Hi, car is 170k on it. Everything has been fine, but now the car won't start. Turn the key and nothing.

Battery is fine
Starter is fine, put a 12v wire direct to the relay and it cranked over normal
Car runs if push started
Fuses are fine

Any ideas? It seems there is just no signal going to the started when the key is turned.

 

Do you have an alarm system installed on this car?

Next in the list would be the "inhibitor" switch on the clutch pedal - there are two on the clutch pedal. After that would be the elect part of the ign switch.....

 

I do have an alarm system but it does not wire into disabling the ignition. It is strictly a shock sensor buzzer alert.

Well, whats funny is that the inhibitor switch thing broke off so the switch is stuck in the OUT position. But wouldnt this just allow it to start at any time? I tried a bunch of diff things like pressing the switch in with my finger while turning the key on, then letting it out as if im pressing in the clutch pedal and then trying to crank it and nothing has worked. I even tried taking the connector off this switch and trying to turn the key with it open and with it shorted to no avail.

I did not notice any other switches but one.

 

If the car has crusie control then there are TWO switches on the clutch pedal.....One is low- this one is closed when the pedal is "at rest" - not pushing the clutch in. That switch is for the crusie control.....let me guess that your cruise control isn't working - if it is then someone has wired something in and your cruise doesn't shut off if you press the clutch pedal.

There is another switch and "plug" farther up the pedal that is the inhibitor for the starter. This one is "closed" when the pedal is pushed to the floor allowing the starter to work.

 

Holy sh&* you're so right, the cruise control stopped working like a year ago and I had checked fuses, etc. I will look into that other switch, that must be it, hopefully...thanks so much. I will report back when I check it out...

 

Would advanced auto have the little grommets I need that must have popped out?

 

Doubtful, some have glued a penny in place as a temporary fix. The replacement is a plastic button that snaps into the hole easily once the brake pedal is depressed slightly. I had to start the car to depress the pedal enough to access the hole.

good luck

 

This?

Auto Parts Warehouse - Auto Parts and Accessories Catalog

 

Yes, that is the part.

good luck

 

UPDATE - thanks that was the issue...wow that thing is hard to get to.

For anyone else with this problem, it really appears one woudl have to take the pedal off to replace this part, but here is what I did which took 5 minutes.

At first, I just shorted the connector. But then I realized I had time to to it right so...I ended up super gluing the part to the tip of a long flat head screw driver. Then I depressed the pedal slightly, maybe half way, and fed the screw driver up in there (it is such a tight delicate job). Then the button is in the way so its a little bit of a wrestling match, or so it looks, but I managed to finesse it in there and got it, took 5 minutes. I hadn't applied but a drop of glue so it snapped off the end of the screwdriver pretty easy.