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When you want to get somewhere in your vehicle, a couple of things need to happen. You need to put your keys in, turn them, and start the transmission through ignition, for one. However, you also need to engage the clutch. Until the clutch is activated, the engine will just spin and spin the transmission’s input shaft, but won’t actually transmit any power to the wheels.
The clutch is then disengaged and reengaged whenever you want to change gears.
Unfortunately, sometimes the clutch is engaged right when the car is turned on, suddenly sending the vehicle forward in a jolt. That's what the safety interlock switch is for. It keeps the car from being turned on when the clutch is engaged. It also works as a reminder to the driver that they need to put their car into neutral before proceeding to turn the key.
If you’d like a safety interlock switch installed because you’re sick of that sudden jolt when you forget to switch to neutral, that’s definitely a wise choice. However, if your safety interlock switch is broken, it would be a good idea to get it repaired right away. People who have been driving cars with manual transmission their entire lives accidentally start them with the clutch engaged all the time. As such, without the safety interlock switch to help you, it will be easy to mistakenly turn that key before checking to ensure you’re not in gear.
Starting a car in gear is how people needlessly get hurt and other types of accidents occur, so repairing your safety interlock switch is recommended.
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