bschnard

This has now happened to me for the second time. Have a 2004 GT Black, came home yesterday late afternoon, was 102 outside and the 8 had been sitting in the hot sun all day. When to try to start it so I could move it back into the driveway. Nothing, not even a click when the key was turned. The first time it happened the car had been autox'd on a very hot day and had no problems cranking all day but when I got ready to head home after it sitting in the hot sun again nothing not even a click. A simple push and bump of the clutch and it started. After the last time this happened I had the starter tested, the battery tested, and replaced the started relay since I cracked the old one taking it out to test it. Car was in hot garage during this time so still wouldn't crank.

Okay now back to yesterday, went out to start the car this morning when it was a bit cooler and bingo cranks right off the bat.

Any thoughts or ideas would be very much appreciated.

RX8Soldier

iTrader: (24)

check the connections to your battery. Make sure there's no corrosion

dannobre

iTrader: (3)

Check the clutch interlock switch.......it doesn't allow the car to start unless it thinks the clutch is pushed in

Sometimes the starter/solenoid will get weird too...and if you give it a tap with a hammer.....or bump start the car it will allow it to work properly

vlad0691

iTrader: (1)

If you say you had to push the clutch harder when it first happened before it started it might be your clutch neutral switch. Which is easy to reset, just go under there with some needle nose pliers and gently pull it until it pops out, and then simply push in the clutch to reset it. Just my .02

bschnard

I did find corrosion the first time it happened but then used anticorrosion jelly but will check it again just to make sure.

bschnard

I was wondering about that but not sure what you mean about how to reset it. I do have a brand new one that I might put in just to be sure the switch itself isn't going bad on me. When I last looked at it it almost looked like the bracket the switch fits in might be bent. Have you ever heard of that?

vlad0691

iTrader: (1)

If you're talking about the actual clutch bracket being bent, that means it's most likely about to break, which you don't want. You can get a reinforcement bracket from raceroots, which I recommend highly. And for the switch itself, it's just a plastic pin that gets depressed when you push your clutch in to tell your car it's safe to start. To reset it you grab it with needle nose pliers and gently pull on it till it pops out ( it won't like physically pop out to where it's not connected anymore, it'll just extend all the way out). Then you just push in the clutch and it readjusts itself. Takes all of 30 seconds really.

bschnard

I was thinking the little bracket that holds the switch when I said it looks bent. The clutch bracket looks fine. I'll try the reset thing with the switch, I did not know it was adjustable like that. Thanks everyone you have given me some new places to look and check.

vlad0691

iTrader: (1)

I would still recommend the reinforcement bracket, the clutch assembly can snap in half even when it shows no signs of it.