Starting/Clutch question

[My RB25]

I know a vast majority of cars you gotta pull in the clutch to start the car, normal, not a big deal. But when I bought my s13 the kid I got it from said I didn't have to, sounded a little strange, but she turns over fine. Now at first I thought it was just because it was an older car (The only other car I never pulled the clutch in was a vintage bug, only because my boss told me I didn't have to). I was gonna let it all go until a few weeks ago a 89 200SX came into my shop and alas, you had to step on the clutch to start it. Strange considering the 200SX is more or less the predecessor to the 240.

Now I'm starting to think the kid I bought the 240 off of is an idiot...actually I already knew that, if you saw what him and his friends did to the car you would completly agree with me. But I'd rather hear it from other non-idotic 240 owners

[Meng1988]

He probably did an auto to manual swap. When people do this the car is used to having an auto in it, so it doesnt need the clutch to start. And most people don't bother making so you have to.

[Chukidori]

Yeah... My 240 doesnt require i push in the clutch to start it i did a manual swap as well.

[daniel88c]

Well my car doesn't need the clutch to start but then I dunno what my friend did. He cut some wire or put two wires together or something. He did it to my friends Subaru and a RX-7 as well and they don't need the clutch to start.

[2056515]

it is possible that your car use to be auto...but another possibility is that it was bypassed. most manual cars have a clutch interlock switch...which is a safety switch to make sure u know u r in neutral. when the switch becomes defective or whatever....its not possible to start the car...so most people just bypass the switch as a easy fix

[ZenkillZ]

Well I guess you already know the answer because everyone has already said but it is true. It is because that car was once automatic but that does not mean the owner you bought it from did it, it could of been someone else. That car is old. The answer to that problem though is to install this part called a clutch switch just go to a transimission mechanic or a mechanic you trust and ask them to install it for you. All it is is just a switch though it has no other effect on your car.

[gaehrings13]

maybe the little switch was bad and he just disconnected it or he put the two wires together. Nothing to go all crazy about.

[My RB25]

I don't trust anyone else with my car except me and considering I'm a mechanic, it kinda works out. My boss also suggested that the switch could have been over ridden, I could careless about it, I was just curious to see if it was a 240 thing or what, so I decided to pry into it. Are there any tags on the car that would indicate it originally being an auto. I know the manual and auto ECUs are slightly different (data wise), is the serial or p/n on them different?

The kid who 'owned' the car before me (He didn't have his licenese and took it for a joy ride, which in turn earned him tickets and then had to sell the car to pay for em) had it for a about year and it wasn't driven. IDK how many owners the car has had, I wanna get a Carfax on the car, cause I know it's been hit atleast once. I'd like some background on the car I'm gonna own as long as I can lol

[driftneil]

It could also be the car was wired for a remote start, you have to overide the clutch switch for the car to start. I.E. why most shops will not install remote starts on manual cars. Good luck in your carfax journey....can be scary.

[My RB25]

I know, I'm curious to see how many hands had this car before me and how many accidents were actually reported lol. I know from just looking at the car it's seen one to many foreign objects and was unfortunately subjected to years of neglect (not as bad as it sounds, just the paint has its 'stains' and knicks).

It was scraped against something on the passenger side (minor scrapes starts from passenger door and proceed, diminishing towards the quarter panel, the wax unfortunately highlights them lol).

The front driver fender was replaced (Piss poor job of painting, paints almost worn away towards the top of the fender), the new fender bolts are a dead give away.

It was smacked in the drivers quarter panel (You can see the bondo on the inside of the body, paint is a little cracked and started to peel towards the bottom) the wheel also has a little to much neg. camber, you know it's to much when you can tell just by looking at it .

You can actually see what's still original on the car lol Shiny parts Discolored parts