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Shelfordian
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Shelfordian is offline
Bedfordshire, England
Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 13
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24-03-2019, 11:56 AM
1

Driving on the starter motor

The manufacturers, in their infinite wisdom, have decided to make it impossible for you to start your car unless you have the clutch depressed, so that you don't lurch forward if you accidentally turn the key (or press the starter button ... we seem to be reverting to them, too) when the vehicle is in gear.

This is all very well, but if you break down in a dangerous position, the ability to drive a car for 50 to 100 yards on the starter motor before the battery runs down is a VERY important safety feature. FAR more important, in my mind, than not lurching forward if you forget you left it in gear.

On a number of occasions I have used the starter motor to drag my broken down car to safety and I wouldn't have it any other way. Only now, they seem to have decided that I MUST have it another way ... and I am not happy.

What do you all think?
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OldGreyFox
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South Yorkshire
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24-03-2019, 12:34 PM
2

Re: Driving on the starter motor

Whatever happened to checking for neutral before starting your vehicle. It was the first thing I learned to do and now I just do it out of habit like putting my seat belt on....

With all these labour saving devices on vehicles we are becoming a nation of lazy drivers....

No one would consider flying if the pilot had not run through his safety checks before taking off....
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Bruce
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Wollongong, Australia
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24-03-2019, 12:38 PM
3

Re: Driving on the starter motor

Originally Posted by Shelfordian ->
The manufacturers, in their infinite wisdom, have decided to make it impossible for you to start your car unless you have the clutch depressed, so that you don't lurch forward if you accidentally turn the key (or press the starter button ... we seem to be reverting to them, too) when the vehicle is in gear.

This is all very well, but if you break down in a dangerous position, the ability to drive a car for 50 to 100 yards on the starter motor before the battery runs down is a VERY important safety feature. FAR more important, in my mind, than not lurching forward if you forget you left it in gear.

On a number of occasions I have used the starter motor to drag my broken down car to safety and I wouldn't have it any other way. Only now, they seem to have decided that I MUST have it another way ... and I am not happy.

What do you all think?
The secret is to have a reliable, well maintained car that doesn't break down. Cars don't break down like they used to and you could never get an automatic to drag itself along on a starter motor anyway.
Shelfordian
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Shelfordian is offline
Bedfordshire, England
Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 13
Shelfordian is male 
 
24-03-2019, 12:54 PM
4

Re: Driving on the starter motor

Originally Posted by Bruce ->
Cars don't break down like they used to
You're right there ... they've found MUCH more creative (and expensive!) ways of doing it ...
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Baz46
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Somewhere rural 'out in the sticks', UK
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24-03-2019, 02:08 PM
5

Re: Driving on the starter motor

The problem nowadays being that we no longer drive cars that in the past were mostly mechanical, today they are 'computers on wheels'.

My recent experience of this is an example of just how expensive the modern vehicle can be if there are problems. I have found to my cost, nowhere near as expensive as it could have been either, that the cars of this day and age are brilliant to drive but repairs can be really expensive.

See this thread if interested:

https://www.over50sforum.com/showthread.php?t=60026
 

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