Failure to proceed.....

[kapiteinlangzaam]

First real problem with my car.

Have driven it around the UK the last two weeks with zero issues. Parked it up on the overnight ferry last night and this morning it didnt want to start.

After pressing the clutch pedal a few times it eventually spluttered in to life and then behaved fine.

Stopped for fuel on the way home and it played the same trick, except it took about 10 attempts of pressing the clutch.

Got it home, and went to start it again 10 mins later and absolutely no joy.... even after probably 50+ attempts. All electrics etc come on, just no start.

Dutch AA have been out, and he got it started by pressing the clutch AND the brake pedal at the same time (only if brake pedal is pressed very hard). Using this method it seems to start OK every time.

So im thinking some sort of sensor on the clutch or brake pedal - anyone had similar issues?

Car is a GT manual transmission.

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[Manders Mustang]

First real problem with my car.

Have driven it around the UK the last two weeks with zero issues. Parked it up on the overnight ferry last night and this morning it didnt want to start.

After pressing the clutch pedal a few times it eventually spluttered in to life and then behaved fine.

Stopped for fuel on the way home and it played the same trick, except it took about 10 attempts of pressing the clutch.

Got it home, and went to start it again 10 mins later and absolutely no joy.... even after probably 50+ attempts. All electrics etc come on, just no start.

Dutch AA have been out, and he got it started by pressing the clutch AND the brake pedal at the same time (only if brake pedal is pressed very hard). Using this method it seems to start OK every time.

So im thinking some sort of sensor on the clutch or brake pedal - anyone had similar issues?

Car is a GT manual transmission.

Always after stalling which has happened twice btw, has this happened ot me, i end up having to release my hands from everything put the car back into a parked mode (No gear, nothing depressed and handbrake on) before it lets me turn it back on, althought sometimes i've managed to get to the button quick enough to rekick the engine back into life.

Sorry not much use but it could be worth just doing a reset that way (seeing if it helps)

Otherwise maybe worth trying the battery reset by disconnecitng it for 15mins and seeing if that helps?

Otherwise, yes, sensors probably an issue, do you have the clutch spring installed from Steeda? When the car is on does it change gears okay?
What happens when you depress the clutch does the green light on the start button go from flashing to solid?

 

[Jimboy2]

Have a look at the clutch peddle. See if you can see a switch. Can't remember if it was this car or my old car but there was a physical switch you could see. May need adjusting/replacing.

 

[kapiteinlangzaam]

Been out and looked at buttons.

No matter how hard/many times I press the clutch pedal, the flashing LED never goes solid green.

With brake pedal slightly depressed, still no action.

With both pressed (fully/hard) car will start. And you need to press AND hold the starter button for a lot longer too.

Also noticed when first pressing start button that a message comes up saying both 'clutch and brake' must be depressed to allow start. Never ever seen that before. This eventually changes to just 'depress clutch to allow start'.

Definitely something funny going on with either a sensor or a computer.
[MENTION=20439]Jimboy2[/MENTION] yes there is a small grey plunger on the clutch pedal, this is depressing OK and outwardly appears to be working OK'.

 

[Manders Mustang]

CLutch and brake? That's weird, i've seen depressing the brake for auto's, and clutch for manuals, and some cars making you depress both, very weird.

Just out of interest is the process for you doing the car going like this

Depress clutch
press start
(clutch still held down)
Into gear
handbrake off
away you go?

I'd personally b taking it to ford to see what they say, or run your Tune device (whichever you had) to see what error codes it throws. especially as, as jimboy suggests, the button is depressing fine, which is odd.

 

[Steeda UK]

This may sound silly, but I had a similar problem recently with a rented Renault Traffic minibus.

Clutch got stuck down and car wouldn't start. got it going again for a couple of days, then van totally died. It was something to do with the electronics as the whole system is tied together nowadays. The key was on, and same thing as you, all electronics showing good, battery was good, but just no starting....

Good luck getting it sorted.

 

[kapiteinlangzaam]

Good call on the DTCs.... I forgot my NGauge could read them!!!

Anyhow, no DTCs created.... Which in a way makes sense as if it's a duff sensor on the pedal or similar, it won't actually be creating a DTC..... As I suspect it's a simple I/O type affair.

 

[Jimboy2]

Been out and looked at buttons.

No matter how hard/many times I press the clutch pedal, the flashing LED never goes solid green.

With brake pedal slightly depressed, still no action.

With both pressed (fully/hard) car will start. And you need to press AND hold the starter button for a lot longer too.

Also noticed when first pressing start button that a message comes up saying both 'clutch and brake' must be depressed to allow start. Never ever seen that before. This eventually changes to just 'depress clutch to allow start'.

Definitely something funny going on with either a sensor or a computer.
[MENTION=20439]Jimboy2[/MENTION] yes there is a small grey plunger on the clutch pedal, this is depressing OK and outwardly appears to be working OK'.

Is it possible to press said grey plunger with your hand? Can you feel a pgisical switch. If so does it change starter button state? Have you tried pulling the battery yet as well?
Strange fault isn't it. Didn't think the brake had anything to do with the starting procedure

 

[Nookie]

No doubt this will turn out to be a safety protocol whereby if the system doesn't receive a primary signal (or it's a dubious signal, lower than expected voltage etc.) from the clutch pedal sensor it requires a secondary from the brake pedal... so highly likely a malfunction with the former.

Would make sense at least of what's happening.

 

[kapiteinlangzaam]

[MENTION=23824]Nookie[/MENTION]

This is what I am thinking too.

Manually pressing clutch plunger makes no difference.

Will book it in tomorrow.... More fun and games in an already insanely busy week!

Will update with the eventual diagnosis.

 

[Wildblood]

I find that the 'parking brake' has to be on along with the depressed clutch. Depressing the foot brake instead of using the 'park brake' just confuses the thing!

 

[Leeroy]

Don't you just hate Bastard annoying modern over-electronocalised cars:frusty:
A nightmare finding faults, god knows how they'll fair when a few years old:eyebulge:

 

[Gloucesternige]

What a load of garbage!! Can you imagine, 20 years ago, "My car won't start unless I put the handbrake on and press the clutch and brake pedal really hard"!! Whoever you told would have laughed at you and explained that you were probably a gentleman who doesn't know what he's talking about.

 

[Nookie]

Don't you just hate Bastard annoying modern over-electronocalised cars:frusty:
A nightmare finding faults, god knows how they'll fair when a few years old:eyebulge:

What a load of garbage!! Can you imagine, 20 years ago, "My car won't start unless I put the handbrake on and press the clutch and brake pedal really hard"!! Whoever you told would have laughed at you and explained that you were probably a gentleman who doesn't know what he's talking about.

Reminds me of someone I knew with an Audi with the keyless entry system that couldn't get the doors to lock... they just kept unlocking themselves immediately after any attempt to secure the vehicle. Dealer couldn't suss out the problem (looking, as you would in the obvious places) and ended up getting in an engineer from Germany who, after several days ripping the vehicle apart, found it was an issue with a micro switch on the gear selector (door locks... gear selector... real correlation there huh!) not registering that the vehicle was in 'park' and therefore, as a safety feature to prevent people from leaving it in neutral when unattended and it potentially rolling away, won't let you lock it.

This is one of the reasons I'm not keen the 18MY Mustang with it's overload of electronics (dashboard particularly) and nannies. I want a car, not a bloody laptop on wheels/spaceship!

 

[Matrix2020]

If the clutch sensor/switch is failing it might be the 'back up' (i.e. brake pedal as well) that is required so the car can start if just one sensor starts to fail? Having said that I guess they would not think of that... probably just an electronic gremlin!!

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