Some drivers press the clutch when they start the car, others don't. Some just do it the way they were taught, others have specific explanations of how pressing or not pressing the clutch protects certain parts, and there's also safety... Who's right?
Some drivers press the clutch when they start their car, others don't. Some just do it the way they were taught, others have specific explanations about how pressing or not pressing the clutch protects certain parts, and then there's safety... Who's right?
Let's start with the most important thing. That's safety - and after that comes technical stuff.
Safety
We advise you to always start the engine with:
a) the clutch pressed
b) the gear lever in neutral
c) and the handbrake pulled, and it doesn't hurt to keep your foot on the footbrake pedal
Why the clutch pressed?
Because if you turn the key and the gear is in gear, the car can jump and cause damage or injure someone.
But I never keep the gear in gear, I just pull the handbrake!
Yes, but maybe someone else put it in gear.
For example, someone from the family or a friend was reparking the car or simply going to the car to get something, noticed that the transmission was not in gear and put it in gear, thinking that they were doing you a favor.
Or maybe you are picking up the car from a service station, from a car wash or from a technical inspection...
Maybe you yourself, for some reason, despite a firmly established habit, leave the transmission in "first" - someone distracts you, so you forget, etc. Just as an "empty" gun goes off once a year, so in this case, a moment of inattention can cost you dearly.
There are many different scenarios in which you get behind the wheel and turn the key, and the transmission is in gear even though you are convinced that it is not.
But if I press the clutch out of habit, why does the transmission have to be "in neutral" (neutral position)?
It doesn't have to, but it is another form of safety. For example, your foot may slip off the pedal, and early in the morning while your brain is still half-awake, you may release the clutch thinking you have disengaged the transmission...
In addition, you will generally not start the car the second you start it, and it is not healthy to hold the clutch for a long time.
You cannot start some cars at all if you do not press the clutch
There are cars whose engines are impossible to start without pressing the clutch. There are both older and newer ones, regardless of whether they are started by turning the key or pressing a button.
From a mechanical point of view...
By pressing the clutch pedal, you separate the engine and transmission, and thus make it easier for the starter (and the battery) to "turn" the engine until it starts.
Namely, even when the gear lever is in the neutral position, this does not mean that the engine and transmission are separated. When the engine is idling, certain parts in the transmission also rotate, but the gears are in such a position that nothing is transmitted to the wheels.
How much resistance does the transmission provide in this case and how much does that resistance actually affect starting the engine without the clutch depressed?
This depends on many factors, so it is impossible to give a universal answer. It depends on the engine, (power) of the starter, the battery, the type of oil in the transmission, the period during which the car is not started, the outside temperature...
For example, many drivers certainly know what happens to Zastava vehicles in winter, at low temperatures, when immediately after starting the car with the gear lever in neutral, they release the clutch?
The car literally starts, even though the transmission is not in gear. Why?
Because the oil in the transmission has "thickened" enough due to the low temperature to be able to transfer a certain force between the transmission components that are physically separated, and thus start the car.
This is not a matter of the vehicle or transmission design, as the same thing happens with some older vehicles of other brands, but rather of the characteristics of the oil at low temperatures, but this "phenomenon" can serve as an example and help in understanding the entire problem. With newer, higher-quality oils, this problem is drastically reduced, if not eliminated.
Basically, by pressing the clutch, you separate the engine from the transmission, removing unnecessary resistance and making the job easier for the starter, engine and battery.
"Unbelievers"
Many drivers do not press the clutch; they say that:
a) their alternator has never failed
b) that the engine starts immediately
c) and that their batteries last for years after the warranty expires
They also claim that they do not change the way they start their car in winter or summer, so they see no reason to press the clutch when starting.
We do not intend to convince such drivers to change their habits. We just urge you to check before each start whether the transmission is really out of gear – for your own safety and that of others.
Extends the life of the floating flywheel
It is impossible to estimate how much the life of the floating flywheel will be extended if you start and stop the car with the clutch depressed, but it is certain that the vibrations during these two “events” are not pleasant at all.
What do the car manufacturers say?
All the car user manuals we have looked at say the same thing – the car starts with the clutch depressed. And the transmission in neutral.
Conclusion
You can start the car without depressing the clutch, but we do not recommend it at all.
For safety first, and for the sake of vehicle safety second.
