P0830 Auto Start/Stop / Hill assist issue.. Battery?

[DJ_Andy_M]

So the auto start/stop decided to pack up last week but it doesn't seem to be throwing any error lights on the button or grey A symbol on the dashboard.

The only thing I can find in the error codes is the attached image (P0830 - Clutch Pedal Switch A circuit), 

Then the other day, the hill assist randomly decided that it wasn't going to work and threw an error on the dash board saying it was unavailable. Restarting the car made this go away and I haven't seen it since.

Is the battery on the way out? If it is, i'll need to get one sharpish tomorrow morning as the car is being picked up by its new owner!

[TomsFocus]

It'll be the clutch switch. 

The PCM won't know you're trying to do a hill start without a clutch pedal input.

The stop start won't be able to restart if it doesn't know you've pressed the clutch.

[DJ_Andy_M]

41 minutes ago, TomsFocus said:

It'll be the clutch switch. 

The PCM won't know you're trying to do a hill start without a clutch pedal input.

The stop start won't be able to restart if it doesn't know you've pressed the clutch.

I did think this would be more logical than the battery. Is this an easy part to replace if I was to go to a Ford parts place tomorrow?

[Matt92]

I’ve recently pondered, if the clutch pedal switch does go wrong, how do you start a car with push button start. Should I be carrying a spare switch in the car with me just in case, or is there a fail safe? Brake light switches stop working and you end up with no brake lights, so I assume the clutch switch works on the same principle.

Should be easy enough to change, usually just twist to remove.

[TomsFocus]

1 hour ago, DJ_Andy_M said:

I did think this would be more logical than the battery. Is this an easy part to replace if I was to go to a Ford parts place tomorrow?

They switches just push in and out easily, but the access is awkward.  I haven't done one on the MK3 so couldn't tell you how tight it is on these.

32 minutes ago, Matt92 said:

I’ve recently pondered, if the clutch pedal switch does go wrong, how do you start a car with push button start. Should I be carrying a spare switch in the car with me just in case, or is there a fail safe? Brake light switches stop working and you end up with no brake lights, so I assume the clutch switch works on the same principle.

Should be easy enough to change, usually just twist to remove.

If you press the start button and the PCM doesn't get a clutch switch signal it will ask you to press the brake to start instead.  You'd have to be unlucky for both switches to fail together!

[Matt92]

@TomsFocus ahh, well that’s reassuring. It just crossed my mind a couple of times when I haven’t pushed the pedal right down to the floor and the car told me to press the clutch. 

[DJ_Andy_M]

Interestingly although its reporting this error, starting the car without brake is fine, and actually I can't start the engine without first pushing the clutch like normal.

 

[Micro]

19 hours ago, DJ_Andy_M said:

Interestingly although its reporting this error, starting the car without brake is fine, and actually I can't start the engine without first pushing the clutch like normal.

 

There may be two clutch switches.