Showing same symptoms again
 

SO it has been 60 days since I pulled the fuse on my failing ESCL and over the last two weeks I have started having the same issues I had before the fuse delete.
Main symptom - car will cycle through the starting sequences and the starter will not engage and start engine. Eventually after several attempts the engine starts fine. It went from not happening, to sporadic, to everytime I try to start it in a period of about two weeks to the point I am not driving it.

What I have done to get the engine to start previousy- knock on the steering lock box, pump the clutch pedal repeatedly while pressing the start button.

As noted in previous posts, I have done the fuse delete and it worked sucessfully for the last two months...

Any guesses as to what it might be since the symptoms are identical to before the fuse delete??

Thanks

does the car detect your key?

maybe the battery of the fob is running low?

@alcheng --

I have not had any trouble unlocking/locking the door from a distance. However I did see a low battery signal a couple of times a couple of weeks ago.
I have not researched this topic enough to have an opinion, but the fact the car is locking and unlocking just fine and the start button ights up and scrolls through would make me think it is not this. (I could be wrong though)

Also, since I removed the fuse to the ESCL I have had a couple fo quirky things happen that never happened before...
1) I locked my car one night and came out to my lights still on and a dead battery, jumped it and had no problem after.
2) Both windows went about 1/2 way down all by themselves and stopped. I don't remember the exact circumstances around this as it happened so quickly, but it has never repeated that behavior.
3) I did see the "key warning light" up on the console a few times as well, but wasn't sure what it meant and didn't bother investigating since it went away and the car was running fine at the time.

So maybe just a coincidence that I have the same symptoms and it's something to do with the fob... more research when I get home :(

Thanks for giving me another direction to look.

Trying inserting the key into the "fobgina" the next few times you drive it and see if you get similar symptoms. This will tell you whether the fob battery is the culprit or not.

1) You left the headlights or interior lights on? This doesn't just happen.
2) You can lower the windows using the buttons on the fob (hold lock and unlock buttons together) - perhaps you accidentally lowered the windows without realizing it? You certainly wouldn't be the first person this happened to.
3) Battery is certainly a possibility

A number of people have complained about delayed starts after removing the ESCL fuse. I've had at least a full two second delay after pushing the start button before the car actually started. But the delay is from totally off to actually starting - not cycling through ACC/ON modes. Your experience is definitely an odd one...

IIRC, a bad clutch pedal switch will cause your symptoms.

After finally getting a chance to do some research on the site, I am going to dig into the clutch switch this weekend and see if that is the issue. Sounds like a simple fix!
I'll update later!
Thanks for the point in that direction.

FINAL UPDATE ON THIS TOPIC - So it was indeed the clutch interlock switch or clutch switch for short. Upon pulling the switch, squirting a shot of WD-40 in there and working the switch and the connection a few times, she has started up like a champ, no hesitation at all the entire weekend.
Will order a replacement switch to have on hand for when it acts up again and I can just replace it with a new part. Thank SouthArk 370Z for the tip!

So as a primer for anyone on how to do this, since the info isn't generally available on here in too many spots (that I could find while searching the site- no how to's) here is a brief written guide.

Quick recap - I had already done the fuse delete for the ESCL prior to this repair. Symptom was intermittently and randomly failing to start while properly cycling through the pre-ignition series as seen on the starter button.

1) To locate the switch get into the pedal area and when you push the pedal down with your hand you will see the "push button" style switch being engaged. Look for the blue connection or google image search for it.
2) To remove this you will need a 17mm wrench and a small pair of vise grips or any pliers to grip the thin metal bracket on which this switch is mounted.
The mounting bracket will want to bend somewhat from the force being applied to loosen the nut holding the switch in place. You will rotate the nut counterclockwise (someone out there has asked already!).
---NOTE--- I have the RJM clutch pedal assembly installed, so the gauge of the steel used in the OEM clutch may be heavier and not be prone to bending, just be aware.
3) I would advise visually noting where the bracket is at the bottom of the pedal stroke so you can realign the button of the switch if the bracket does indeed bend when you loosen the nut.
4) Completely remove the nut, remove the switch from the harness and either A) install new switch (approx $18 OEM) or, B) spray contact cleaner onto the connection and down into the switch button. Work the switch in and out of the harness several times as well as depress the button several times to assist in cleaning the contact points.
5) Now reassemble, check the alignment and adjust as necessary.
Your Z should fire right up if this switch was your issue.
--- Note -- if you fully depress your clutch pedal and then hear a single clicking sound coming from the pedal area, you are out of alignment and that is the switch button popping out from under the pedal. This happened to be because of being misaligned.
---- Note that sometimes the keyless entry gets screwy when you mess around with electrical. I had a the dashboard "KEY" light up and I had to place my fob in the fobgina to get it to finally start up, but no problems since.

It was just coincidence that my ESCL started failing and my clutch switch started failing within a couple of weeks of each other, and may indeed have even overlapped symptoms. The symptoms are identical in the way the car will progress through the starting cycle but never turn over the engine.