Hi everyone. I'm hoping someone can offer me some advice. My uncle recently passed away and he left me his old s2000 which hasn't been driven since 2012. Its a 2002 model. Today I put a new battery in it and after a bit of fiddling around managed to get dashboard to light up. However when I pressed the start button there was nothing. Also all the indicator lights stayed on not flashing as soon as the battery was connected. Any advise on things to check etc or if anyone has experienced these things before?

Thanks

Mark

 

First thing, clutch interlock switch.

The switch that knows you've fully pressed clutch. If that switch doesn't tell ecu all is good, ecu won't allow starter to engage (but for example, push starting car down a hill would still work, as then hill moves engine, not starter).

Common issue, the plastic stopper that actually pushes in switch plunger gets old, brittle, falls out (tiny plastic pieces found at drivers feet is smoking gun). Switch can no longer detect pedal.

An easy diagnostic is bypass this switch with like a paper clip or piece o wire, see if engine now starts (but careful, you disabled a safety device. Car can lurch fwd if left in gear when attempt start).

Contort yourself way down under dash, flashlight, look way up above clutch pedal. Look for plunger switch with two wires. Short those two wires together by jamming paper clip into connectors.

Note, there are two plunger switches up there for clutch (and a single one for brake). One for clutch senses when pedal initially pushed. That plunger always pressed at rest. Then as pedal pressed, plunger releases. This one disables cruise control as soon as pedal pressed.

Second one, plunger untouched at rest. As pedal reaches floor, stopper presses plunger activating switch. This is the one you need to short. Its farther up.

If this fixes issue, you'll wanna buy all 3 new stoppers (couple $ each, cheap), replace all. But clutch interlock requires remove clutch pedal. There is a decent YouTube how to. Let us know if needed.

Entirely possible this issue wasn't there when car parked back then. But as sat, eventually it failed. You'd find the plastic pieces on floor.

 

Yes. Press the clutch pedal down to floor and try again.

Good luck!

 

Make sure the battery clamps are not corroded inside. If they are it may provide enough voltage to light up the dash, but not enough to turn the starter.

 

Thanks for the advise everyone. I will give it a try and let you know how I get on.