basic question
Push to shock!
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 4,583
Likes: 0
From: Palo Alto, CA
I think the neutral/park starting business is just an interlock to prevent preople from starting their car in drive.
So when you push start a car, the transmission is spinning the engine the way the starter would, just using the car's momentum instead. In a manual this is possible because the clutch makes a direct connection between the engine and tranny. In an automatic, the torque converter makes this connection, but the torque converter is a viscous coupling device and not a direct coupling, so there's not enough of a connection between the tranny and engine to rotate the crank.
So when you push start a car, the transmission is spinning the engine the way the starter would, just using the car's momentum instead. In a manual this is possible because the clutch makes a direct connection between the engine and tranny. In an automatic, the torque converter makes this connection, but the torque converter is a viscous coupling device and not a direct coupling, so there's not enough of a connection between the tranny and engine to rotate the crank.
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 420
Likes: 0
From: Albany,NY
Originally Posted by Kestrel
I think the neutral/park starting business is just an interlock to prevent preople from starting their car in drive.
So when you push start a car, the transmission is spinning the engine the way the starter would, just using the car's momentum instead. In a manual this is possible because the clutch makes a direct connection between the engine and tranny. In an automatic, the torque converter makes this connection, but the torque converter is a viscous coupling device and not a direct coupling, so there's not enough of a connection between the tranny and engine to rotate the crank.
So when you push start a car, the transmission is spinning the engine the way the starter would, just using the car's momentum instead. In a manual this is possible because the clutch makes a direct connection between the engine and tranny. In an automatic, the torque converter makes this connection, but the torque converter is a viscous coupling device and not a direct coupling, so there's not enough of a connection between the tranny and engine to rotate the crank.
Black Pearl
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 2,517
Likes: 0
From: Wisconsin
You can push start an automatic. You just have to be going fast enough to do it. I think if you get up to about 15-20MPH and put it in D1 it will work. At least that's what I've been told. :dunno:
