GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

A plunger type switch located underneath your clutch peddle is designed to prevent accidentally starting your Vibe/Matrix while in gear. This is useful for new drivers, or when someone else has driven your car and left it in gear once parked. Whether or not you park and leave it in gear is up to you but I’ve found the length or “throw” too long and difficult when you have winter car mats. Also, I can’t “bump” start in an emergency! (edit: Actually I've learned you can but I've never tried) I’ve setup a simple way to manually bypass the plunger switch but reinstate the functionality when required. I’ve outlined two ways of bypassing the clutch starter switch.THE FAST CHEAP EASY WAY (5 Minutes)The simple way to bypass the switch is to pull out the connector (no tools required) and jumper (close) the connection as shown in figure 1. In an emergency, this can be done any time using a paper clip. (I’ve only shown this example to demonstrate the easy way to bypass the switch)THE BETTER WAY (25 Minutes)I use a dash mounted switch to bypass the plunger on demand and then switch back to normal operations if I loan the car to someone else.1) You will need a toggle or rocker switch, two crimp connectors, two splice connectors and two strip of wire about 1 foot long (figure 2).2) Remove the switch plate by gently pulling the coin holder out and then pushing the others from behind (figure 3).3) Drill or use a Dremel to cut your hole or channel out of the switch cover. This takes the longest time.4) Assemble your switch to the plate and connect your two strips of wire (Figure 4).5) Feed the switch wires through the switch hole on the dash. Take care because there are multiple relays and other electrical components that can be shorted.6) Using the splice adaptor, connect one switch wire to one of the plunger’s wires and then the other switch wire to the other plunger wire. I think they are red and black (Figure: 5).That's it. Good luck!

there have been times when I wish there was no clutch to start switch, but there have also been times when I started the car in gear, and having the clutch in saved my bumper.Not sure what you mean by "bump start", rolling the car and dropping the clutch in a high gear to turn the engine over when the electrical system can't turn the starter motor? I think the clutch to start switch only works to disable the starter motor, but does not affect anything else, so you should be able to still do that even if the switch is not disabled. cool mod, I like switches.I suppose there's a similar mod that could be done to an automatic, to bypass the park/neutral start switch. I had a car once with an auto tranny, and that switch went bad, so I bypassed it. Saved my (removed) once when I went to pull out into traffic, and the engine stalled and wouldn't start, but by throwing it into gear, I was able to use the starter motor to creep the car out of a dangerous intersection

Yeah I think you're right. I could still roll it and drop the clutch (we call it bump starting because you "bump along" at first until it starts). I've never had to do it yet. I did this mod because I was tired of pushing the clutch through the floor pan to start. I'm still able to retain the use of the plunger. That way my bumber is protected "if" I loan to someone. The switch is from Princess auto for a $1.50. I'm going back to buy a couple more...

It's funny that you wrote this tutorial today, I was thinking of making a 'kill switch' that was attached to the clutch switch. I just have to find a good place to hide it.

Yes, the wire that is going through the clutch switch is the starter wire from the ignition. All it does is pass 12v to the starter relay, which then runs the starter.I have mine half-bypassed just for my remote start, but I won't completely bypass it.. I've been saved by that little switch one too many times.

I havent checked the schematics yet, but isnt there another switch(s) to tell the ECM what gear the car is in? You might be able to use that in addition to the clutch switch, IE car in gear, then do not over ride clutch switch. Ill go dig out the schematics...maybe the Vibe doesnt even have that though...

I know the automatic has a PNP (park neutral position) switch which keeps the engine from starting outside of park or neutral...wondering if a manual has the same thing?

when i installed my pedals and my rubber floor mats, i ended up getting some of those clear adhesive bumpers you put unter chair legs so they don't scratch the floor. gave me that extra 1/4" i needed to not have to stand on the clutch.what i'd like to do is what DJdoubleLP did with his trix and put an actual starter button on his!

Quote, originally posted by ragingfish »I know the automatic has a PNP (park neutral position) switch which keeps the engine from starting outside of park or neutral...wondering if a manual has the same thing?Uhno. That's why there's the clutch switch! It'd be way too much work to put a switch in for neutral safety, so they built it into the clutch instead. It basically -makes- you think about what you're doing so you don't start it in gear.If you want to do that Hope, it ain't hard!

Quote, originally posted by Jahntassa »If you want to do that Hope, it ain't hard!thanks! i'll have to think about it. figured some of these cool wiring mods aren't too expensive (to do unless i screw up) so might be fun to play around with the car this winter. especially since after the end of the month, i won't be posting here anymore.

Checked out the schematics, and as you all probably knew already there isnt any connection between the gear selection and the ecm, so no switches... I thought it might be an outside chance, since the last vehicle I saw that on was a big truck. Guess that should have been a clue eh? lolYou could use a proximity sensor aligned with the nuetral setting of the stick if you really wanted to. You can get small ones and simply glue (they usually last a long time unless abused) it to the underside of the trim around the stick or further down in a place the linkage is at when in nuetral.

i need to do this as my clutch swith has failed and is not available. However, I dont see the images. How do I view the images? so that my mechanic can do this!