Motoring Discussion > All this time I didn't know how to start a car	Miscellaneous
Thread Author: RattleandSmoke	Replies: 30

Fri 14 May 10 21:48   All this time I didn't know how to start a car - RattleandSmoke

I thought I better read something called the manual which came with my car, even though the Panda is so simple to drive its almost as if it was designed for BSM. It says when starting the car to drip the clutch. I never do this, what is the logic behind this? All I think is it would be less load on the starter motor as the gearbox is disconected but I don't think I can get into the habit of doing it. The other strange this is it suggests to use jump leads if the battery is flat, again I thought you can't do this with modern cars due possible ECU damage. Reply to this message | Report message

Fri 14 May 10 21:57   All this time I didn't know how to start a car - henry k

>> It says when starting the car to drip the clutch. >> I assume a typo :-) It is obviously safer, in case it has been left in gear. I always understood that it reduces the drag from the gearbox. I have always done it on from day one. >>The other strange this is it suggests to use jump leads if the battery is flat >> Not strange!. The important think is to RTFM carefully ( do not guess and ignore 99% of pub advice) about disconnecting the leads. If they are strange then keep a good copy of the pages in the car for reference. Reply to this message | Report message

Fri 14 May 10 22:00   All this time I didn't know how to start a car - henry k

>>All this time I didn't know how to start a car >> I thought you were going to say re the gas pedal. IIRC it is feet off the gas, turn the key and let it do its own thing. I still hear loads of drivers giving it welly at start up. Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 15 May 10 11:57   All this time I didn't know how to start a car - Chris S

>> I still hear loads of drivers giving it welly at start up. >> If you do this on a Micra the ECU thinks the engine is flooded and will turn the petrol pump off! Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 15 May 10 15:22   All this time I didn't know how to start a car - VxFan

>> If you do this on a Micra the ECU thinks the engine is flooded and will turn the petrol pump off! Only if you put your foot right to the floor on the throttle. Same applies on a lot of other cars too. Reply to this message | Report message

Fri 14 May 10 22:00   All this time I didn't know how to start a car - Old Navy

As you say less drag and load on the starter motor and battery, especially in cold weather. If you are parked close to something solid, and forget the car is in gear when you start it, you will find out why it is a good habit to put your foot on the clutch when starting the car. Last edited by: Old Navy on Fri 14 May 10 at 22:01 Reply to this message | Report message

Fri 14 May 10 22:02   All this time I didn't know how to start a car - Harleyman

If you DRIP your clutch it probably means you have a fluid flywheel! ;-) Two reasons for holding the clutch down. The first you've already covered, the second is that it prevents you from causing accident or injury if you've left the car in gear. Good habit to get into. As for jump leads; I'm not sure about cars but certainly Iveco lorries can suffer in this way if they're used. Edit; good advice from Henry K, rerading of manual should be a compulsory part of the purchase, especially the bit about how to turn the rear fog light off! Last edited by: Harleyman on Fri 14 May 10 at 22:04 Reply to this message | Report message

Fri 14 May 10 22:04   All this time I didn't know how to start a car - RattleandSmoke

I remember the Puntos manual saying not to use jump leads, and the Corsa and Fiestas manual state the same, I wonder if the Panda has got some extra protection for the ECU? I always check the car is neutral anyway before I starting but I suppose I will try and get into the habbit. Reply to this message | Report message

Fri 14 May 10 22:26   All this time I didn't know how to start a car - Lygonos

Some cars, such as Hyundai won't start if you don't depress the clutch - it is good practice to do so anyway for the reasons above. Most cars can be perfectly safely jumpstarted if you follow the instructions (usually battery pos to pos, then donor battery negative to body earth strap... reversed for removal) - the reason some cars will suggest not to do so will be to prevent warranty claims from idiots who do it without reading the manual first. Reply to this message | Report message

Fri 14 May 10 23:04   All this time I didn't know how to start a car - Armel Coussine

>> Some cars, such as Hyundai won't start if you don't depress the clutch - it is good >>practice to do so anyway for the reasons above. You have preempted me Lygonos. My Chrysler won't start without the clutch pedal down. Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 15 May 10 19:38   All this time I didn't know how to start a car - Duncan

>> My Chrysler won't start without the clutch pedal down. >> My Mercedes won't start without the brake pedal down. Reply to this message | Report message

Fri 14 May 10 22:48   All this time I didn't know how to start a car - henry k

>> I remember the Puntos manual saying not to use jump leads, and the Corsa and >> Fiestas manual state the same, I wonder if the Panda has got some extra protection >> for the ECU? >> How Strange. I suspect that a rescue company would use jump leads. I have used jump leads on Sierra, Mondeo, Focus and Yaris. Ford Focus and Mobndeo II user manuals certainly define how to use jump leads. Most odd you state NOT Fiesta The Ford manuals do however spell out in detail how to REMOVE the leads hence my earlier comments on RTFM. IIRC it says switch on the HRW NOT the lights before disconnecting. You will not get that sort of info down the pub or from the ancient mechanic! Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 15 May 10 00:09   All this time I didn't know how to start a car - bathtub tom

I suspect it said not to BUMP start the car, there's a difference. Although people I've spoken to think bump starting involves jump leads! Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 15 May 10 00:29   All this time I didn't know how to start a car - kensitas

>>All this time I didn't know how to start a car Indeed . Jump starting as well - how do you think the battery does it anyway...? Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 15 May 10 08:56   All this time I didn't know how to start a car - Bazzabear

I remember, a long time ago, being a passenger in a friends ailing rover 200, when it conked out. Asked her if she knew how to bump start, and was told yes, so jumped out and started pushing it (uphill I might add). As I reached terminal velocity (by which I mean I was about to pass out myself) I heard the unmistakable sound of her trying to start the car with the key. Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 15 May 10 03:29   All this time I didn't know how to start a car - VxFan

>> I remember the Puntos manual saying not to use jump leads, and the Corsa manual state the same.... I don't know which handbook you were reading R&S, but all the Corsa handbooks (and other Vauxhall handbooks come to that) that I have all say that jump leads can be used, and it goes into detail of how to use them correctly. Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 15 May 10 10:07   All this time I didn't know how to start a car - R.P.

Oddly the Honda pool car we had in work had to have its clutch dipped before it would start - I now have maintained this habit in the CRV where there is considerably more drag from the transmission I would imagine. Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 15 May 10 10:15   All this time I didn't know how to start a car - Runfer D'Hills

I think I've always pushed the clutch in when starting cars. Can't begin to say why. Someone must have suggested it when I was learning I guess. Always leave it parked in gear too. Can't not, doesn't feel right. Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 15 May 10 10:23   All this time I didn't know how to start a car - swiss tony

>> I think I've always pushed the clutch in when starting cars. Can't begin to say >> why. Someone must have suggested it when I was learning I guess. Always leave it >> parked in gear too. Can't not, doesn't feel right. >> Im the same, except....when in other peoples cars, I leave those in neutral - being in the trade you have to. once saw a customers car (which I did NOT park) go through a fence as it had been left in gear. Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 15 May 10 10:28   All this time I didn't know how to start a car - Runfer D'Hills

Tee Hee ! I think if I worked in the trade (and it was my last day) I'd go round putting them all in gear..... Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 15 May 10 10:39   All this time I didn't know how to start a car - -

In many compounds cars are left in Ist gear and the handbrake is not applied, not lazy chaps it's compound policy. Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 15 May 10 10:45   All this time I didn't know how to start a car - swiss tony

>> In many compounds cars are left in Ist gear and the handbrake is not applied, >> not lazy chaps it's compound policy. >> And IMO a very good one, as it saves damage to the parking brake mechanism if stored for an extended time. at the retail side of the trade, (where I am) you get the punters jumping in, not expecting it to be in gear and BANG! IMO poor teaching is to blame, where is the pain in pushing down the clutch upon starting? Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 15 May 10 10:52   All this time I didn't know how to start a car - -

>> And IMO a very good one, as it saves damage to the parking brake mechanism >> if stored for an extended time. This goes wrong with electric handbrakes though as they are usually in auto mode, so get applied every time the ignition is turned off. Leaving automated manuals in gear takes a bit of thinking about most of them if not all having no Park position (one driving instructor receiving his Fiat 500 auto was most dismayed at this), and you have to remember to take it out of gear once you turn the ignition on to restart. Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 15 May 10 11:10   All this time I didn't know how to start a car - crocks

I always dip the clutch to start. It dates back to my first cars which were always difficult to start so any help was welcome. Had to move a friend's Porsche once and his wife warned me I needed to dip the clutch to get it to start. I would have done that anyway but I failed to notice it was in neutral when I started it and so when I left it back in place I just left it in gear as I always do. Half an hour later my friend gets in his car not knowing anyone had been in it, starts it with the clutch down, and let's the clutch up suddenly expecting it to be in neutral. Gave him a bit of a shock! Tyres screeched and luckily it stalled as it was only about three feet from the garage door. Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 15 May 10 12:07   All this time I didn't know how to start a car - Ted

I never, ever push the clutch down on either of our cars.....they're both automatic.:-) When in a manual, I have no preference either way. Cars are very clever now, when we got the Note, I spent some time trying to get the key out. Then realised it had to be in ' park ' The handbrake on the Jowett, a pistol grip under the dash by the drivers right knee, is only used once a year, at the MOT. It's just not good enough to rely on. Ted Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 15 May 10 12:09   All this time I didn't know how to start a car - Bromptonaut

The Xantia's handbook includes advice to drop the clutch Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 15 May 10 12:37   All this time I didn't know how to start a car - Fursty Ferret

Clutch should be used for safety reasons more than anything else. It's there:- use it. Some cars have an electrical interlock for precisely this reason. You might end up regretting not doing so the day someone is walking in front of your car when you try to start it. Don't they teach this sort of thing any more during driving lessons? Last edited by: Alfa Floor on Sat 15 May 10 at 12:38 Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 15 May 10 14:06   All this time I didn't know how to start a car - Harleyman

Certain species of lorry (the DAF 45 series in particular) will not start unless they're in neutral, clutch depressed or not. Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 15 May 10 15:16   All this time I didn't know how to start a car - Hard Cheese

I have always done this, and the FocusST (keyless) will not start unless the clutch is depressed. Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 15 May 10 23:11   All this time I didn't know how to start a car - Mr Moo

On the farm I used to work on, we had a number of Ford tractors of a similar age. With the 7710, you had to have the range (hi, lo, reverse) gear lever in neutral to start the engine. With the 8210, you could leave it in gear (if you wanted), but had to dip the clutch to get it to crank over. An old International 454 could be started in gear if you were feeling very lazy and would just chug along from there once you released the key from the start position! Reply to this message | Report message

Sat 15 May 10 23:21   All this time I didn't know how to start a car - bathtub tom

I was in a field on an autotest. The button on the handbrake was locked down to give a fly-off effect. We stopped for lunch. Before the re-start I reached in the driver's window to start the engine to warm it up, forgetting I'd left it in gear to stop it rolling on the slope. It started. A Hillman Imp based special stopped it! Reply to this message | Report message