Folowing up I bought the 4x4 for my son and we did a tuneup all seems to be well. I have a question. To the left of the steering wheel on the dash is a button that is almost all worn off from use. All we can read is Clutch........
What is this and what does it do?

Thanks in Advance
B

 

It disables the clutch start feature, which means you can start the truck without pushing in the clutch. By enabling this, you can get moving in steep or slippery conditions without using the clutch and having the truck in gear.

 

Man that was fast thanks for the reply......

 

No problem. Good luck with the truck.

 

I know 96 Runner already answered your question, and it's exactly what he said, but I thought I'd elaborate by quoting the owners manual.

"CLUTCH START CANCEL SWITCH
To crank the engine without depressing the clutch pedal, push the switch with the ignition on.
The switch stays on as long as the ignition is on. And it will automatically turn off when the ignition is off.
This switch cancels the clutch start system, which is designed to keep the starter motor from operating if the clutch pedal is not depressed all the way down.
The switch allows the vehicle to be driven out of difficult situations by cranking the engine with the clutch engaged.
Never use the switch for normal engine starting."

 

Oh man.... I hope its not like my experience. The previous owner in my truck used the button everytime he started the truck, always with the clutch in, but for whatever reason, always used the button. Anyhow. At 90K miles, the truck needed a new clutch. I bought the truck with 78,000 miles... $700 later, I was a little pissed.

I hope thats not the case on your truck though, you'll know it if the clutch is going bad though.

 

No, it's got nothing to do with how fast the clutch wears out. That problem rests entirely with the previous owner's driving habits.

 

why would doing that wear out the clutch?, i think the previous owner didn't know how to drive a manual transmission vehicle

EDIT: i was beat to it

 

so, when would you want to use this feature. i have the switch and have never used it.

 

I disconnected the switch on my clutch pedal, so now everytime I start my truck i press the clutch cancel start switch. It's my security system.

 

sometimes due to advers conditions it is desirable to start the vehicle in gear

 

My '85 did not have the clutch cancel switch to start with. Off-road, I routinely start in gear. Saves wear and tear on the clutch and if you are stopped on a steep hill, it is much easier and safer to just turn the key and go, instead of playing with the gas, brake and clutch pedals.

 

I have used mine for many different reasons. The last time I had to use it I was 3 hours from home and the slave cylinder went out. So, I was in the middle of nowhere and had no way of repairing it! I used the cancel switch to start in gear and drove home without use of the clutch. Luckily I only had a couple of stops before I made it home!

 

What were you doing to shift? revving the engine high and slamming it in? I know my bro did that every now and then in his mazda... 3 months later he replaced the clutch

 

Yeah, you can actually shift really carefully by dropping the revs and getting it into gear. Not a good practice of course, but when you are stranded it makes sense. I would rather replace my tranny than leave my truck in the middle of nowhere for sure.

It is actually good that someone mentioned this because I never really thought that would work (starting it with CSC after the slave went out).

Hopefully I will never have to use it for that reason. :pat:

 

if you do it right, you don't ruin anything. get up to speed, back of the throttle a little and put it into neutral. then lightly press the shifter to the next gear. the syncros will start getting the next gear to the right speed and as the engine speed drops it'll just slide into the next gear. downshifting is harder (at least for me it is). i learned this way back in high school. i had an old CJ-5 with a heavy clutch in it. after cross country practice my legs were so tired that i couldn't get the clutch in without cramping up. so i learned how to shift without the clutch. i still do it if i'm driving home after a hard workout and don't really feel like lifing my left foot up.

 

I was wondering if I should say anything about shifting without the clutch. It did get me home and as Mike D and 96 runner said you have to be careful. I learned this in an old 66 mustang that I had. The clutch slave arm would sometimes come off ( dont ask) and I would have to go home with direct drive.

 

Hey can youy guys give specific examples of when you use the CST? I am still kind of confused on when I would use this....

so the truck can be started in gear right? is this only when its moving? I dont see an advantage of this other than not pressing in the clutch - if you were stopped on a hill you would still have to be in neutral anyways to start the engine without stall correct? so the only thing the CST is is avoids having to push in the clutch pedal? I dont see how that helps things other than being one less thing to do....??????

I just am having a bit of trouble connecting the dots here.

 

In gear (usually 1st gear, low range - i.e 4L), clutch pedal out (i.e. not pushed in), then turn the key to Start and once the engine is running, back to the On position and you are moving.

The alternative, is e-brake on and probably brake pedal depressed, tranny in neutral and/or clutch in, start engine, then as you let out the clutch and apply some gas and release the brake and e-brake as the engine starts to pull you forward.

A lot of time on the trail, especially in a big group with lots of stopping and starting, I won't use the clutch all day. I'll start in gear and stop in gear by just turning the key off. Saves a lot of wear and tear on the clutch and in low range, the starter can easily move the truck, in fact folks have been known to use the starter as a "poor man's" crawler gear to get over tough spots.

Find an empty parking lot somewhere and give starting in gear a try.

 

Thanks Roger - thats helpful -and I guess that the only way I am really going to figure it out is to, like you said, go try it out myself...

I dont understand how the "starter" can move the truck forward though without giving it gas while in gear