Start Your Engines 4.2 Owners....

[LeeADAB]

Ok so I decided to have a look through the owners manual which I haven't looked at for a while and notice a section about starting the engine. Well for the last 8 years I have been doing it wrong according to this.

It says for manual transmission to "hold the clutch pedal to the floor until the engine is started."

I've never started the engine with the clutch down. Does anyone else do this? Why?

I'm happy to change if it is there for a good reason? Old dog...new tricks etc!! :)

[igormus]

when held pedal to the floor -- you disconnect gear transmission with COLD oil (at cold starting) enabling Battery not to lose capacity when cranked both engine and primer shaft of the same gear transmission. when owned an avensis i have been following this way and keep Battery in order for years. and at false starting of the engine especially in cold winter you have a risk to have Battery flatted at 2nd or 3rd crancing trials.

regards / Igor

[redlew]

Never done this in years of motoring and never had any adverse effects.

[NMaria]

Igor is quite right. It is also safer. Colleague of mine (H&S manager, funnily enough) was knocked down by his boss when he was scraping ice off the boss's windscreen and the boss started the engine - without his foot on the clutch. Car was in gear at the time and the handbrake was off... You have been warned.

[three5]

The 4.3 with the keyless ignition can only be started with the clutch depressed, almost certainly for the reasons that Igor describes. I have to admit starting to use this practice with a Land Rover many years ago as the extra drag from a cold gearbox was very noticeable. My wife was taught ( by her dad! ) to always park with the car in gear which, after a few failed ( just ) attempts to demolish the garage because she had been driving the motor, reinforced my use of the depressed clutch practice. My garage floor is dead flat so I don't even apply the handbrake when the RAV is parked in there overnight.

Interestingly, if I wash the car and then park it in the garage overnight, it feels and sounds as though the pads are stuck to the disks when I try to reverse out in the morning. This is without the handbrake applied.

[Big Kev]

The 4.3 with the keyless ignition can only be started with the clutch depressed, almost certainly for the reasons that Igor describes. I have to admit starting to use this practice with a Land Rover many years ago as the extra drag from a cold gearbox was very noticeable. My wife was taught ( by her dad! ) to always park with the car in gear which, after a few failed ( just ) attempts to demolish the garage because she had been driving the motor, reinforced my use of the depressed clutch practice. My garage floor is dead flat so I don't even apply the handbrake when the RAV is parked in there overnight.

Interestingly, if I wash the car and then park it in the garage overnight, it feels and sounds as though the pads are stuck to the disks when I try to reverse out in the morning. This is without the handbrake applied.

I think with push button starts it's just a failsafe, Chris, in that kids can't reach the pedals so cannae start it with obvious safety consequences. Anyway, I have the push button start, and you nearly had me writing to Toyota about having nae clutch to press when starting.....then remembered it's an automatic, so I put foot on brake.....lol.

The noise in the morning after washing just endorses how fast the cast discs rust up when no friction applied just overnight. great facility not to require handbrake on.....saves that massive bang when the wet wee shoes come free......

Big Kev

[three5]

.....saves that massive bang when the wet wee shoes come free......

Big Kev

Unfortunately - I do get the massive bang. I wonder if this is contributing to the "depositing" on the rear surface of the front discs?

[Hoovie]

Must say I have always tended to press the clutch when starting any (manual) vehicle - both as I understood it to lessen the strain on the starter - as Igor says - and also as a precaution about being in gear (even though I check for neutral anyways)

Cautious (Paranoid?) Hoovie

[LeeADAB]

Thanks for the helpful tech info Igormus. I shall start with the new starting method tomorrow! After 8 years it will wonder what is going on.

I bet there aren't many that know officially you are meant to depress the clutch!

Cheers, Lee

[Davrav]

Was taught to depress clutch when starting by my driving instructor many years ago and have done so ever since.

[firemac]

Must say I have always tended to press the clutch when starting any (manual) vehicle - both as I understood it to lessen the strain on the starter - as Igor says - and also as a precaution about being in gear (even though I check for neutral anyways)

Cautious (Paranoid?) Hoovie

Ditto.

Not paranoid - emminently sensible!

[DjRav]

Toyota dealer at Yeovil I got my Rav from told us to always start the car with the clutch pressed down, so always have. Sort of guessed roughly why, but nice to see it explained!

Dave

[crofter]

That be another physical exertion us idle sods with autos wunt ata fret abaart

Del

[Paulus17]

Yes i have always depressed the clutch ever since my brother gave my driving lessons all those years ago.

Mrs P went to test drive an 09 Yaris on Sunday and it wouldn't start because she never depressed the clutch fully to the floor,some sort of safety feature??

[Parts-King]

All the new /newer Toyota models require this, otherwise you cannot start them, those with manual transmission that is

I was always taught to do it whilst learning to drive, all those years ago It was also beaten into me as a lad working in a workshop, nothing so dangerous as just leaning in a car, cranking the engine only to fire up and demolish whatever is in front, I have seen it happen twice, once a car hit the back of another and once where the car jumped off a lowered ramp and into a wall, both instances causing thousands of pounds worth of accidents

Kingo

[dwilson]

All the new /newer Toyota models require this, otherwise you cannot start them, those with manual transmission that is

I was always taught to do it whilst learning to drive, all those years ago It was also beaten into me as a lad working in a workshop, nothing so dangerous as just leaning in a car, cranking the engine only to fire up and demolish whatever is in front, I have seen it happen twice, once a car hit the back of another and once where the car jumped off a lowered ramp and into a wall, both instances causing thousands of pounds worth of accidents

Kingo

Wish the old Micra in my garage had that feature. My youngest son had a play whilst I was on holiday last summer - he had just passed his test - I leave the car in gear - he didn't know and started it up. I had to have the garage door replaced again!

A lot of automatics have a similar feature where you have to have your foot on the foot-brake to start the engine.

David

[dwilson]

The 4.3 with the keyless ignition can only be started with the clutch depressed, almost certainly for the reasons that Igor describes. I have to admit starting to use this practice with a Land Rover many years ago as the extra drag from a cold gearbox was very noticeable. My wife was taught ( by her dad! ) to always park with the car in gear which, after a few failed ( just ) attempts to demolish the garage because she had been driving the motor, reinforced my use of the depressed clutch practice. My garage floor is dead flat so I don't even apply the handbrake when the RAV is parked in there overnight.

Interestingly, if I wash the car and then park it in the garage overnight, it feels and sounds as though the pads are stuck to the disks when I try to reverse out in the morning. This is without the handbrake applied.

By the time I have dried the bodywork on the RAV I can see the rust forming on the discs after I have washed the car. I now run it up the road and back applying the brakes after car washing to keep the discs shiny!

David

[Merseyshark]

I was taught this by my driving instructor in 1973 and have done it ever since.

I taught my ex wife and my daughter to drive - they both do it too

[Big Kev]

Never heard of it but will now do. Superb explanation from that very old person Igor too.....!!!

[LeeADAB]

Hooray for Big Kev......the balance is restored!! ;) I have started today though!! Maybe an old dog can learn new tricks!! I was never taught to do this on my driving lessons though. But I was taught to ensure neutral and handbrake on before starting car.

[dwilson]

My Dad, rather than my driving instructor, taught me to start cars with the clutch down in the early 1970s.

David

[BeechCustom]

My Dad, rather than my driving instructor, taught me to start cars with the clutch down in the early 1970s.

David

Same here although it was the 90s not the 70s.

[rambler]

Hmmmm,could the fact that for the last few years when i have done a cold morning start i have just opened the door ,checked for neutral,put key in ,started engine (without depressed clutch)....be resulting in my hot starting issue i currently have?

Of course.......in the last few weeks ive started to sit in it and depress the clutch before firing it up,as remembered doing this with older cars years ago.

It was only reading this thread caused me to post this....as i'd changed the way i do it now

Still have slight starting issues after driving for while at speed ,if i stop....let it idle for 30seconds or so,turn it off,then restart after a approx 5 mins....it cranks more laboriously several times before firing.....odd,and worrying