Problem with button under clutch--car won't start

Saltynuts · Oct 6th, 2007, 04:32 PM

Anyone have this problem before or can otherwise lend me a hand?

I have a 1995 Nissan Sentra stick shift. There is a button under the cluth pedal and the car won't start unless that button is pressed in.

There is a little plastic piece on the clutch pedal which pushes this button when you push in the clutch. Awhile back this piece broke. I used some cardboard and tape in its place and the problem was solved for a time.

However, over time I think that button has been failing, probably because my fix wasn't perfect and that button has repeatedly been pushed at non-regular angles. Sometimes the car won't start, even when I reach down and push in the button myself. Often if I wait a couple of minutes when it has a problem it will finally start up. The other morning however I waited for 20 minutes before finally giving up and finally renting a car.

Question--is that piece that holds the button easily replaceable? Or is there a way to bypass it entirely? The car runs great but for this one problem.

Thanks for any help.

wellitsovernow · Oct 6th, 2007, 07:18 PM

you can get a replacement at a juckyard for cheap or you can bypass it (people do it all the time to install remote starts) but you have to be extra carful not to start it when your in gear.

Saltynuts · Oct 6th, 2007, 10:37 PM

Thanks well.

Can you provide me any info or point me to some info on how to bypass it? Thanks again.

azkicker0027 · Oct 7th, 2007, 09:09 AM

when i installed my pedals and it wouldn't let me push the pedal down all the way, i used a jumper wire to bridge the gap on the connector on the harness side. do realize that this is the clutch safety switch, so don't leave your car in gear, or it'll surge forward.

azkicker0027 · Oct 7th, 2007, 09:13 AM

one more thing, the button pad can be picked up at the local dealer. i even have some spares of the updated "stronger" button pads in my ashtray. they don't cost that much anyway, for safety's sake.