Axel

iTrader: (1)

As an OG Lurker, I felt I needed to post this public service announcement, as I have not seen anything of recent on the topic, or I am just missed the posts.
Drove my 03 in the morning, prior heat wave afternoon, to keep the battery charged and internals lubed, got home everything was fine. Went out to make sure the cars/yard were secure for the night and noticed my brake lights were on? Checked the light switch and tried to start the car, battery had enough energy to try and crank. Did the initial troubleshooting at the car, no joy. Got on the computer and found that my issue is 90% a grommet for the brake switch. Sure enough, went out and checked the floorboard and remnants of a plastic were found under the pedal.
My post is for those, like me that weren't aware of the deterioration of the grommets on the brake and clutch pedal.

bre240z

Thanks for the heads up

icer5160

iTrader: (4)

This is actually a fairly common issue depending on the mileage and climate the vehicle has lived in. I checked all my pedal bump stops when I installed my RJM clutch pedal, being a CA vehicle, they're all still in good shape, none of them have hardened up (turned into brittle plastic) yet. There are some really cheap/easy DIY fixes for these, like using those universal plastic pop rivets you see holding fender liners and the like on various make/model vehicles. Anyway, if you ever see your brake lights stuck on, this is the number one cause. You can also experience issues starting your vehicle if it's the clutch pedal bump stop that crumbles/fails on a 6MT.

Definitely something to be aware of as these cars start approaching the 25 year mark. Rubber and plastic don't last forever and that lifespan is heavily dependent on climate and usage.
Cheers!
-Icer