Engine start with no clutch?
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 251
Likes: 133
Engine start with no clutch?
Here's a fun one..
Was leaving work yesterday walking with a colleague. Got to my car, put my things in order, sat down and mid-thought/conversation I clicked the key all the way forward to start, to my surprise it started turning-over and then fired right up. I realized that I did not have the clutch pressed down at all though. I assume this is not "normal" but I could be wrong?
I ran a quick google search but found different entries of people's cars not starting or intermittent starting. The car telling them to depress clutch when they're already pressing, etc.
I've been pressing the clutch all the way down before turning the key to start for my entire ownership, and for every other car I've had in the past for that matter.
What happen?
Was leaving work yesterday walking with a colleague. Got to my car, put my things in order, sat down and mid-thought/conversation I clicked the key all the way forward to start, to my surprise it started turning-over and then fired right up. I realized that I did not have the clutch pressed down at all though. I assume this is not "normal" but I could be wrong?
I ran a quick google search but found different entries of people's cars not starting or intermittent starting. The car telling them to depress clutch when they're already pressing, etc.
I've been pressing the clutch all the way down before turning the key to start for my entire ownership, and for every other car I've had in the past for that matter.
What happen?
Rennlist Member
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 4,100
Likes: 363
From: Upstate NY
Press clutch to allow start began in the 993 in 1996 so your car certainly has that feature. Usually a micro switch on the clutch pedal arm.
Could be the switch in your car has failed so that the contacts are closed instead of being normally open until the pedal is pressed. I’d get a flashlight and take a look at the clutch arm to see if anything is obvious.
Could be the switch in your car has failed so that the contacts are closed instead of being normally open until the pedal is pressed. I’d get a flashlight and take a look at the clutch arm to see if anything is obvious.
Rennlist Member
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 1,764
Likes: 885
From: Northeast USA
Are you the original owner of the car? If not, a previous owner could have done a mod to bypass the need to depress the clutch upon startup. Google 997 clutch bypass switch and you can see it in multiple threads. I was considering this mod but then decided not to do it in case someone else ever had to drive my car and just started it while in gear.
Come to think of it, I’ve also actually by accident turned the key on all the way to the right to try to start the car and forgot to depress the clutch a couple times and thank goodness it didn’t start cause I always put it in first gear when parked.
Come to think of it, I’ve also actually by accident turned the key on all the way to the right to try to start the car and forgot to depress the clutch a couple times and thank goodness it didn’t start cause I always put it in first gear when parked.
Last edited by Carreralicious; Jun 18, 2021 at 06:26 AM.
Rennlist Member
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 4,100
Likes: 363
From: Upstate NY
Are you the original owner of the car? If not, a previous owner could have done a mod to bypass the need to depress the clutch upon startup. Google 997 clutch bypass switch and you can see it in multiple threads. I was considering this mod but then decided not to do it in case someone else ever had to drive my car and just started it while in gear.
Come to think of it, I’ve also actually by accident turned the key on all the way to the right to try to start the car and forgot to depress the clutch a couple times and thank goodness it didn’t start cause I always put it in first gear when parked.
Come to think of it, I’ve also actually by accident turned the key on all the way to the right to try to start the car and forgot to depress the clutch a couple times and thank goodness it didn’t start cause I always put it in first gear when parked.
Rennlist Member
Joined: Dec 2020
Posts: 594
Likes: 175
From: LA
Very easy to see if that switch has been jumped, and if you lack flexibility to get down in the footwell, turn on the 'selfie' camera on your phone and stick it under there like a mirror. The switch is mounted right above the clutch pedal, light grey rectangle, around 1.5 x 1 x 0.5 inches in size and has two spade lugs connected to it.
Last edited by 997.2GTS; Jun 18, 2021 at 02:46 PM.
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 251
Likes: 133
Thank you everyone. The instruction on how and what to look for when I get down there is hugely helpful.
It might be worth adding that this is a fairly new occurrence. I usually turn the key all the way to the right without the clutch so I can get an oil reading (now when I try this, the engine starts to turn over). Once I see that it's fine, then I press the clutch down to start the engine. This is how I've been operating with the car since I've had it. So whatever happened to change this, happened sometime recently, I just can't pinpoint.
It might be worth adding that this is a fairly new occurrence. I usually turn the key all the way to the right without the clutch so I can get an oil reading (now when I try this, the engine starts to turn over). Once I see that it's fine, then I press the clutch down to start the engine. This is how I've been operating with the car since I've had it. So whatever happened to change this, happened sometime recently, I just can't pinpoint.
