GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

HI so my car hasnt been wanting to start and its acting like im not pushing in the clutch. Got a new battery even though I figured it was the clutch switch on advice of dealership - ok problem still occurs. Took it to the mechanic down the road and he agreed symptoms are clutch netural safety switch. So he ordered the part and the part that arrived was different! In fact, the input for the wiring harness is completely different. He re-ordered, same deal, he told me to go talk to the dealership. So I go talk to the dealership and they are telling me that the clutch safety switch in my car is NOT the one on the schematics for the car and they have no idea why. However in searching, we did find someone else with the same problem. So the part i need has been discontinued. The replacement part has a different wiring harness. That wiring harness has been discontinued.
My mechanic is going to try a brake light switch because that is what the part in there now looks like. If that doesn't work... what next?! Bypassing the switch altogether?

mayflyaway wrote: ↑Mon Jun 10, 2019 11:28 am Bypassing the switch altogether?

Yes .... as long as you're the only or primary driver. Out of habit, you're going to press the clutch in every time you attempt to start the car so it should be no big deal. You're not the original owner I take it? Somebody must have changed it in the past prior to you owning the car.

Does the one they ordered in look like the below switch?

https://www.autozone.com/electrical-and ... 362178_0_0

While slightly different in design, both appear to have the same connector. This is for a brake light switch.

https://www.autozone.com/electrical-and ... 0_0_0_6891

That aside, if the brake light one doesn't work you could bypass it. Have you tried bypassing it to determine that is indeed your issue?

the switch just needs to connect the two wires when the clutch is pressed all the way. Any such switch would work if mounted correctly

my first vibe was a 5-speed, and I had trouble with that switch, sometimes I needed to really stand on the clutch pedal to get it to start. I taped a quarter to the right spot on the back of the clutch pedal arm, and that was the right thickness on mine to make it work reliably without stomping on it

tpollauf wrote: ↑Mon Jun 10, 2019 12:49 pm

mayflyaway wrote: ↑Mon Jun 10, 2019 11:28 am Bypassing the switch altogether?

Yes .... as long as you're the only or primary driver. Out of habit, you're going to press the clutch in every time you attempt to start the car so it should be no big deal. You're not the original owner I take it? Somebody must have changed it in the past prior to you owning the car.

In doing a bunch of research, the dealership and I both believe that some models were made with these parts. Who knows why? Someone else in this forum had the same issue a few years back. I bought my car at 60,000 miles and have never had any clutch work done. So am pretty sure this happened at the factory.

zbyers wrote: ↑Tue Jun 11, 2019 3:14 am Does the one they ordered in look like the below switch?

https://www.autozone.com/electrical-and ... 362178_0_0

While slightly different in design, both appear to have the same connector. This is for a brake light switch.

https://www.autozone.com/electrical-and ... 0_0_0_6891

That aside, if the brake light one doesn't work you could bypass it. Have you tried bypassing it to determine that is indeed your issue?

The second one is the one that is in my car, however, the connector is different.
That particular wiring harness has been discontinued and is not available from GM or seemingly anywhere else. Otherwise we would just buy that wiring harness and install it. The wiring harness currently installed in my vehicle for that part is a different shape.

My mechanic just cleaned the switch and reassembled and tested it and it is testing ok. So about to find out if that is not the actual problem. Fingers crossed it is that.

mayflyaway wrote: ↑Tue Jun 11, 2019 7:49 am

zbyers wrote: ↑Tue Jun 11, 2019 3:14 am Does the one they ordered in look like the below switch?

https://www.autozone.com/electrical-and ... 362178_0_0

While slightly different in design, both appear to have the same connector. This is for a brake light switch.

https://www.autozone.com/electrical-and ... 0_0_0_6891

That aside, if the brake light one doesn't work you could bypass it. Have you tried bypassing it to determine that is indeed your issue?

The second one is the one that is in my car, however, the connector is different.
That particular connector has been discontinued and is not available from GM or seemingly anywhere else.

My mechanic just cleaned the switch and reassembled and tested it and it is testing ok. So about to find out if that is not the actual problem. Fingers crossed it is that.

By the way! How do you bypass it? I tried to find instructions on this forum and people seem to have posted about it in the past but the files that show how to do it are all gone (PDF or JPG) as they were posted years ago.

I believe people were just using a paper clip or piece of wire into the pins of the harness coming off of the car to jump it temporarily.

How does a switch from a Matrix match up with the Vibe? Here is link to Matrix switch: https://www.rockauto.com/en/catalog/toy ... itch,16665

and

https://www.rockauto.com/en/moreinfo.ph ... cc=1432847

If it does not match up completely, it may still be usable. I find more and more parts that are not listed for the Vibe anymore but are still listed for the Matrix.

Looks to be the same as the ones I referenced from AutoZone.

The next thing then is if the switch will work but the connector for the wiring is different then why not update your connector to fit the new switch. You can get the connector from a salvage or junk yard car. Maybe just go to the salvage yard first and get the switch and wiring plug then change it out in your car.