Car Not Starting Issue
 

This morning, I went out to start my car to goto work and. . . nothing happened.

No clicking sound or attempts by the starter to do its job. No buzzing sound from the fuel pump. The only sound that could be detected was from the throttle body (once I got a couple friends from work to stop by and attempt to jump start the car).

Talking to a couple guys at work as well as doing a thorough search here all indicated that I was either looking at a bad battery (el cheapo fix) or a bad starter (or starter solenoid - potentially el expensivo fix).

However. . .

Everything else electrical runs fine - lights, radio, etc. I was able to do a rolling start (with the help of a neighbor) and got the car to Autozone (where I parked on an incline). The autozone tech came out w/ their battery tester - and declared that my battery was good. He posited that it could either be a nuetral switch problem or an ignition problem. He says he doesn't think it is a starter issue. (I'd told him at prior to this that I'd done a rolling start to get the car to Autozone).

I then informed him that the nuetral switch had been bypassed (ie I can start the car w/o having to depress the clutch). At that point he became really convinced that it was probably the issue. Informing him that the car has been that way for the past 3 years and has run fine until this morning did nothing to dampen his enthusiasm for that particular explanation.

This evening, I got a few looks under the dash - everything seemed ok but now that I think about it, I must have missed a few things. I saw a connector plugged into the clutch sensor housing that looked stock, but on second thought, that probably is what allows my cruise control to work properly w/ the clutch and I'd need to do some further looking to find the neutral switch.

So, it's probably about time that I acquire a bentley manual, but while I'm doing this, can someone describe what I need to look for to ID the switch and how is it typically bypassed. IE, if a jumper between two pins is the typical method and I notice that something fitting that description has come loose - that just might nip this in the bud.

Another related question - what's the easiest way for a single person (me) to rolling start his car on a almost flat parking lot. After I got back home today, I tried parking the car on the steepest incline available but could not successfully jump start the car. I know it is possible, because I did it earlier today - I think I'm being too hasty on the clutch. This is of especial importance because the parking lot at work has even less of an incline than the one at home and I can't think of any suitable places close to work that I could park and avoid being ticketed/towed at the same time.

Ok - I found a spot where I can rolling start the car in reverse. So, the [home->work] problem has been solved. Tomorrow, I guess I'll figure out if I can solve the [work->home] one as well. Though, tomorrow, my car will be at work, and I'll be able to have more experienced ppl take a look and with any luck, it's a simple enough problem that we'll be able to solve it there.

did you check your fuses?? might be a simple thing like that check the fuses maybe one of them burned

Yep - that's another thing I need to spend time checking. The cheapo voltmeter i got from walmart on sunday went up in smoke when I connected it to the car's battery this morning, so I haven't had anything here (at home) were I could continuity test the fuses.

ahh ic...my best guess is that its a fuse. When my air bag went off because of the fuse the car wouldnt start because the fuse blew causing the airbag to go off. My guess is that its a fuse check them carfully ull find the problem

The only fuse that I could find related to this issue was #18 - fuel pump and the fuse checked out fine. I'm going to have to dissassemble more panels under the dash so I can get a better look at the wiring to find what's going on with the clutch safety switch.

thats a good idea. If its not the fuses it might be related to wiring or a saftey feature. Get the ECU checked, get it flashed or restarted. That might do it

PROBLEM RESOLVED
 

So - it turned out to be the clutch safety switch. Apparently, the prev owner had a clutch stop installed at some point and had bypassed the switch by duct taping it closed and moving it behind some of the wire harnesses (which is why I didn't see this the first time I got to look under the dash). After I found the switch, it was clear that it had moved to the open position. Holding it closed and turning the key started the car. Either tonight or tomorrow afternoon, I'll return it to its stock position. For now, I've just taped it back closed.

wow lol nice job! dont u hate it when its something so small that you just oversee? Congrats on the fix though, great feeling have a car back to life, i know from experience loll