Clutchless ignition update: solved (maybe)

[Ridebjj]

Yea, the magnets have to be pretty strong. The tricky part was making them strong enough to work but not so strong that the sensors are still active once they're retracted after the car starts.

Also I just noticed the original video demo in post #1 doesn't work anymore. I put in a new one.

 

[Ridebjj]

I hope you can do a detailed DIY for this eventually. I reached out to the folks at Littco, after hearing that they managed to code it out. But they said they couldnt help me as I would have to take the car to them. They did say, the other people doing tunes will eventually figure it out. But I doubt any of the tuners will offer this just to avoid the whole legal thing. I grew up before they started doing this whole double safety stuff, and never took of in reverse or anything silly like that, I also ride motorcycles, go figure.

I would love to hear that it can be done with a simple coding change. I'm a software dev and if I had footsteps to follow in that regard I'd probably try figuring it out. That would be so much more elegant than this ratchet mechanical pinball machine rig.

 

[Raguvian]

Sigh... Ok.

Nah, I wouldn't change a thing about your DIY. If you're going to take this project on, maybe don't be an idiot and forget to put it in neutral first? I guess that's too much to ask nowadays though.

Also, turning the car on from outside is a big plus. I keep forgetting to get rid of the clutch switch on my other car (it's a '91 so literally just tape it down lol) and I always curse myself when I need to turn it on with the clutch but don't want to get in the car.

 

[WhyNotZoidberg?]

This!!!

Also don't hold the clutch in for 5 minutes waiting for your car to warm up...

Clutch in, check the transmission to ensure it's in neutral, start the car, then as soon as the engine is running clutch out.

I was sure it's common knowledge among 3-pedal drivers not to ride the clutch or hold it down at stops, unless you like the added wear on TOBs, PPs and clutch cables/hydraulics.

I'm also looking forward to Ridebjj's DYI and would like to thank him for figuring this out and potentially saving countless cranks from outdoors exercise. You, sir, are a gentleman and a scholar!!


edit: I'd also like to add my displeasure with Littco's stonewalling with "we can't tell you, you'd have to bring your car to us" bullsh*t, it's the kind of dickishness that's guaranteed to make me avoid giving them any of my business in the future

 

[ATR]

WhyNotZoidberg?, well said!

If we could simply bypass the need to press in the clutch to startup the car without needing magnets I'd be beyond happy. Say the need to press the break instead much like the DSG cars...

 

[joedubs]

Thanks for linking to the solenoid. I'll be ordering mine soon.

As for the magnets... It looks like they're small - 1/4" or so? What did you use, 6mm x 3mm magnets?
I'm curious what to buy, there's tons of kits/sizes/shapes/etc.

 

[Mini7]

Subscribed.

Thank you for taking this challenge on. Looking forward to your detailed DIY to get this installed.

 

[Strange Mud]

CSB:

trading V6 & V8 Mustang with a friend to compare them on a fun drive (mine was the 6 ). after the ride we went back to our cars he reached in to start his. He had bypassed the clutch interlock and always left it in neutral. I didn't and left it in 2nd......

Nor harm done but it was entertaining. I see the potential accident as being worse than the potential engine damage.

.02

Mud

 

[Ridebjj]

Thanks for linking to the solenoid. I'll be ordering mine soon.

As for the magnets... It looks like they're small - 1/4" or so? What did you use, 6mm x 3mm magnets?
I'm curious what to buy, there's tons of kits/sizes/shapes/etc.

I bought a cheap kit of like 100 magnets of all different sizes. When I do the DIY, I'll go over that and everything else. Figuring out which exact magnet(s) to use took a little while.

Subscribed.

Thank you for taking this challenge on. Looking forward to your detailed DIY to get this installed.

I'll try and start on it here soon.

Just as an FYI, I've had it installed for coming up on 3 months. Still works perfectly every time. I had one incident where the magnets fell off the end because I used weak glue. Aside from that, perfecto.

 

[ATR]

So with the virus thing going on my car sits for days before being started so I have a renewed interest in this thread. Mainly wondering if there can be dome coding done to instead of pressing the clutch press the brake like you would in a DSG car

 

[Ridebjj]

Alright, I went out to the garage and snapped some more pics and made a few short vids - to perhaps spare me a lot of typing.

I started making a list of all the parts, both major and minor.

I'll probably make a new thread in the DIY forum by end of week that at least gets this going, if not fully completed. I know one member has already ordered the mount from shapeways, so I should probably get this going before it arrives.

Stay tuned.

 

[sterkrazzy]

I got one of those magnets on a stick I was gonna try to shove up in there and see if I could get it to start with that. I didn't spend much time with it, but I couldn't even get it in the right place for it to work.

 

[Ridebjj]

I got one of those magnets on a stick I was gonna try to shove up in there and see if I could get it to start with that. I didn't spend much time with it, but I couldn't even get it in the right place for it to work.

It's a pretty specific spot. My first tries with the magnet on stick approach were also total failures. Took a while to figure it out. Using VCDS or obd11 to monitor the sensors while you move the magnet around is almost mandatory. Though I think it could work following my instructions (when I write them) even without that. It'll make a lot more sense where you're shooting for when I put up the pics and vid I have.

 

[joedubs]

I ordered the solenoid and spring kit earlier.
I have a 1/4" x 1/2" cylinder style magnet I might try with before ordering the magnets since I'm not sure what size I need. I think I'm going to fab my own bracket (as nice as the 3d printed one would be, I'll save myself the 20 bucks)

I'm planning to run it off a button instead of with the timer. I don't mind having to hold it while I turn the key.

 

[Ridebjj]

80 magnets for $10

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07BK7XC5S/