Push Starting Tips & Tricks

[venusone]

So your battery is dead. When doing a push start what is your procedure to guarantee a successful start?

[308 milano]

I have found that they are much easier to push with the parking break released.... no seriously, never "push started" a Ferrari but with most manual vehicles it works best to get it rolling then throw it in third,turn the ignition switch on and release the clutch.. should start right up. Don't think theirs a chance in hell of "push starting" an F1

[Dr Who]

Originally Posted by 308 milano

I have found that they are much easier to push with the parking break released

A little off topic, once upon a time, me and my ol' lady (that what we used to call our girlfriends back in the day) were driving a 1964 VW Bug cross country when the damn thing wouldn't start. (Turns out the problem was the wire between the key and solenoid, but we wouldn't find this out till we hit the coast.)

Because the car was a 6 volt, I couldn't jump it.

Because my girlfriend didn't know how to work a clutch, she ended up push starting it all the way across the country. I did the best I could, I really did. I would try to park on an incline at night to make it easier the next day. But there are some awful flat spots on I-40.

Man, you had to love those mountain mammas.

Dale

PS I don't see why you couldn't push start an F1, but I wouldn't wanna try it.

[Fred2]

Originally Posted by venusone

So your battery is dead. When doing a push start what is your procedure to guarantee a successful start?

You need at least some "juice" in the battery, or the ignition won't fire.

[Artvonne]

I recall an article I read about hand propping airplanes. Many of the little 60 and 90 HP Conti's didn't have a starter, so there was no other way to crank it up. But he then went on to describe the dangers of trying to start larger engines by hand. As he said, there is a reason it has a starter motor on the engine.

Same for a Ferrari. While it will push start down the street, doing the old run and jump and poke it into third, I think it best to fix the problem and start the car the way Enzo intended.

That said, the first Ferrari I ever called about was back in 1975. A 1963 250 California was for sale in the Mpls area for $10K, needed a starter motor. The owner said it would push start, the starter didnt work. Boy did my dad have a laugh, a $10K car you have to push start. Bob Bodin bought it, and still has it, and I never fail to remind dear old dad who's laughing now.

[CornersWell]

Start at the TOP of the hill...

CW

[zygomatic]

Bring friends!

[Mitch Alsup]

Seriously, dead battery with a push start is almost guarenteed to burn up the alternator after (and if) you get the car started. Get a battery charger and charge the battery.

[Qvb]

Make sure you disarm the remote/alarm or the car will never start.

[Dr Who]

Originally Posted by Mitch Alsup

Seriously, dead battery with a push start is almost guarenteed to burn up the alternator after (and if) you get the car started. Get a battery charger and charge the battery.

Why is that? Not that I understand that magic stuff called electricity. But would it be due to the alternator working too hard?

Dale

[RMDC]

Agree with the 3rd gear scenario, but a jump start will not light up an alternator, an old generator , yes. So in this case if your F car has a generator you are good to go.

[RMDC]

[QUOTE=Artvonne;139106166]I recall an article I read about hand propping airplanes. Many of the little 60 and 90 HP Conti's didn't have a starter, so there was no other way to crank it up.

To my point in a previous post - Those little Continental engines had generators not alternators. CSELSMEL.

[Mitch Alsup]

Originally Posted by Dr Who

Why is that? Not that I understand that magic stuff called electricity. But would it be due to the alternator working too hard?

The alternator has to work hard and for a long time to get the battery up to charge. At the same time it has to supply the load for the whole car. This is a recipie for blowing diodes and less frequently the windings.

[bwassam]

[QUOTE=RMDC;139109635]

Originally Posted by Artvonne

I recall an article I read about hand propping airplanes. Many of the little 60 and 90 HP Conti's didn't have a starter, so there was no other way to crank it up.

To my point in a previous post - Those little Continental engines had generators not alternators. CSELSMEL.

I use to have an old Luscombe. It didn't have an electrical system, so I always hand propped it. There was no generator, alternator or anything else that made electricity except the magnetos which only fired the sparking plugs. The engine was a Continental 65 horse engine. For coms I used a hand held air band radio.