Well, this past weekend I installed the Mazsport (Fluid distr.) clutch pedal bracket reinforcement. However now the interlock switch plunger doesn't depress enough to allow starting. If I hold the plunger in all the way by hand, with the transmission in neutral of course, I can turn the key and start no problem (looks weird to start the car on my hands and knees tho'). The switch itself doesn't actually click and I seem to remember it did prior.

After 'manually' starting I drove around the block and all clutch-gear engagements are aok.

I don't see how the geometry of the pedal-switch could have changed considering it is integral to the assembly. The clutch pedal still fully depresses to the firewall stop and is at the spec travel distance and freeplay. The slave cylinder is tight to the engine bay side of firewall and the clutch pedal bracket also tight to the interior side of thefirewall.

I did read the caution in the shop manual about ~"not depressing the switch all the way when installing it" but that wouldn't seem to apply. Perhaps in my contorted state under the dash I did inadvertently cycle it too far?

Any thoughts before I go buy a new switch?

 

I've seen where that plunger is pressed in further than it should.
Below is a pic of the switch when we had three pedals out for welding


You can see that there are different lengths between the left and center switches for that plunger.
If that plunger isn't out far enough, the stroke of the pedal wouldn't retract the contacts enough to open the circuit.
Try pulling the plunger out farther or remove the housing (like the right switch in the pic above) and see if the spring is bound and preventing the plunger from retracting fully.

 

While the RX-8 is a beautiful car one shouldn't have to get on their knees to get her going. Until you fix the issue you can bypass that switch by looking at the thread below.

https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-tech-garage-22/connector-identification-under-dash-124276/

 

ah, from what i remember when installing mine. i just bent the little wire a bit so that it touches.

congrats on getting the bracket it.

 

Thanks all.

I'll try pulling it out a bit Jon, but I don't dare bend it kersh as the plunger's only plastic.

Thanks too Expo - I'll jumper it in the meantime if I can't free it up.

I'll probably end up getting a new switch.

Damn lawyers and their "idiot proofing" interlocks!! Reminds me of the discrete backup switch on my riding mower.

 

Update: I don’t know why I didn’t just do this yesterday, but I guess I was still in denial that I could possibly have disturbed such a stupid “lawyer mandated idiot proofing” switch.

So, I just took one of my ol’ Honeywell controls 16-22 awg spade connectors and inserted it where the interlock switch would go (thus shorting the interlock wires) plastic tied it up neatly, and now I can get a new starter interlock switch whenever I feel like it.

Of course I know I'm at the moment guilty of a minor safety infraction, but then in the old days we didn't even have these switches.

“Remove the primary safeties on all weapons.” - attack sub CPT; The Hunt for Red October

“Don’t push ‘er Cap’n, I’ve got this control panel overridden like a Christmas tree.” -Scotty; The Wrath of Kahn

edit: here's my current 'faulty' switch. It actually looks ok, but ....

 

You could have also just taped the plunger down so the circuit is always closed, that way you wouldn't have to cut/splice wires.
Or even a jumper wire in the harness/connector.

 

Nothing was cut. Instead of the jumper wire shown in expo1's link, I used a spade type wire stub that perfectly slipped into the interlock dongle socket slots. When I replace the switch the blade will simply be removed and the unharmed connector reconnected to the new switch socket.



"No wires were harmed in the making of this movie."

 

^Ah I see. I guess that works too

 

Very MacGyver if I do say so myself.

 

touche'