stabac

Am I even looking in the right place?

belairbrian

It would help to know year and which transmission you have.

On the Auto trans the switch is in the center console. That picture looks like it could be the steering column.

stabac

My signature pic shows "1985", trans is Nash 4+3 manual.. The picture is taken from driver side looking towards center of car

stabac

I didn't think my picture was the right wires. So when I find them splice the green and the purple together?
EDIT: Or cut the two black ones and join them thereby leaving main harness intact in case I ever do want to replace the switch.

WVZR-1

Locate the clutch switch top of clutch pedal, unplug switch and use a 'jumper'. Yes you could cut and connect the wires on the switch side but then again 'maybe' it only requires an adjustment.

Wires @ harness side I thought DK GRN/WHT and YEL. You've got the FSM check and confirm

Why are you wanting to 'jump/bypass'?

hcbph

Had to bypass the switch on my 86 a few years ago so pulling this off memory. Up by the pivot on the clutch there's a switch, that's the one you're interested in - not the lower one which disengages the cruise control.
Pull the connector off the upper switch which is a 2 wire connector. IIRC they are female spade connectors. Make a simple jumper and jumper the 2 wires that connector contains.
Done. If you jumper it, you can return it to original condition if the switch is ever replaced or fixed, no changes to the wiring.

You can now start the car without depressing the clutch. If you do it, insure that anyone driving or moving the car understands this modification was made to it.

Update - WVZR responded while I was writing, like the picture.

WhiteC1

IMHO fix the switch - don't bypass it! Sooner of later, you, or someone else, will reach in the window and start it up (for whatever reason) and watch it drive itself into a wall, another car, or worse yet, an innocent bystander. At a cruise in a few years ago, a guy with an old hot rod had this happen when he reached in to start it. It backed up a hill dragging him along and t-boned a tree after narrowly missing a family sitting on a blanket. Broke his ankle or leg in the process. I'm pretty sure he NEVER thought it could happen to him... Neutral Safety Switch = Good Thing.

Regards,
John

84 4+3

When you find it, it should have relatively heavy gauge wire going to it. Make sure you jump it with similar gauge.

I understand it's a safety thing but like all the manual cars I've driven are from the 50s so I'm used to it. Every time I start it I also always go to neutral just out of habit. When i got into a new manual car it took me a while to figure out why it wouldn't start as the p/o is the one who bypassed the switch... then it clicked lol. I recommend fixing it. I just don't fit under there anymore to do it.

Joe C

- it's an accident waiting for a place to happen! one side note, if there is an accident, now factor in the insurance companies. if an auditor or adjuster picks up on a jumped safety switch, or better yet, the victims lawyer, now you have way more issues than I would want to deal with. God forbid it would involve a child or baby. someone could be criminally liable. figure worst case scenario, play devil's advocate, and don't be a bubba - FIX IT!!!

Paul Workman

FWIW...

AT ISSUE is the relatively high starter (solenoid) current and the damage arching does to the (internal) switch contacts.

Same switch issue with the 90-92 ZR-1s too. But, in 93 the switch was routed to a starter (solenoid) relay instead of directly to the starter solenoid. This resulted in reducing the current through the clutch safety switch - the contacts, and greatly improved the reliability/longevity of that safety switch.

Assuming the wiring for the ZR-1 and std cars is essentially the same (far as the starter circuit is concerned), Cliff's SOLUTIONS section has an article describing the installation of a (bypass) relay near the battery that essentially upgrades the starter circuit to that of the 93+ cars.

If you have the least bit of agility to do some simple electrical work, this little upgrade might keep you from being stranded at some point, and also extend the life of that (nasty to get to) safety switch!

WVZR-1

I 'GET' the safety!

I asked the OP why in my post! #6

We don't know that it's for diagnostics or whatever!

Knowing how difficult the switches are to procure a 'push-button' is a very reasonable approach if a person wants to retain the safety features. Should be a very simple 'solution' for the safety.

Mine isn't by-passed but I did do it for some 'intermittent crank' diagnostics many years ago.

stabac

OK, here's the whole story: First ,all of your comments are being considered, I am thinking about replacing it.
1) I also have 1963 Corvair Spyder that I drive daily so I am in the habit of "clutching" first. Heck it didn't even have seat belts much less safety switches when I first bought it.

2) I have bad carpal tunnel and my fingers ache and aren't as nimble as they used to be.

3) I'm 72 years old and can't twist, turn and bend the way I used to.

4) I am also on a fixed income and have to watch my pennies
where I can.
However, as I said, I am definitely reading and considering ALL replies.
Thank You All Very Much
Frank
EDIT: I only have 1/2 the hush panel released, today I will remove it completely and see if I fit under there and can reach the switch.

WVZR-1

The 'only' safety device my Corvair had when I bought it was a note taped to the dash

CHECK OIL WHEN GETTING GAS

Push rod tube seals and I removed the note - that note on a dealers lot saved me much money both on the price of the car and I never ran it out of oil. Never did figure out why the dealer left the note on the dash. Guess he had a 'conscious' LOL

All of the projects ever involved in with a manual trans I only remember one fellow asking about 'adding' a clutch safety switch. He was sure he didn't need it but was thinking about 'the kids'. We gave him a 'push-button/momentary'. I don't know of a C4 owner that once by-passed has ever added a 'momentary' or actually regretted the by-pass.

1984Z51auto

[QUOTE=WVZR-1;1597218499]The 'only' safety device my Corvair had when I bought it was a note taped to the dash

CHECK OIL WHEN GETTING GAS

If the rear grill was black, wet and dripping that constituted an "OIL CHECK" right??

stabac

This is a CorVETTE, not a CorVAIR forum so I'll only make one last Corvair comment........having had my Spyder for 10 years I can vouch for the adage every Corvair owner knows, " every time you park a Corvair the first thing it does is mark it's territory". Your friends tremble when you visit them and park in their driveway.

hcbph

I like the notion of replacing the switch if defective. When I had my master and slave replaced and the switch got screwed up, I could not find a replacement. Didn't find any new ones and the only used one I found was bad. In my case I had the choice of parking the car or jumpering that switch - you know how I went.

Everyone saying to replace the switch, do you know where a new replacement can be found? I would put one back in if I could find one.

stabac

OMG! That's exactly what happened to me. I never mentioned it in any of my posts but I just had the Master and Slave replaced about 3 weeks ago and after that each time I started it I had to push harder on the clutch until a few days ago I couldn't push any harder and it won't start. I'm scheduled next week to have the switch replaced, and the service manager said no problem if he has to he can go to GM and get one. I have searched the web for 2 days and can not find a 1985 switch...NO WHERE. Did you ever determine what caused yours to fail?

Joe C

- the 85 corvette version does indeed seem to be MIA. does anyone know the difference between the 84-85 (86?) safety switch, and later versions. seems to me, the basic switch would be the same, and only the two (2) wire electrical connector would differ. if that is the case, a simple cut and splice, or even a repining of connectors, might solve the problem. not sure if it's apples to apples though. the 86+ version is available in aftermarket. might have to go beyond "plug and play" here. WVZR-1 might be able to shed some light. input?



JB CORVETTE PARTS list the 86+ safety switch as being available.

BTW, keeping with good company, my first car out of HS - 1962 corvette coupe. kind of looked like this --



some might say, they don't build them like that anymore, and I say, thank gawd for that....

hcbph

Honestly - no. I had the car less than a week when the master or slave went out on it. Not having a FSM or anything else at the time I took it to my normal mechanic as he felt he could change them out for me. Once he was done he called me up and said the car would no longer start. First they'd left the hood up over the weekend and the battery went dead. Once it was charged back up, still no starter. At the time he couldn't find the cause and pushed it into a corner of his shop storage area and said I could look/work at it. Took a long time but finally figured out it was that switch. Being new to Vettes, I tried all the places I could find like Chevy, Napa, OReilleys, Corvette Central, Ecklers, etc. - probably a dozen or so sites with no luck. I found one on Ebay but prior to installing it I found it was bad. Ultimately I gave up finding a replacement and jumpered the switch. Then I found they'd not gotten all the air out of the system. The mechanic and I both tried bleeding it, no luck. Finally a co-worker told me of the pump/hold/release method of eliminating air, which I did and it worked.

Finally after about 6-8 weeks I was finally able to drive my car. I've not seen a replacement switch. Having grown up without any switches on the clutch I was accustomed to that, that's how it is and unless I stumble onto a working switch, that's the way it will stay. I have a little note I stick to the dash when I have to leave it with someone to work on, noting the switch is disabled. So far it's worked.

PS Relating to this reference: JB CORVETTE PARTS list the 86+ safety switch as being available.
I'm not finding anything on that website for parts. Either it's the wrong one or I don't know where to find their parts.

Joe C

jb corvette parts on fleabay - https://www.ebay.com/itm/86-thru-96-...4AAOSwHaBWiTBt

keenparts - I think they're a forum vendor - again, fleabay -- https://www.ebay.com/itm/1986-1996-C...wAAOSw3gJZJzKI

and finally ecklers and fleabay - https://www.ebay.com/itm/Corvette-Sw...YAAOSwSKtadmo8

a google search for the part shows it being available at various vendors and suppliers.

this could be a new repro part that hasn't made it into the catalogs or websites just yet - ??? i'm hoping it's only the electrical connector that differs, and a cut and splice solves this issue for you pre-86 manual transmission guys --