Our '94 FD starter interlock switch under the clutch pedal has become intermittent. The local dealer stated that this part is discontinued and not available from Mazda. Unless someone here can refer me to a potential source, I'm going to remove it and see if it can be repaired. The part number is HF05-66-4D0 (section 4300, page 2-D7 of the 1994 parts catalog). Any advice or comments? Easy to R&R?
Thanks for reading!

 

there is a fix for it that was taught to me by a legend...

take the switch apart and get the spring from a pen. once you open the switch youll see what to do with that spring. problem solved.

the other option is to bypass it as its a "natural selection" safety switch. if you unplug it and jumper the wires together the car will start without your foot on the pedal.

 

Wrong switch. The pen spring is for the upper clutch switch, interlock is the lower. Technically it can be bypassed with a jumper, it would however allow you to start the car without the pedal depressed.

Have you asked Ray, he is willing to bring in parts from dealer inventory

 

HF05-66-4D0 is NLA globally. since it was only used on US market cars, i happily bypass it. its only there to keep Audi drivers from going through the garage door, if you recall that incident

i take the switch, cut the wires, and just solder them together, and then you have a plug in bypass, solves the click click starter

 

I'm also wondering if there is another clutch switch from, say, the Miata or something that would work.

Or if it's possible to open it up and clean/fix the contacts or something.

Both clutch switches aren't too bad to get to, it's up under the dash but I don't think you need to pull the whole clutch pedal or anything.

Dale

 

Just found this -

https://www.autozone.com/electrical-.../229251_0_6034

It's a Miata clutch interlock switch, very similar in design to the FD's.

There are 2 clutch switches, one that screws into the clutch pedal assembly and also sets the height/adjustment of the clutch pedal. That's for the cruise control and the ECU. The other one bolts up higher and is attached with 2 10mm bolts or nuts to the clutch pedal mechanism, that is the one we are concerned with.

I remember the FD's switch also has a short harness coming off of it that ends in a simple connector.

That Autozone Miata switch looks cheap enough if someone wants to be a guinea pig and try it out.

Dale

 

Even better -

https://www.atkinsrotary.com/store/9...01-66-4D0.html

There's the part number and everything. Looks like the Miata used the same switch for 15 years. that's definitely worth a try.

Dale

 

i was surprised that the FD was different, basically everything else uses the FB01-66-4D0 swtich.

as i said its a US market addition, the JDM and EU cars do not have it, which is why we have the click click starter, the switch isn't supposed to be in the circuit.

 

Man up and remove the switch which was put there for wimpy boys with bad memory and bad habits.
My FD was the first manually transmission car that I own that ever had this item made for fools.

 

Wow, I forgot how impressive this forum is. Thanks for all the advice! Wife (it's her car) wants that switch working; I already suggested bypassing it. "I won't drive it until it's fixed - period!"
"OK, honey." Actually now I'm not sure it is the switch, but thanks, Dale, for the link. It may be that the switch is not being activated because for some reason it is not being reached by the clutch pedal arm when it's depressed fully. I have to check that. Anyway, you folks are awesome!

 

You bet. Also very possible that the rubber pad the switch pushes against has disintegrated. Very common problem. If it has the end of the switch will push through the hole that is made when the rubber pad disappears.

You can either get an OEM pad or get stick-on furniture feet from the hardware store. I've been using the stick-on feet for YEARS on different cars with zero problems.

I will agree that the clutch switch is kind of a "nanny" thing but I like the peace of mind that if someone else drives the car instead of me (like a tire shop) they don't do something stupid and put my car in a wall.

Dale

 

Wow - that FB01664D0 part is identical. I'm comparing it to a spare FD one. I bought a different Miata one last year that had the cable going out the wrong way, but after seeing this post, I just bought a couple of the FB01664D0 part with the cable going the same way as the FD. Plus the white plastic has the same offset.

FYI: The FD one is a normally open switch and shorts the wires together when the clutch is pressed in.