not jumpered in any way.
Last edited by HAILERS; 09-14-04 at 12:29 PM.
09-14-04, 12:34 PM
#12
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Bottom line: both switches have an influence on the Cruise Control Unit.
Also take note that not all early models have BOTH switches. Some have but one switch. Witness my 87 stock turboII. It just has the lower switch. One wire is black/white and the other yellow?? This is a normal situation from what I've read on other posts in the past. What? Me worry? no.
Also take note that not all early models have BOTH switches. Some have but one switch. Witness my 87 stock turboII. It just has the lower switch. One wire is black/white and the other yellow?? This is a normal situation from what I've read on other posts in the past. What? Me worry? no.
09-14-04, 12:39 PM
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Two posts of yours, man...Did you not realize you have back-to-back posts, 3 minutes apart, and that one implies that the upper (starter interlock) clutch switch disengages the cruise, and the next states that the lower one does...Either that or you're doing an outstanding job of messing with my head
You just explained yourself with the last post, though...
And the hesitation is fixed, as far as I'm concerned-I'm just waiting on parts. Evidently the OEM FPR is not a high-volume item as far as Mazda is concerned, it's gonna take close to 2 weeks to get here.
So, we're straight now- it's the lower (or aft) switch that disengages the cruise function, 1/2 of the OR circuit's inputs (the other being the brake switch), correct?
And Rob- I didn't realize that there was a connector within easy reach of that clutch switch. My bad. Of course it would make more sense to pull the connector instead of cutting wires
You just explained yourself with the last post, though...
And the hesitation is fixed, as far as I'm concerned-I'm just waiting on parts. Evidently the OEM FPR is not a high-volume item as far as Mazda is concerned, it's gonna take close to 2 weeks to get here.
So, we're straight now- it's the lower (or aft) switch that disengages the cruise function, 1/2 of the OR circuit's inputs (the other being the brake switch), correct?
And Rob- I didn't realize that there was a connector within easy reach of that clutch switch. My bad. Of course it would make more sense to pull the connector instead of cutting wires
09-14-04, 12:55 PM
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No, I know I screwed up a touch. The part about jumpering the upper switches mating connector was right as rain.
Where I went wrong....was thinking about the lower switch while writing the first part of the post. Then I started writing about the lower switch. I thought everyone could read my mind and now knew I was writing about the lower switch. humor.
Both switches have an effect on the Cruise Control to some degree. See my last post prior to this one. Like I said, my bottom sw fell apart years ago and I tossed it. If I step on the clutch pedal while cruising, the rpms will see how far the tach needle will travel before I release the pedal.
Looking at things, I think the upper switfh can only effect cruise control IF the ignition sw is held to START. I could be wrong....again. But it seems to be a minor player in the cruise function.
Upper......interlock
Lower.....cruise +
Where I went wrong....was thinking about the lower switch while writing the first part of the post. Then I started writing about the lower switch. I thought everyone could read my mind and now knew I was writing about the lower switch. humor.
Both switches have an effect on the Cruise Control to some degree. See my last post prior to this one. Like I said, my bottom sw fell apart years ago and I tossed it. If I step on the clutch pedal while cruising, the rpms will see how far the tach needle will travel before I release the pedal.
Looking at things, I think the upper switfh can only effect cruise control IF the ignition sw is held to START. I could be wrong....again. But it seems to be a minor player in the cruise function.
Upper......interlock
Lower.....cruise +
09-14-04, 03:41 PM
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Wow, I never knew that there was an interlock. I've accidentally started my car in gear before (fortunately nothing was in front of me) and it proceed to start without any problem. I learned then my lesson and now always start it with the clutch in *and* in neutral.
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