What the heck does it do? I've pulled it out before changing oil with a safety lockout in mind in case my gf wanted to use the car. But the car started up as usual when I tried it. WTF?

 

It's a 3rd gen oddity, both my maximas started right up with it removed also..

 

yea, i noticed that too on mine.... if you want to prevent starting, unhook the 1-wire clip that goes to the starter. easy to hook/unhook, and will DEF prevent accidental starting.

 

it's a starter fuse, you use it in the beginning until you grow into a full fuse

 

Sounds like one for Myth Busters.

Anyway that's interesting. However, removing the ENG CONT fuse seems to prevent starting. Thanks for the input comrades.

 

come to think of it........ just pull the 30A fusible link labelled "ignition".. that cuts all power to the ignition switch. That way, it won't crank, it won't pump fuel, won't turn the ECU, nothin'.

 

why doesn't some just follow the wiring diagram to see what it actually controls?

 

Cuz that wiring diagram is hard to understand. I look at it and go

 

k. just did.

It's only for the manual trannies. Well... it's wired into both harnesses, but the only time a wire connects to it is on a manual tranny-from-the-factory car. It just takes the place of the P/N switch.

On the automatics, the power goes through the Eng Cont fuse, then through the P/N switch, then it joins back up with the same wire that comes out of the Starter fuse for the m/t, at connector F1.

On the M/T, the power goes from the starter fuse, through the joint connector J/C9, through connector M37 (no switches or anything to affect power transmission).

Regardless of tranny, those 2 potential routes connect at connector E2, and go to the interrupt relay. After that, it's different again - power goes straight to the Inhibitor rely on a/t, or through the clutch start switch and then onto the interlock relay on the m/t. After that, the circuit grounds out.

fwiw, that is the basis upon which I did my 5spd rewire for my clutch start switch.. i just wired the clutch switch in parallel to the P/N switch and sent the power directly where it was going to go eventually (interrupt relay)

well you have to be able to understand what's gonna make power go where, and what the symbols mean. Especially relays... took me a while before i could understand them but now it's pretty easy. Hardest one was figuring out how the Cruie Control Hold Relay worked. Heh.