How to push start a car

If your car wont start because of your drained battery, don't worry because all you need is two or more pair of hands.... lol! This instructable applies only to manual transmission vehicles.

Step 1 Placing Gear

Put your gear on second shift (2nd gear), your left foot full step on the clutch, right foot on gas (don't step on it, just be ready. Insert the car key and be ready to start once your car is moving.

Comments

[reangerer]

I usually use 1st gear, because of the kickback on the poor souls pushing.

[TheWelfareWarrior]

you wouldn't turn the key to start, you would turn it to "on" also, you don't necessarily need a new battery if it dies... One time my dad's car's battery died (Honda civic 2000 something) and I, alone, had to push it up hill, about 2% grade for two blocks. I finally got it started after it flattened out... but he didn't tell me he unplugged two of the spark plug leads.... WOOT 4 cylinder running on 2! I turned it off fixed it and had just enough power to get it to fire on the first cylinder and start. You can also pull it up to speed with another car. I've "pull started" my truck a few times in reverse. You could also get a car up to 40 this way...

[lardlad6342]

Nice, but you know you're not saving any gas that way right?(unless you unplug the injectors)

[PKM]

Turning the key to "on" does help if there's enough juice in the battery to start the engine turning, but not necessarily start it up. If the engine is already turning when you let out the clutch then it means less work has to come from the wheels, you will start the engine more quickly or can start from a slower roll, and won't put as much strain on your engine and transmission.

I did something similar when my dad's scooter wouldn't start with the electric and the kick-starter was too useless to use on its own- pressed the electric starter then kicked it, the combination of the two was enough to get it going and recharge the battery.

[TheWelfareWarrior]

Um... I'm just saying if the key is being held at start your just going to make the car stop sooner and less likely to start. Something about propetual energy....

[PKM]

I'm not quite sure what you mean by "propetual energy", but I'm pretty sure using the electric starter will help out. Think about it- you are trying to use the car's momentum to start the engine turning at a certain speed (above which it will fire and keep itself going), and if you start the job by using the starter then less energy will have to come from slowing the car down. You are effectively sharing the job of starting the engine between the battery and the car's momentum, so neither has to do the full job. If by propetual energy you meant "perpetual motion" or "free energy", then I'm not quite sure how it applies to this situation, but anyway I don't see how using the battery to turn the engine over will make you stop sooner.

[TheWelfareWarrior]

I forgot to factor in that there might be SOME charge left in the battery, Usually when I do it its completely toast. And by doing so you would be turning mechanical energy from the moving car into electric energy back into mechanical to turn the engine. It was just a brain fart, my bad. I forgot to think about it at every angle. I wasn't thinking about "free energy" I was thinking about using a motor to turn a generator that powers the motor. And I forgot to click "check spelling" Can we leave it at "TWW has both a PEBCAK and ID10T error"?

[PKM]

Actually that's a very good point, if the battery is completely dead then I guess the alternator will be trying to charge it- that's the angle I'd forgotten to look from.

Also you're completely right, using a motor to turn a generator that powers the motor is impossible. How it affects this case ultimately depends on how the battery charger works, I suspect.

You win biscuits for the use of "PEBCAK error" :)

[abadfart]

i had to start my car in reverse from a hill and it worked

[abadfart]

this is on of the reasons i have never bought an automatic

[shammallamaman]

is the girl in the picture fully clothed?

[yellowsushimustard]

hahahaha i do this all the tim ewith my dads mg

[bigboy_of_manila]

warrior is right, you don't have to change the battery if it went flat or drained. Once the engine starts running after push-starting, it will recharge the battery. Unless the symptom persist.... consult your doctor.... I mean your mechanic :P lol

[Josho]

You can also do this backwards, same technique, just stick it in the reverse gear. You can alo push start an Automatic, by butting it in drive and getting up to 30-40MPH and apply some gas. Not reccomended as an alternative for starter motors on an Automatic though.

[jmspice]

We used to have a '37 Olds you could push start in reverse, but I thought with syncro-mesh in modern cars that this was impossible.

[bigboy_of_manila]

I haven't tried push starting an Automatic vehicle before. Ty for the tip.

[pyelitegamerro76]

I would LOVE to see an automatic car going 30mph while being pushed by a group of people. That would make my day lol. Good instructable, i was aware of the method but did not know how to do it. I am getting a stick shift soon so this will come in handy, hopefully not too soon though.

[Josho]

LOL! Obviously you gotta roll it down a big hill or get it nudged or towed by another vehicle or something. I would like to see people try and push a car 30MPH! Lol, you'd need a pack of dogs or a ROFLCOPTER.

[pyelitegamerro76]

even down a hill i dont t hink an average human can run 30 mph+ to actually be pushing the car. That would be HALARIOUS.

[bigboy_of_manila]

Well, i hope you guys wont use my instructable coz if you are, that means your in a very bad day...lol! ty

[Dorkfish92]

Cool instructable. I had to do this once, My friends truck battery died and I had to push it, hehe.

[Kiteman]

I drive manuals. Something I've noticed in recent years is that sometimes the manual says you must not push-start / bump-start them after a flat battery, as it does something unpleasant to the on-board computers. Jump-starting (with another battery or car) is apparently OK, but bump-starting isn't. I don't know why.

[Josho]

Some cars have automatic handbrakes, and bump starting then is obviously foolish and dangerous to try and bump them. Most new cars though, as soon as you turn the key, the computer reads the incoming air into the intake and then adjusts the fuel flow accordingly, and it also readds all the car lights, the cats the spark plugs and makes sure everything is running OK. So when you bump start the engine, it's instantly running at whatever mixture was needed last. It might be running too rich for a while if it thinks the air comming in is cold, and if there was a problem with one of the plugs and it was running on 3 cylinders, the computer wouldn't know that. Basically, it can't run pre-run tests.

[Kiteman]

Oh, I thought it said it would damage the computer.

[lasersage]

Nice instructable, great for the english, we have very few autos over here. If your clutch is worn it can be worth getting up to speed in neutral then putting it in second and dumping clutch (otherwise it can be tough on the pusher). I've found this especially useful on motorbikes which tend to have more clutch drag than cars. Also people should remember to turn everything else off, if your battery went flat it probably did it for a reason. Lights, wipers, fans, everything except ignition should be off, makes life easier. And if at first you don't succeed try again, I've had cars not start till like the 10th bump. After the engine starts you may need to be quick pushing the clutch back in, as it is unlikely you've been pushed fast enough for the car to be happy in second. Reminds me of my first car, £100 mini :) mates had to bump that more than once :) still the best car I ever owned.