:) This was a funny exchange that I thought Fit owners would enjoy:

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CLICK AND CLACK: Rolling start irks wife

By Tom and Ray Magliozzi


January 28, 2007
Dear Tom and Ray: I sometimes roll-start our new Honda Fit. My wife didn't care when I did this to our old '91 Civic, but she claims it hurts the new car. My wife says her father taught her that roll-starting is only for when the battery is dead or the starter breaks. I'm sure my father-in-law, a food scientist and automatic-transmission driver for the past 30 years, would admit no expertise in the more esoteric areas of manual-car usage. So she ordered me to contact you two. She knows you have the wisdom to always side with the wife. What damage or benefits result from roll-starting a car down a lightly sloped driveway once or twice a week? --Michael

Ray: Well, there are two types of damage to look at, Michael. There's the mechanical damage, and there's the marital damage.

Tom: As far as mechanical damage, there is none. Zilch. You're not harming anything. You're simply replacing the function of the starter motor with rolling wheels.

Ray: And as long as you pop the clutch at, say, 3 mph to 5 mph, and not 40 mph, no harm is being done to anything. I suppose that any additional clutch wear might even be offset by your lighter use of the starter motor and battery.

Tom: But in the interests of marital harmony and father-in-law relations, Michael (you don't want to be served nothing but turkey butt at Thanksgiving, do you?), I would suggest you say the following: "Hon, I checked with Tom and Ray. They said there's no real damage done from roll-starting the car, but there are no real benefits either. So if it bothers you, I won't do it."

Ray: Then only do it when she's not in the car, Michael.



Got a question about cars? Write to Click and Clack in care of this newspaper, or e-mail them by visiting the Car Talk Web site at www.cartalk.com.
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Wait what's the f-ing point of roll starting an 07 Honda? Is this guy a complete dinosaur?

I see no logic in his actions.....

 

It never hurts to be comfortable with the process. I don't know how many times I had to start my old Civic this way.

JonasM

 

Same here. He seems like some shadetree wanna-be. Lame. Maybe he feels cool doing it. :confused:

 

I don't know why -- But i used to get a kick out of roll-starting my old 96 Ford Escort in reverse.

 

I've done it once, but jsut for learning purposes.

 

I have never done this, but have heard of it, can somebody explain the process?

 

A simple way to explain:

1. Start off stopped on a downhill.
2. Let off the brake to allow the vehicle to start moving, with gravity.
3. When you get to about 10 mph, push in on the clutch.
4. Put it in 2nd gear.
5. Make sure that the key is turned on.
6. Release the clutch, and it will start.

There are other variations, but that is a simple explanation. Please note that you have to have a vehicle with a clutch to perform this.

 

this is how I did it (i tried it). Key is in.
1. Start off stopped on a downhill.
2. Let off the brake to allow the vehicle to start moving, with gravity. You are in 1st gear, but while clutch is disengaged

1-2b(alternate method): on a straight road, a bunch of friends pushing your car forward from behind. step on the clutch as they push the car)

3. When you get to about 10mph, engage the clutch (at 1st gear), and immediately press gas pedal. if you don't hit the gas pedal, the car will engine brake and stop, and you have to start over.
4. The car should be driving now as if you just used a key for ignition. Steps 1-3 is equivalent to ignition step. It's like CPR for your car.

your note is important. This only works for manuals. This is one reason why stick shift cars have higher resale value than their automatic counterparts.

also, i don't know if this is a typo. You make it seem like you let go of brake while going downhill, while the clutch is engaged. The car won't roll if you are in gear. Even tho the car is "parked" in 1st gear facing downhill, the car won't move. I've tried my method (while learning) and on step #3 when i don't press gas pedal, the car still stops immediately (it's very painful shift shock/engine brake).

 

Perfect David, been doing this for years, sometimes for fun, and sometimes (damn Bosch generators!) out of need. The only modification I have made is sometimes #1 involved manual power (w/o hill).

How many other people on this fourm have actually hand-crank started a car....

....dating myself fast.

 

haha. I thought this thread was about racing from a roll. haha.

ok back to the subject...

 

I used to do this far too often back before headlight reminders. But then a Civic 1200 only weighed 1500lb; I'm not sure I could push a Fit uphill.

 

Try a Volvo 144S by yourself in the dark via the driver's door opening....add the steps of run, jump, don't fall to the above....

 

I imagine your driveway works perfect for a rolling start... I enjoyed this post. It is good advice to concider your wife... I would do it very discreatly... Good luck. hey send us a picture of your driveway in action. Speaking of the dinasor comment I dont think rolling a car down a hill is the same as a riding a rolling boulder down hill. Cave men would have called this progress;)

 

Car Talk is great! Love that show listen every saturday.

 

manuals do not have higher resale values than automatics in most cars, the exception might be a sports car.

 

I had to start my 91 SE-R this way for about 2 weeks once when the starter blew and I had limited $ to replace it. That sucked, you really had to plan ahead for where you parked to make sure you had enough room to push start it, and I'd often go into a store or something for 20 minutes and leave it running.

 

Stupid question: won't the engine come on as soon as you turn the key on?

 

No, there's an "on" position, and also a "start" position beyond the on position.

 

The Key isn't moved all the way to crank the starter.

Most times the roll start is used because the batter is dead and turning the key and pressing the gas gets nothing unless the car is moving.

The procedure for roll start as described is fine and it's best to use 2nd gear. First is too hard to make it reliable.
:mad: :D