::.. Rolling start your manual tranny

[Qube]

After hearing about it from my colleague and some disjointed memories, I thought I'd bring up a topic on it.

If you starter motor is failing, you can start your engine using the vehicle's speed. You may want to practice this a few times with a working car first, just to get the hang of it:

In a nutshell (via everything2):

Get your car to have some speed somehow. Either roll it down a hill, or have someone push it up to, say, 5-6 mph.

Now, with the car rolling, make sure the ignition is on. Put your car in 1st gear, and slowly release the clutch. when the clutch starts to catch, and the engine starts rotating, release it faster, and give some gas. If you did it correctly, your engine should be purring like a kitten, without using the starter motor the normal way. If you are rolling down a hill, start the engine with the 2nd gear instead, as this is gentler on the engine. Get it up to 10-15 mph by rolling, and let go of the clutch slowly, give some gas, and you are on!

Now surely someone has done this here... any tips or thoughts? I'm actually going to have something to do at lunch :)

[brosher]

The trusty pop start. Also works if you drain your battery by leaving something on.

I try to push the clutch in as soon as the motor fires. You don't want to be flooring it, have the motor fire, and drive into a tree.

[nizmainiac]

2nd gear is better for bump starting:) never had to do it yet in bimmer though

[calmloki]

Damn. Make me feel like a relic. I've had a whole succession of cars that finances dicated pop starting. One of the big reasons automatics didn't appeal. Had a Datsun 510 that I'd throw a rope on, Sally would pull start me, I'd jump out, unhook and we'd go off to our respective jobs. For months. Come quitting time I'd flag down a forklift driver and they would push start me. Unnerving to be in a little tin box and see a forklift approaching you at ramming speed. Whole new meaning to pop starting! Forklift drivers thought it was great fun. Most recently pop started a Chevy Sprint on the highway fairly shortly after having a varicose vein stripped and hernia repaired. Key on, push with driver's door open, hop in, shift, and pop clutch. A little awkward, but you do what you've got to do.
Tom

[Qube]

Well I took a nap instead of trying this :| I'll try later.

[Eric Clark]

We were out of town once with a 94 525i 5 speed and the alternator was going out. We were able to make it the entire weekend with only once needing a jump from AAA (we had to parellel park). It was 4 males so we never had a problem pushing the car and always tried to park on some kind of hill. I'm not sure how it was alternator because we made the 2 hour drive home but the owner took it to the dealer so they might have replaced it because they knew they could.

[KenB]

'63 VW bug 6v electrics was always needing a push start. Mine was usually solo if no hill: key on, driver door open, get rolling, jump in, pop it in second and away we go!

Warning: This can be very dangerous if you slip!
Do not use your new toaster oven in a bathtub

...you know, that kind of warning...

[535ise]

This only works to a point though because if you haven't got enough volts left the ECU/fuel pump won't work but your battery has got to be very mullered to get that low

[Paul in NZ]

never use first,second or even third will do the job much better

[Zeuk in Oz]

2nd gear is better for bump starting:) never had to do it yet in bimmer though
Agreed - 2nd gear is smoother and less dramatic.

Edit : Just as an aside, my parents had a Volvo 164 back in the early 70s that had a Borg Warner 35 auto gearbox that could be push started. If they could do it then, why not now ?

[The Bigfella]

Most autos you can't do it with - I think the main reason is that the oil pump doesn't work with them freewheeling - which is also why most autos can't be towed unless their drive wheels are on a trolley. I know the auto W126 Mercs can be both towed and roll started - but I think you need to get up to 50+kph to start it.

Guess I've jump started cars and bikes many hundreds of times. Borrowed a '60 VW off my brother for a few months when I was at uni - it had totally knackered exhaust valves and virtually zero compression - the only way to get it going was to park on a hill and use third gear - wouldn't start under about 25 kph.

Then of course there's the go karts - and that's the only way to start them.

Ian