Starting: Clutch In or Out?

Inspired by another GRM thread:

When starting a car equipped with a manual transmission, is it better to start it with the clutch pedal in or out, and why?

I always start the engine with the clutch in. Usually, especially if the engine is cold, I start it in neutral, too. The reason is that in neutral and the clutch in, the starter has to spin fewer things in the transmission so there's less resistance, so easier on the starter motor. Also, it takes less cranking power from the battery. I learned this when I lived in the frozen Midwest, and one of my early cars was a diesel, so easing winter starts was good.

In the other thread, Keith says that he starts with the clutch OUT (obviously in neutral). His reasoning, if he'll allow me to paraphrase, is that with the clutch in, the thrust bearing is pushing on the end of the crankshaft, adding lots of friction when those parts have no oil supply (as the engine isn't running yet so the oil system isn't yet pressurized).

His words: "I prefer to start the car with my foot off the clutch to save the thrust bearing. Because when you put your foot on the clutch to start the car, you're basically trying to force the crankshaft out the front of the block. Your thrust bearing is there to prevent this, but before the car starts there's no oil pressure. Your thrust bearing does not appreciate this, especially if you've installed a heavier clutch with more crank-pushing power."

Keith's reasoning sounds pretty good to me. And I'd rather replace a battery than a throwout bearing. Plus, now I live in the Southwest where cold starts aren't that cold. But I'd like more opinions on this. Chime in!

David

I'm honestly not entirely sure if my car will even start without the clutch depressed...

I know my '97 Civic won't start without the clutch in.

Clutch in. 150k miles later, still, clutch in.

Had a buddy who did clutch out and almost put my car into my garage wall. Yes, I leave it in gear. When I'm in a car I'm not familiar with, or simply don't own, ALWAYS clutch in.

SAAB, the car has have the clutch in. BMW, almost always neutral and clutch out.

My old e36 did not have a clutch interlock, or it was disabled.

My 'new' one does. Guess how many times I've tried to start it by reaching in the window? Not saying that is good, but I yam what I yam.

Yes - I always verify neutral first - a habit hard-wired in my brain from the days before clutch interlocks. Old dog/new tricks.

In balance, for safety reasons, I'm going to say that interlocks are good- bearing wear or not.

gjz30075 wrote: When I'm in a car I'm not familiar with, or simply don't own, ALWAYS clutch in.

Since it gurantees a safe start, clutch in + neutral, period. I'd rather replace a throw out bearing over a -insert large inanimate object around or including walls of a home/structure/etc-...

I'm biased by my buddy almost putting our XR4 through his garage wall (no interlock) and me having a Ranger with an interlock, it's force of habit, but I haven't put my Ranger through any walls or cars on startup...

flountown wrote: I know my '97 Civic won't start without the clutch in.

My '90 Civic has the same feature.

I start clutch in 90% of the time. However on my race car I wil start it in neutral if I am not in the car. (I reaching in the window) I like that I don't NEED to push the clutch to get it going.

I always start my Mini in neutral with the clutch pedal out just for the reason Keith described.

I usually start the BMW the same way.

The Miata has the interlock to prevent it and I've never worried about defeating it, so I always start that one with the clutch pedal in.

Neutral, clutch out. 907 Lotuses (Loti?) will do the same thing Triumphs will, only it'll wreck the aluminum block (just ask a bud of mine here in Chuck).

Here's how the block is set up. This is a Fiat block but the layout is the same. When the washers get thin enough, they fall out leading to nearly instantaneous destruction of the crank and block.

There is a safety aspect, much like the 'lawyer switches' on motorcycle kickstands. Me, I believe in Darwin.

Clutch in, due to interlock. Even back in the day, I still did it clutch in. (Then clutch out neutral for warm-up) It's only a moment of pressure on the bearing. How many of us have had early bearing failure due to this?

I remember hearing, back in my MG ownership days, that clutch out was the proper way to start your MG. I just don't remember why.

Funny story, clutch interlocks don't exist in Europe. No one in Europe ever puts the clutch in, why would you? Twice, admittedly 10 years apart my parents were over to visit me and I left them one of my cars to use for the day while I was at work. Both time's I've come home to be told my car was flat and wouldn't start. I jump in and it starts right up :)

yes, thank the clutch interlock on the "safety" weinies... too many lawsuits

Clutch in to start, right back out with car in neutral while I get situated. I have also kept the habit of sitting at a light in neutral with the clutch out that I was shown after I got my Spit.

My car's an automatic but I've always done clutch in, neutral. I understand the reason of why clutch out but I figure the wear on a modern car is pretty small, and my stick cars all had interlocks that I didn't feel like defeating. If I had a racecar there would be no clutch interlock so that the starter could be used to get a disabled car out of the way if need be.

I start my cars with the clutch out for the thrust bearing reason.

And ive always defeated clutch switches because its handy to crank a car up the little ramp into the carport with it in gear when its broke down

I just use the remote starter I hot wired up on my new mustang.

pigeon wrote: My car's an automatic

I'm sorry to hear that. I hope you get better.

gjz30075 wrote: Clutch in. 150k miles later, still, clutch in. Had a buddy who did clutch out and almost put my car into my garage wall. Yes, I leave it in gear. When I'm in a car I'm not familiar with, or simply don't own, ALWAYS clutch in.

Which is why I always wiggle the gearshift, foot hard on the brake, wiggle the gearshift again and hit the starter. I don't care who parked the car, I'm the one who's starting it

I remember Rowan Atkinson comparing the Porsche GT vs the McLaren F1 (if memory serves). The Porsche was held up for ridicule as it was the first car he'd ever driven that required a clutch interlock.

I've never owned a car with a clutch interlock, but I still put the clutch in to start. I always park it in gear (I never use the e-brake, habit from racing) so I'm used to it being in gear.

I never start my car through the window for the same reason, except if it's on the lift. I figure it can't get far up there.

Clutch in. wiggle the shifter, start while still holding clutch in. All my cars have the interlock, but the old f100 did not. It was scary as hell if you hit the spinner on that big block truck with it in gear. I did it a couple times and damn near ended up in a ravine once. that was when I got in the habit of starting with the pedal pushed in.

Clutch in, but I'm pretty sure none of my current cars give me any choice in the matter. I don't recall if any of my older cars had interlocks or not, so I must have always been clutch in since I started driving.

My 86 Nissan truck has the clutch interlock. I took it in to have it adjusted right after I got it because you had to press the peddle all the way down and then some more to get it to start. The fix at the dealer was to deactivate it.