GenVibe - Community for Pontiac Vibe Enthusiasts

Anyone think its annoying that the clutch has to be on the floor to start the GT. My poor girlfriend has to basically hug the steering wheel to start the damn thing (short legs). Anyone know of a way to disable this? Thanks

try this link. http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id=5459&page=2 i'm short too and have a prob starting the car. i ended up getting one of those furniture stops that are self adhesive. placed on the back of the clutch inside the car that presses on the little button. made a big difference!

Ummmm....wouldnt it be easier to move the seat forward and down?

trdvibe is talking about the tab on the clutch pedal arm that engages the safety switch. The way it's set up, you have to practically drive the pedal through the floor before the engine will crank. When I put in winter floor mats, my base 5 speed Vibe wouldn't start at all! The added thickness was enough to keep the switch from closing. Like trdvibe, I glued a spacer to the engagement tab so I didn't have to pound the pedal into the floor for it to start.

This is a great idea! I'm 5'11", keep the seat all the way back.. I've noticed this several times, you really have to mash the clutch to the floor.I'll be adding a bumper on mine this weekend. Thanks!

Not to preach, T-Wolf, but most high performance driving schools (previous thread somewhere) teach that you have much better control of both braking and steering if you sit close enough that you can rest your wrists on the top of the wheel in your normal seating position. This leaves your elbows bent almost 90 degrees when your hands are at "ten and two" (or nine and three, since there is some disagreement)If you sit upright as also recommended, this also should leave your knee slightly bent when the clutch pedal is on the floor, giving you the best control over brake pedal force.For a lot of people it feels cramped and awkward at first, but after a couple of days you feel out of control any further away! (an exception is those of short stature, who should ensure their chest is not less than 12" from the airbag)

quote:Anyone think its annoying that the clutch has to be on the floor to start the GT. My poor girlfriend has to basically hug the steering wheel to start the damn thing (short legs). Anyone know of a way to disable this? ThanksDisabling the clutch to start switch is a bad idea. All it takes is one time to forget to shift into neutral or push in the clutch and you've got a fender bender, or worse. It's a good safety feature. quote:This is a great idea! I'm 5'11", keep the seat all the way back.. I've noticed this several times, you really have to mash the clutch to the floor.I'll be adding a bumper on mine this weekend. Thanks!There are some other threads about this:http://forums.genvibe.com/zerothread?id ... 533Putting a small spacer, or bumper behind the clutch pedal where it contacts the clutch to start switch really works well. I did this and it made me realize how aggravating it used to be. Works on the base w/ 5 speed also. (obviously, same clutch pedal) Like you, I found out about this easy fix that makes life better here at genvibe.Credit goes to Sub-Vibe-R, who invented the fix. Thanks again Ben!

I just have to make sure the pedal is touching the floor. I dont have to slam or force it into the floor. Press the pedal and crank it. The cavalier I had was the same way. If you have to press hard to get the pedal down enough to start, there's something wrong.

I don't have any problems starting the Vibe....of course I'm 6'2"...

After a year of driving the Vibe GT, I no longer have any problems starting the car. In time, it won't be a problem for her either.I believe you end up developing your LEFT calf muscles to give you that extra power to push the clutch down. Correction by Ragingfish noted above.

quote:I believe you end up developing your right calf muscles to give you that extra power to push the clutch down. Do you drive in Britain? Or just backwards?I think most people here use their left foot on the clutch...

quote:Do you drive in Britain? Or just backwards?I think most people here use their left foot on the clutch...Humor noted, but in the spirit of accuracy, it should be mentioned that the pedal layout in right-hand drive cars is NOT reversed. They still have the accelerator on the right. - Earl