Can we pop the clutch in our cars?

[Gray_Panther]

I live on a hill and usually do this in my GTI where I turn the key all the way without the clutch down and as I build up speed I just pop the clutch in 3rd gear and drive off...

Can it be done with this car by just turning on the electronics on the start/stop without pressing the clutch down?

[1911A145]

Uhh.... A more important question would be: Why the hell would you want to? Do you really just roll down a hill and clutch start your cars and drive off without letting the car to warm up at all? Do you not care at all for your transmission or motors increased wear?

If not, then go for it. Im sure itll work like any other manual ive ever driven.

[Gray_Panther]

Nothing ever happened to the transmission/engine in my family's 190E with over 400k miles on it and 28 years of ownership nor my GTI with 120k miles and 6 years of ownership.

I was just wondering if it can be done. That's all.

[dtwyim]

There is only one way to find out. Keep us posted

[1911A145]

Originally Posted by Gray_Panther

Nothing ever happened to the transmission/engine in my family's 190E with over 400k miles on it and 28 years of ownership nor my GTI with 120k miles and 6 years of ownership.

I was just wondering if it can be done. That's all.

Trying to be as nice as I can here .... but ...

It would have been quicker if you walked outside and tried it and reported back your findings then waiting for a reponse online. Im sure it'll let you do it no problem as long as the key is in the ON position.

We all care for our cars differently though, so carry on with whatever works for you...

[Gray_Panther]

Originally Posted by 1911A145

Trying to be as nice as I can here .... but ...

It would have been quicker if you walked outside and tried it and reported back your findings then waiting for a reponse online. Im sure it'll let you do it no problem as long as the key is in the ON position.

We all care for our cars differently though, so carry on with whatever works for you...

:Thumbup:

I feel ya.....I am out of town for the weekend and the thought occurred to me during my drive.

I will post results ASAP...

[mike the snake]

Yes you can. I hit a deer, luckily I had slowed enough to not kill the deer, and the only damage was one headlight, but I locked up the brakes trying to miss the deer, and stalled the engine in the process. I still was going about 10mph after I tagged the deer, so I put it into second and popped the clutch and continued on home.

[Gray_Panther]

Originally Posted by mike the snake

Yes you can. I hit a deer, luckily I had slowed enough to not kill the deer, and the only damage was one headlight, but I locked up the brakes trying to miss the deer, and stalled the engine in the process. I still was going about 10mph after I tagged the deer, so I put it into second and popped the clutch and continued on home.

That's ridiculous....you just kept driving like a boss.....nice
Sucks that it still happened though.....

[flzrider]

Originally Posted by mike the snake

Yes you can. I hit a deer, luckily I had slowed enough to not kill the deer, and the only damage was one headlight, but I locked up the brakes trying to miss the deer, and stalled the engine in the process. I still was going about 10mph after I tagged the deer, so I put it into second and popped the clutch and continued on home.

lmao

[RPM90]

Originally Posted by Gray_Panther

I live on a hill and usually do this in my GTI where I turn the key all the way without the clutch down and as I build up speed I just pop the clutch in 3rd gear and drive off...

Can it be done with this car by just turning on the electronics on the start/stop without pressing the clutch down?

As with nearly all MT's, yes it works.

Is there a reason why you don't just use the starter?
I know you're just asking out of curiosity, but I would just use the starter unless you really need to clutch start the car.

No need to worry about warming up the car to start it the way you describe.
BMW's own recommendation is not to let the engine idle to warm it up.
Driving with moderate throttle and engine speed will warm the engine, oil, and other moving parts quicker than just idling.
Just don't use big throttle inputs and high engine RPM until you at least see the oil temp needle move towards normal.

[Gray_Panther]

Originally Posted by RPM90

As with nearly all MT's, yes it works.

Is there a reason why you don't just use the starter?
I know you're just asking out of curiosity, but I would just use the starter unless you really need to clutch start the car.

No need to worry about warming up the car to start it the way you describe.
BMW's own recommendation is not to let the engine idle to warm it up.
Driving with moderate throttle and engine speed will warm the engine, oil, and other moving parts quicker than just idling.
Just don't use big throttle inputs and high engine RPM until you at least see the oil temp needle move towards normal.

Yes I reverse into my driveway and when I leave the house I just turn the key, put in neutral and as it is rolling down during that time I put on my seatbelt and make any other small adjustments before driving. Sometimes I am just in the mood to pop the clutch and go.

[Tom K.]

Originally Posted by RPM90

Just don't use big throttle inputs and high engine RPM until you at least see the oil temp needle move towards normal.

Like the rest of us with a 128i, the OP was not favored with either an oil or water temp gauge.

The usual workaround is to check the oil level as the engine can be considered sufficiently warm when there is a reading.

Tom

[Guildenstern]

Originally Posted by Gray_Panther

Yes I reverse into my driveway and when I leave the house I just turn the key, put in neutral and as it is rolling down during that time I put on my seatbelt and make any other small adjustments before driving. Sometimes I am just in the mood to pop the clutch and go.

Isn't it rough on the engine mounts to do this regularly?

[KingOfJericho]

The start button in my car won't do anything without the clutch being depressed. As a lifetime standard transmission driver, I cringed when I read how you start on this hill.

[Red Bread]

When I got out of school, I leased a Mitsu Eclipse GST that if you drove through even the smallest puddle it would trigger an ignition lock and after you turned off the car, twisting the key wouldn't fire the starter. However leaving it on a slight incline and popping the clutch was a fail safe way to get it going again. So anytime it rained, or if I just drove through a puddle, the only way to get it going again was to park on an incline and pop the clutch. It didn't seem to matter how long I was away from the car, upon getting the underside wet, returning to the car meant the traditional key in ignition would not work and popping the clutch was the only method to starting that stupid piece of sh**.

[dorkdog]

Originally Posted by KingOfJericho

The start button in my car won't do anything without the clutch being depressed. As a lifetime standard transmission driver, I cringed when I read how you start on this hill.

And if I were the car's computer, I wouldn't know what to think...

[JimD]

My guess is it will work but I have found it a little hard to press the start button long enough to turn the car on when coding the car. I wonder if it wouldn't be the same bump starting. I use INPA, when coding, just to see if I've pressed the START button correctly.

I also want to comment that I have found the concept of bump starting to be one that is hard for some people to understand. When I was in college, about 30 years ago now, I ruined my battery one semester by leaving the headlights on for a week. I didn't have the money to replace it so I bump started it for the rest of the semester. My dates really didn't understand the concept, even with multiple explanations. This was in Kansas, which is quite flat once you go a bit west, so I was pushing the car up to speed with my date in the drivers seat. Messed up a few evenings with this.

My late wife also bump started me more recently but still more than 10 years ago. I had a Fiat 124 spyder briefly and it liked to quit on me across town at the airport. One time it was the starter. Rather than replace the starter in the parking lot I called her to come with her baby blue station wagon (with woodgrain sides) to pull me up to speed so I could bump start it. Her job was just to drive slowly. She did it well and I got the car started but then she stopped. I wanted her to follow me home so I looked out my door at what she was doing. She was putting my back bumper (the part we pulled on) into the back of her wagon. It seems the brackets were really rusty and failed. Not amusing.

Jim

[Gray_Panther]

It's confirmed.....start the car without pressing the clutch to turn on electronics.....build up speed and pop the clutch and drive off....there is a bonging noise that warns you the car is moving without the engine being on though.

cheers

[Adam135]

Originally Posted by Gray_Panther

It's confirmed.....start the car without pressing the clutch to turn on electronics.....build up speed and pop the clutch and drive off....there is a bonging noise that warns you the car is moving without the engine being on though.

cheers

Video or it didn't happen

[SteveAZ]

Originally Posted by JimD

She was putting my back bumper (the part we pulled on) into the back of her wagon. It seems the brackets were really rusty and failed. Not amusing.

Jim

[RPM90]

Originally Posted by Tom K.

Like the rest of us with a 128i, the OP was not favored with either an oil or water temp gauge.

The usual workaround is to check the oil level as the engine can be considered sufficiently warm when there is a reading.

Tom

My bad.
I thought the 128i also had an oil temp gauge.
That sucks, but you already knew that.

As for starting and driving off on a cold engine, you can still do that.
As you know, just don't use high rpm and/or big throttle for at least 5-10 minutes in warm temps, and 10-15 in cold temps.

[Gray_Panther]

Originally Posted by Adam135

Video or it didn't happen

Send me an iPhone/Droid so I can record it and upload it onto youtube.



No Really