GT Performance Mods 2005+ Mustang GT Performance and Technical Information

Starting a manual car by pushing?

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Old Jan 11, 2006 | 05:21 PM
  #1  
cyoon's Avatar
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This is just a random question. A friend of mine was telling me that if you push a manual car that's in neutral, and get it going, and then pop it into 1st, the car will start. Is this true? I remember seeing something like that on older cars (70's), but I don't think that would work on a mustang. Just wondering if anyone knew anything about that. Thanks.
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Old Jan 11, 2006 | 05:29 PM
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The best way to do it is to have it in gear with the clutch in, get it rolling and then dump the clutch. Just make sure the ignition is on.

Mike
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Old Jan 11, 2006 | 05:48 PM
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I have heard you should have it in second gear (instead of first). But take that with a grain of salt.
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Old Jan 11, 2006 | 05:54 PM
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I have done it in first, second,and reverse with other vehicles. Make sure if others are pushing that the engine is on as they tend to get grumpy when you don't (go figure )

I got so good with the Fiesta that I could get it going myself, hop in, dump the clutch and go. I was 18 and that starter motor seemed really expensive.
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Old Jan 11, 2006 | 06:36 PM
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CYOON

You are proof that folks do not seem to know the basics anymore.

I'm not dissing you, but I am feeling real old now. :notnice:

I guess it is progress that a standard transmission is no longer standard!
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Old Jan 11, 2006 | 06:49 PM
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Only thing I would add is dont try it with a stone dead battery.
You wont get very far.
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Old Jan 11, 2006 | 06:56 PM
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yea its silly with a modern car, you have to have full electric power to 'light' the computer, work the fuel pump, and control the spark. In the old days, you would do it BECAUSE of a dead battery, as the distributor and fuel pump would actually work because of them being mechanically driven items. How would you even get any gas in a modern car that doesn't even have a throttle cable if there were no electronics? There isn't exatly any 'extra' fuel sitting in the carb bowls...

I guess it would be a simple experiment in a parking lot by getting the car up to about 10 mph(MAX!), shutting off the switch, pushing in the clutch, turning the key back to full acc, and lifting the clutch
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Old Jan 11, 2006 | 07:01 PM
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Originally posted by 38special@January 11, 2006, 8:39 PM
CYOON

You are proof that folks do not seem to know the basics anymore.

I'm not dissing you, but I am feeling real old now. :notnice:

I guess it is progress that a standard transmission is no longer standard!
Heh, 38 you live in my neighborhood or, maybe I live in yours :scratch: ....
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Old Jan 11, 2006 | 07:32 PM
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I did this once to my 89 stang when the starter died... worked quite well. It is better to do it in a higher gear. This makes sense when you think about it... the engine will be easier to turn over. But by the same token, too high a gear and it will be too low of RPM to get going. I'd recommend 2nd gear. In the 05 owners manual, it says not to push start the vehicle, but it doesn't say why. May as well just use the free roadside assistance for now! =)
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Old Jan 11, 2006 | 08:45 PM
  #10  
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i havent done it on the 05, but on previous cars... always did it in second.
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Old Jan 11, 2006 | 09:42 PM
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Done it several times... once when i was installing the new audio equipment and after some time, duno rememeber, like 1 hr or something... the car went dead cause the engine wasnt running... so i just pushed it, hoped in, and startet it... and then this other time, we (mustang club guadalajara) where at chapala lake and i left my car radio on so we coul hear some music, girls, beers u know... and after some time it started to fade aout, then went dead... so we pushed, and started it... its better if you do it in second gear...

Im felling sooooooooooo old.......... 23?
Why r u guys becoming like nerds? only computer, electonics and you are all forgetting the basics!... LOL... and some of you are older than me!...
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Old Jan 11, 2006 | 11:05 PM
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Originally posted by kevinb120@January 11, 2006, 8:59 PM
yea its silly with a modern car, you have to have full electric power to 'light' the computer, work the fuel pump, and control the spark. In the old days, you would do it BECAUSE of a dead battery, as the distributor and fuel pump would actually work because of them being mechanically driven items. How would you even get any gas in a modern car that doesn't even have a throttle cable if there were no electronics? There isn't exatly any 'extra' fuel sitting in the carb bowls...

I guess it would be a simple experiment in a parking lot by getting the car up to about 10 mph(MAX!), shutting off the switch, pushing in the clutch, turning the key back to full acc, and lifting the clutch

Yeah, I found out the hard way back in high school with my 84 EFI celica.
Left lights on all day in school. me and a few guys pushed, but no luck, I was like WTF. So one dude got in his car, got me up to 30-40mph in the parking lot and still no start!! I was swearin up a storm. Until I got a jump.

Hey kevin, I go to your town once a year in the summer and stay at the Westfields Marriot for a Huge annual lan party. Will be July/August this year if I go. Had a v6 vert rental last year for the trip.
Maybe ill see you or 38, lol
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Old Jan 11, 2006 | 11:07 PM
  #13  
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I didn't think you could push-start the new 'Stangs since there is no throttle cable - and without electricity to run the throttle solenoid and fuel pump I believe you are out of luck!!

Carry jumper cables.
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Old Jan 12, 2006 | 12:10 AM
  #14  
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Originally posted by mrkabc@January 11, 2006, 11:10 PM
I didn't think you could push-start the new 'Stangs since there is no throttle cable - and without electricity to run the throttle solenoid and fuel pump I believe you are out of luck!!

Carry jumper cables.

Consider this:

If your battery doesn't have enough power to crank the engine, yet it still has enough power to run the fuel pump, computer, throttle actuator etc... compression starting is a viable option.

Put the car in neutral, make sure the iginition is "on", get it rolling (have 2 or 3 poeple push it) about 5 or 10 mph, jump in, push in the clutch, put it in second gear, let the clutch out... it should fire right up.
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Old Jan 12, 2006 | 07:53 AM
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Originally posted by Stoenr@January 12, 2006, 1:08 AM
Yeah, I found out the hard way back in high school with my 84 EFI celica.
Left lights on all day in school. me and a few guys pushed, but no luck, I was like WTF. So one dude got in his car, got me up to 30-40mph in the parking lot and still no start!! I was swearin up a storm. Until I got a jump.

Hey kevin, I go to your town once a year in the summer and stay at the Westfields Marriot for a Huge annual lan party. Will be July/August this year if I go. Had a v6 vert rental last year for the trip.
Maybe ill see you or 38, lol

Been ther done that at UVA, didn't go last year and only for one night the year before

My brother (bridude) and a good buddy of mine (fitty) do a lot of the coordination there with cheater I mised it last year because 'I didnt have time' and I only live 3 miles from the hotel :shock:
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Old Jan 12, 2006 | 09:13 AM
  #16  
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I've done it on an 02 Mustang. I've stalled the car on a really icy road at about 50kph by locking up the brakes (before I got the clutch in).

Clutch in, 3rd gear, popped the clutched, and it fired right back up.
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Old Jan 12, 2006 | 10:40 AM
  #17  
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Originally posted by kevinb120@January 12, 2006, 9:56 AM
Been ther done that at UVA, didn't go last year and only for one night the year before

My brother (bridude) and a good buddy of mine (fitty) do a lot of the coordination there with cheater I mised it last year because 'I didnt have time' and I only live 3 miles from the hotel :shock:

Get the heck out!!!! I been staff the last 3 years! me and my G/F Stonetress both.

She did broadcasting with WSBN/WOFN

Bridude
Fitty
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Old Jan 12, 2006 | 10:54 AM
  #18  
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Kevin120

Where are you working now? You used to be at the Chantilly Autopark, then you moved to Some other dealer....

I thought I might have seen you a while back when I came out to see the FORD GT but you had moved on....
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Old Jan 12, 2006 | 11:12 AM
  #19  
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Make sure if others are pushing that the engine is on as they tend to get grumpy when you don't (go figure )
That made me laugh, a long time ago I was going out with this girl who had an old vw bug, always had trouble with the darn thing. I work nights and she called me early in the morning after my 12 hour shift and an hour of sleep crying her car wouldn't start. Reluctantly I went to go help her. I pushed that car for about an hour without it starting. I'm half asleep, tired, sweaty and ready to push that pos off a cliff when I start asking her if maybe we could leave it and try again after I've had some sleep when I noticed the key was off...

Man did that ever make me "grumpy"...

Second gear is a little better to use so the car doesn't jump so hard and stall after it fires up. Hold the clutch in get it rolling pop the clutch and as soon as it fires push the clutch back in again. If the battery is weak, hence the reason your push starting it, let it run a good while, or drive it for a bit to charge the battery some. Sometimes, if you left your lights on, you can just let it sit overnight and the battery may gain enough charge to get you going.
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Old Jan 12, 2006 | 01:42 PM
  #20  
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Originally posted by Stoenr@January 12, 2006, 12:43 PM
Get the heck out!!!! I been staff the last 3 years! me and my G/F Stonetress both.

She did broadcasting with WSBN/WOFN

Bridude
Fitty
Stonestress!....you lucky dog

Yea and don't forget steve the talking Bounty head with his machine gun laugh AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA (wheres the 'rainbow' smiley when you need it?)

I was more into it while tribes 2 was still around(phut yoo)
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