If you're doing a coolant flush, swap in a new thermostat. And don't forget to get a new gasket.

 

Thanks for the heads up. Planning to bring it into the shop (don’t have space to do much myself).

I’ll look into the thermostat, didn’t know those are prone to fail. Which gasket?

 

Not necessarily prone to fail, but simple to replace once the system is drained as it resides behind the lower radiator hose.

I'd replace the upper and lower hoses and spring clamps as well if you have never done so.

Thermostat: https://www.z1motorsports.com/water-...y-p-10912.html
Gasket: https://www.z1motorsports.com/water-...et-p-5362.html

I wonder if some marketing guy at Dorman is sitting around trying to figure out why 3/4" to 3/4" coupler sales have doubled in the past year.

 

Yep, good advice. When I had my coolant flushed & filled this year, I also replaced the thermostat, but for some inexplicable reason I had a blind spot about the hoses, and didn't replace them at the same time. I can't explain why. I mean, there's only 57K miles on the car, but it's still 13 years old... I should have replaced them. So weird.

Maybe if I were talking more about it here, and had people nudging me with advice, it would have been on my radar.

So in keeping with that, if you're going to flush & fill coolant, then also replace the thermostat (with gasket), radiator hoses and clamps. And if you're wondering why I'm bothering to call out the gasket, that's because it doesn't come with the thermostat. It's a separate purchase. Guess who found that out the hard way? LOL

 

Another issue that is popping up more and more are the rubber pads for the clutch/ brake/ cruise control switches. Mine went about a month ago and just had a neighbor with the same issue (luckily I had a spare so the kid could get to class).

You know, that ounce of prevention thing...

 

You mean those little plunger switches on the pedals themselves?

I replaced the clutch switch years ago because the original was failing. I thought the pads were plastic.

 

The rubber pads that press the switch plunger:

As with anything rubber it will almost always fail at the most inopportune time and place.

Dorman p/n: 74015 or
OEM p/n: 46584-S0100.

 

I found out one of mine failed because one day someone pointed out that my brake lights were on during the day. There was small black broken piece on the floor mat and figured out the culprit. I replaced both of them for piece of mind.

 

I saw that Z1 just released a kit with pads and stoppers: https://www.z1motorsports.com/brake-...t-p-56618.html

Are those it? How does one even know these are going bad?

 

Yes those are the pads and you won't know they're dry rotting until they completely disintegrate. Just like the heater hose.

In my case the ASCD would not set. I knew it wasn't the steering wheel switch (I have the Q60 wheel) and when I went to check the pedal switch the pad was a pulverized mess. Replaced it and as soon as I touched the brake switch pad it "shattered."

Just cheap rubber. Good to replace if your car is over 10 years old, IMO. Cheap insurance.

 

How hard are these to replace? It looks like you removed the entire Clutch/Brake assembly in the picture above? In an assembled setup, where are these located? Can one check without trying to shove their head under the dashboard as I have not figured out how to get in that position and not require a multiple doses of Motrin for the days following.

This discussion and my recent run in with a randomly (all hoses around it look fine) dry rotted EVAP hose here: https://www.myg37.com/forums/g37-sed...ml#post4335335

Has me thinking about other problem areas where we need to be proactive since our cars are getting up there in age.

There's so many rubber hoses under the hood (many related to emissions functions, so not critical, just annoying when they fail), that I wouldn't know where to start. ~15 year old rubber feels like a ticking time bomb. For example, we've discuss replacing the radiator hoses because those seem like obvious suspects, but the heater hoses are equally as vulnerable correct - carry the same toxic coolant which must destroy rubber over time? Any stories of heater hoses breaking down? How about those coolant lines that run into the throttle bodies?

 

Just push the pedal(s) down, line up the pad to the slot in the bracket, and press down. They will snap right into place. If it takes more than a minute per that's too long.

The picture is just a stock image to show, in close up, the pads and their orientation to the pedals and switches. If you look up under the dash they're right there on the pedal assembly.

As for the individual hoses, while the rubber will dry rot over time, I believe the spring clamps lose their tension a lot faster- especially with the TB hoses. My car is 17/18 years-old and the only issues I've had with hoses are the clamps. I went ahead and changed the radiator hoses only because I had the fan assembly removed to replace the belt/ tensioner/ idlers.

YMMV.

 

Is that one on the left side of the phone below? Feels like hard plastic. The other is on the other side of the pedal but not visible. What happens (symptoms) when these wear (brakes, not clutch)? I can’t imagine anyone is proactively replacing these.

 

Here is what to look for:

When the pads break off any of the following will happen (depending on which switch is being affected):

- ASCD will not set;
- Brake lights will remain ON and, if driving, engine will have reduced power; and
- Clutch interlock will be disabled (engine can start while in gear regardless of clutch pedal being pressed or not (at least that's how I understand it)).

 

No apologies needed. People post random pics all the time on Reddit with text like “what happened”. I have no idea what I’m even looking at without any context.

i updated my photo above so that a portion of the brake pedal is showing to provide a reference to top and bottom. Automatic, so mine looks a little different. Brown plug at the top.

I’ll keep an eye out for the symptoms you noted.