Right sequence to start the engine??

Xeno · 14th January 2009, 16:19

speaking of cold starts,

shouldn't the engine be allowed to idle for 10-20 secs ? the oil probably wouldn't be well circulated to all the parts and would be cold too (thus more viscous and would spread to lesser parts)

sreenivass · 14th January 2009, 20:05

I generally start the car without any load on battery (ICE, lights and A/C off). Recently developed the habit of depressing clutch while starting. Based on mood let it idle for the duration of a smoke

or 10.20 secs max. I do feel the engine is rough for longer if not idled for a little bit. Fiat recommends driving away immediately with minimal acceleration during first few KMs after a cold start, I try not to accelerate much for first couple of minutes of driving. Aside from this it does not seem reversing the car is good upon cold start, so I park generally in a position to be able to drive away at next start.

anupmathur · 14th January 2009, 20:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xeno

speaking of cold starts,
shouldn't the engine be allowed to idle for 10-20 secs ?

Yes, it should be done.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sreenivass

....
Aside from this it does not seem reversing the car is good upon cold start, so I park generally in a position to be able to drive away at next start.

I wonder why you say that!
Any particular reason that led you to this belief?

jaysmokesleaves · 14th January 2009, 21:19

This is the sequence I follow:
Firstly Im happy to see the car is there. So I walk around to see if all the aggregates are intact.
SO I smile and say good morning or whatever time of the day it is.

Then I jump in look around inside the car(around 5 seconds)
Then put the key in the hole.
Depress the clutch and start the car.(picked this up from the advice on tbhp)
Then I smile again happy that the chariot is working.
Let it idle for a while i RESET my brain to DRIVE mode(usually an automatic function that ive mentioned) while im checking the rearview mirrors.
Then I drive off.
This is standard procedure regardless of the vehicle im driving.
cheers:

jessie007 · 14th January 2009, 21:54

Even in my Indigo's manual, the starting procedure recommends depressing the clutch before cranking the engine. This is to reduce the load on the engine of the transmission. I believe depressing the clutch is more relevant in the case of diesel engines because of heavier moving parts and engine construction in general - hence less load on the starter motor and the battery.

gpa · 15th January 2009, 22:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by jessie007

I believe depressing the clutch is more relevant in the case of diesel engines because of heavier moving parts and engine construction in general - hence less load on the starter motor and the battery.

jessie007,

This case stands true for even petrol vehicles. Disengaging (pressing the clutch with your foot) disconnects the moving parts of the transmission from the engine, in turn lowering the load on both the engine and also the starter motor. Doing this will also increase your battery's life as well.

Cheers,
gpa

darthvader5000 · 16th January 2009, 13:22

people .. may i suggest another check...one very usefull especially when driving someone else's car... as you roll forward in 1st.. take ur foot off the accelerator .. gently apply brakes ..gives you a feel of the brakes and more importantly you know they are working... once you are ok with the brake test.. foot off the brake and rev away the way you normally do... will slow you just abt 10 secs but one day save you a nasty bill !!

Note from the Team-BHP Support : Please take the time to use proper punctuation as per Team-BHP rules. Avoid...typing...like...this. Thanks.

anupmathur · 16th January 2009, 13:51

Quote:

Originally Posted by darthvader5000

.. gently apply brakes ..gives you a feel of the brakes and more importantly you know they are working...... will slow you just abt 10 secs but one day save you a nasty bill !!

LOL, Darth, I hope this was not learnt the hard way!
Very valid point and I fully support this practice.

team suzuki · 16th January 2009, 14:12

I don't know if its already mentioned in this thread but would like to point out another important point,when the engine is on and the headlights are on(at night obviously)there are possibilities where the engine may switch off automatically either because it was not in gear or whatever...It is always recommended that the lights be switched off first and then the engine should be switched on,many of us know this but i have seen many people who don't switch off their lights and directly start the engine.

biju · 16th January 2009, 14:24

I usually do it this way. Change it to neutral and start the engine, idle it for 10 seconds and change the gear and go away. From the most of the post is shows that depress the clutch in the gear itself and drive away.

I am confused of which way is the best ?

jessie007 · 16th January 2009, 15:18

Quote:

This case stands true for even petrol vehicles. Disengaging (pressing the clutch with your foot) disconnects the moving parts of the transmission from the engine, in turn lowering the load on both the engine and also the starter motor. Doing this will also increase your battery's life as well

Cheers,
gpa

@gpa
I didn't make the comment exclusively for diesel engined vehicles, but said that is is "MORE RELEVANT", as the parts and the engine construction of diesel engines are heavier.

Also, I don't know if manual of petrol cars recommend depressing the clutch before starting for the purpose of reducing load. I know it is the case in the Elantra as my uncle owns one - but this I believe is more to do as a safety feature (as the car doesn’t start without pressing the clutch) to prevent accidental starting in gear rather than intended to reduce the load on the engine. Though it does serve the purpose or reducing load as well.

cheers:

Atlblkz06 · 17th January 2009, 00:46

7 Pages of bickering on how to start a car?

Remember to wait for your engine OIL to warm up to around 140*F before you floor it. I've noticed that the coolant will hit 200*F fairly quickly with the oil temp still well below 100*F! Try not to redline the motor for a good 5 minutes after startup.

mdesai_1981 · 17th January 2009, 22:17

well my type is also the same in starting the car as you people have:
>depress the clutch( i've got into this habbit since i've been driving since last 10 years)
>wait for 10-20 seconds listen to the engine humming and then turn on ac, adjust my mirrors
>put on some good music(depending on my mood)
and drive off!

R2D2 · 17th January 2009, 22:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Atlblkz06

7 Pages of bickering on how to start a car?

LOL!

One thing more thing, people in this part of the world dont really translate miles x Kms or deg F into deg C on the fly. The metric system prevails.

Cheers!

sreenivass · 18th January 2009, 00:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by anupmathur

Yes, it should be done.

I wonder why you say that!
Any particular reason that led you to this belief?

I can not recall where I gathered the info, probably from a forum or article. It does claim stress on engine is more while reversing immediately upon cold start.

14th January 2009, 16:19	#91
Xeno BHPian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Ahmedabad Posts: 93 Thanked: 57 Times	speaking of cold starts, shouldn't the engine be allowed to idle for 10-20 secs ? the oil probably wouldn't be well circulated to all the parts and would be cold too (thus more viscous and would spread to lesser parts)
	() Thanks

14th January 2009, 20:05	#92
sreenivass BHPian Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Bangalore India Posts: 931 Thanked: 44 Times View My Garage	I generally start the car without any load on battery (ICE, lights and A/C off). Recently developed the habit of depressing clutch while starting. Based on mood let it idle for the duration of a smoke or 10.20 secs max. I do feel the engine is rough for longer if not idled for a little bit. Fiat recommends driving away immediately with minimal acceleration during first few KMs after a cold start, I try not to accelerate much for first couple of minutes of driving. Aside from this it does not seem reversing the car is good upon cold start, so I park generally in a position to be able to drive away at next start. Last edited by sreenivass : 14th January 2009 at 20:07.
	() Thanks

14th January 2009, 21:19	#94
jaysmokesleaves Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Mostly Mumbai Posts: 1,701 Thanked: 1,466 Times	This is the sequence I follow: Firstly Im happy to see the car is there. So I walk around to see if all the aggregates are intact. SO I smile and say good morning or whatever time of the day it is. Then I jump in look around inside the car(around 5 seconds) Then put the key in the hole. Depress the clutch and start the car.(picked this up from the advice on tbhp) Then I smile again happy that the chariot is working. Let it idle for a while i RESET my brain to DRIVE mode(usually an automatic function that ive mentioned) while im checking the rearview mirrors. Then I drive off. This is standard procedure regardless of the vehicle im driving. cheers:
	() Thanks

14th January 2009, 21:54	#95
jessie007 BHPian Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: New Delhi Posts: 801 Thanked: 1,588 Times View My Garage	Even in my Indigo's manual, the starting procedure recommends depressing the clutch before cranking the engine. This is to reduce the load on the engine of the transmission. I believe depressing the clutch is more relevant in the case of diesel engines because of heavier moving parts and engine construction in general - hence less load on the starter motor and the battery.
	() Thanks

16th January 2009, 13:22	#97
darthvader5000 BHPian Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: New Delhi Posts: 85 Thanked: 36 Times	people .. may i suggest another check...one very usefull especially when driving someone else's car... as you roll forward in 1st.. take ur foot off the accelerator .. gently apply brakes ..gives you a feel of the brakes and more importantly you know they are working... once you are ok with the brake test.. foot off the brake and rev away the way you normally do... will slow you just abt 10 secs but one day save you a nasty bill !! Note from the Team-BHP Support : Please take the time to use proper punctuation as per Team-BHP rules. Avoid...typing...like...this. Thanks. Last edited by Rehaan : 17th January 2009 at 01:10. Reason: Please see note in post.
	() Thanks

16th January 2009, 14:12	#99
team suzuki BHPian Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: ***** Posts: 143 Thanked: Once	I don't know if its already mentioned in this thread but would like to point out another important point,when the engine is on and the headlights are on(at night obviously)there are possibilities where the engine may switch off automatically either because it was not in gear or whatever...It is always recommended that the lights be switched off first and then the engine should be switched on,many of us know this but i have seen many people who don't switch off their lights and directly start the engine.
	() Thanks

16th January 2009, 14:24	#100
biju BHPian Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Cochin Posts: 25 Thanked: 0 Times	I usually do it this way. Change it to neutral and start the engine, idle it for 10 seconds and change the gear and go away. From the most of the post is shows that depress the clutch in the gear itself and drive away. I am confused of which way is the best ?
	() Thanks

17th January 2009, 00:46	#102
Atlblkz06 BHPian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Atlanta Posts: 164 Thanked: 25 Times	7 Pages of bickering on how to start a car? Remember to wait for your engine OIL to warm up to around 140F before you floor it. I've noticed that the coolant will hit 200F fairly quickly with the oil temp still well below 100*F! Try not to redline the motor for a good 5 minutes after startup.
	() Thanks

17th January 2009, 22:17	#103
mdesai_1981 BHPian Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Mumbai Posts: 188 Thanked: 29 Times View My Garage	well my type is also the same in starting the car as you people have: >depress the clutch( i've got into this habbit since i've been driving since last 10 years) >wait for 10-20 seconds listen to the engine humming and then turn on ac, adjust my mirrors >put on some good music(depending on my mood) and drive off!
	() Thanks