How Do You Start Your Aygo ?

[Bitch1001]

I just turn my key and away I go

But apprantly your supposed to pres the clutch pedal before turning the key ?,!

Is this right , have I been starting my car wrong for,the last 6 months LOL ?

[FROSTYBALLS]

Most of Toyota's range has a safety feature where the clutch has to be depressed before the engine can be started.

Don't whether the Aygo, being a product of the Joint Venture with PSA rather than a pure Toyota product, has this feature, but Toyota do recommend depressing the clutch when starting the engine of the Aygo. Obviously this only applies to the manual Aygo.

Depressing the Aygo clutch before starting the engine should prevent the car lurching forwards or backwards if inadvertantly left in gear when starting.

[eygo]

depressing the clutch pedal puts less strain on the Battery during the colder months as you are only

turning the engine and not the gears in the gearbox as well when all the lubricants

are cold and thick

[Ethanedwards]

As we have the semi auto one, you have to put your foot on the brake before starting it. Otherwise it won't start. My old Yaris HSD had the same thing before you pushed the start button.

[kaliope]

depressing the clutch pedal puts less strain on the battery during the colder months as you are only

turning the engine and not the gears in the gearbox as well when all the lubricants

are cold and thick

Yeah, this is the only reason.

[TomdeGuerre]

I don’t believe in pressing the clutch in before I start a car.

If you depress the clutch you have the pressure of the release bearing against the clutch diaphragm pressure plate to overcome plus the fact that the crankshaft is pushed hard up against the thrust bearings. This is extra load for the starter to overcome.

In my book there’s little drag from the gearbox in neutral, certainly nothing to bother a good starter motor and Battery. Starter motors are quite powerful (between 1 and 2 KW typically, some more, some less) and have very high torque. The starter can be used to drive your car in 1st gear with no problem eg if you’re stalled on a level crossing and the engine won’t start. They could only do this for a short while because they draw such high current load - hundreds of amps typically - and would overheat.

Bottom line, I never press the clutch before I start unless the car is designed that way and I’ve no option. When I picked up a manual loan car at the Toyota dealers the guy explained it to me this way “You have to drive it like a woman. They don’t know whether they’re in gear or not so press the clutch before you start it”.

[kaliope]

I don’t believe in pressing the clutch in before I start a car.

If you depress the clutch you have the pressure of the release bearing against the clutch diaphragm pressure plate to overcome plus the fact that the crankshaft is pushed hard up against the thrust bearings. This is extra load for the starter to overcome.

How can you compare the load of just one realese bearing to the load of several bearings and several sprockets in the gearbox? You are wrong. It is quite important to depress the clutch while cranking so as to disengage totally the load of the gearbox which the Battery has to overcome. It is not about the women who indeed often don't realise if the car is in gear or not. All modern cars are now equipped with a system which makes you depress the clutch as otherwise you won't start the engine, just for this reason, beacause 99% of owners don't realise the starter has extra load to overcome if they don't depress the clutch.

Another thing, the realease bearing doesn't push the crankshaft at all. It pushes just the pressure plate.

See this to understand the thing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=uxcNjtG8I_s#!

[Wiz201]

As we have the semi auto one, you have to put your foot on the brake before starting it. Otherwise it won't start. My old Yaris HSD had the same thing before you pushed the start button.

yes I have the MMT too. Have noticed sometimes that on cold mornings I have often been too quick to release the brake pedal and it refuses to start so I have to do it again.

I started learning in a manual car and I'm quite sure I was instructed to make sure it was in neutral, and press the clutch pedal down.

[TomdeGuerre]

I don’t believe in pressing the clutch in before I start a car.

If you depress the clutch you have the pressure of the release bearing against the clutch diaphragm pressure plate to overcome plus the fact that the crankshaft is pushed hard up against the thrust bearings. This is extra load for the starter to overcome.

How can you compare the load of just one realese bearing to the load of several bearings and several sprockets in the gearbox? You are wrong. It is quite important to depress the clutch while cranking so as to disengage totally the load of the gearbox which the Battery has to overcome. It is not about the women who indeed often don't realise if the car is in gear or not. All modern cars are now equipped with a system which makes you depress the clutch as otherwise you won't start the engine, just for this reason, beacause 99% of owners don't realise the starter has extra load to overcome if they don't depress the clutch.

Another thing, the realease bearing doesn't push the crankshaft at all. It pushes just the pressure plate.

See this to understand the thing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=uxcNjtG8I_s#!

No, it’s you who is wrong.

Leaving the clutch engaged, with the gearbox in neutral, while operating the starter means the engine turns the first motion shaft which also turns the layshaft because it’s in constant mesh, but these turn freely because they are not engaged to the mainshaft. I’ll grant you there may be marginally more drag if the oil is cold but still nothing like the drag imposed by pressing the very strong diaphragm spring of the clutch pressure plate. I’ve had flywheels on the workshop floor with clutches assembled and have stood on them, trying to depress them with my heel and zilch, nada, nothing. Have you any idea of how strong they are?

The safety switch on the clutch pedal is just that, nothing to do with the manufacturers concerns about battery/starter capacity or longevity. It’s out of the same nanny state camp as the constant chimes etc to warn you and remind you that you’re in a car just in case you didn’t realise it.

As to your comment about the release bearing doesn’t push the crankshaft – please. When you press the clutch and the release bearing presses against the pressure plate and the pressure plate is bolted to the flywheel and the flywheel is bolted on to – guess what? Yes, that’s right, the crankshaft!!!!

[kaliope]

there is still no reason why the Battery and the starter should turn the gearbox with thick cold oil (especially in winter) while cranking. So I'll stick to depressing the clutch and follow most garages advice, but you now better.

[Cyker]

I alternate between the two; I got in the habit of pushing in the clutch on my old Fiesta as it was MUCH easier to start when the clutch was pressed in. I never really understood why this was, as I don't understand why there'd be so much more resistance with the gears in neutral, but there you go.

On my Yaris, I guess it has a beefier diesel-rated starter motor as it doesn't seem to give a toss whether the clutch is in or not. :D

[Yorkshire Ed]

I always park the car with the handbrake on and the car in gear have done this for 53 years, when I get in its foot on the clutch and select neutral then start the car keeping the clutch pedal down just seems the right thing to do. My wife on the other hand leaves the car in neutral starts the car then selects a gear but hey we are from different planets after all.

[Martin1973]

The Vauxhall Astra needs to have your foot on the clutch before it will start so must be something in it.

[SaveOurSouls]

My Avensis allows you to turn the key regardless. I put it into neutral whilst parking simply out of habit and then always check that it's in neutral before starting. One benefit of leaving it in gear is that if you live on a hill and the handbrake is failing then the car is going to stay on the hill :O

[FROSTYBALLS]

Our cars are both garaged, and when garaged are left with the handbrake off and in gear. One which is reversed in is left in reverse gear. One which is driven in is left in first gear.

When parked on a hill, both cars are left in gear with the handbrake firmly applied - first gear if facing uphill, and reverse if facing downhill.

[FROSTYBALLS]

Systems which require the brake pedal in automatics to be depressed or the clutch to be depressed in manuals before the engine can be started, originate directly from the Audi 4000/5000 (known as the 80 and 100/200 in Europe) debacle in the US in the early 1980's.

With both model ranges, numbers of unintended acceleration incidents occurred in the States. Audi publicly blamed the owners for these incidents, and the backlash from the buying public decimated Audi sales in the US for a number of years, and almost led to Audi having to pull out of the North American market entirely.

Both these systems were introduced in the US to prevent cars being started whilst in gear and to prevent future instances of unintended acceleration.

Some manufacturers have adopted similar systems for the European market - eg Toyota and Hyundai.

[Planemo]

depressing the clutch pedal puts less strain on the battery during the colder months as you are only

turning the engine and not the gears in the gearbox as well when all the lubricants

are cold and thick

Yeah, this is the only reason.

Given that the input shaft of a fully assembled (and lubed) manual gearbox can be spun with two fingers of an arthritic 80 year old, I do not think that a 1kw motor will struggle. And if you are thinking that the added weight of a clutch plate makes any difference, it doesnt. Again I would ask you to assemble a crank into a block and spin it with and without a clutch plate fitted.

As has been said, the only reason for clutch start inhibition is safety.

[eygo]

i learnt to drive over 30 years ago and back then you could hear a difference when cranking the engine over

with your foot on and off the clutch,i am sure things have moved on now but thats the way i was taught

so if / when i drive a manual i do the same now it also safe guards in case someone has left the car in gear.