Have you ever tried to push-start your autostick?

sb001 · 01 November 2017, 18:17

According to the owner's manual (and my Haynes manual) you can push-start an autostick just like a regular 4 speed manual. However it is not too clear on how to do this- the owner's manual simply states to "use Low range" and get up to a minimum speed of 15mph. Does this mean actually roll the car in Low gear, or keep it in Neutral until you hit 15mph and then shift it into Low?

Raymond73 · 01 November 2017, 22:54

I've never had to do this, but I would think you would need to be in low the whole time while getting up to speed. In neutral you aren't building up compression in the cylinders and the torque converter isn't engaged. At least I think that's right.

68autobug · 04 November 2017, 05:41

I believe You cannot push start an autostick unless You can get to 60 Kilometers an hour from memory..
I also presumed You would need to be in LOW gear all the time.. although I cannot remember reading about what gear You would be in. I think 60 KMH would be MUCH too fast for LOW gear!!! Maybe Drive 1 or even Drive 2 could be used..
I know You always used 2nd gear in a manual beetle to push start it, as with most other manual cars ..
as You are driving the engine with ATF from the torque converter, remember that the autostick is FLUID DRIVE....
Maybe someone knows about TOWING an auto car??

I'm sure I read where You can successfully tow start an autostick if You can get it to 60 KMH...
but I have never tried. That is why a have a battery that is from a V8 engine car... So I don't need to push or tow it...

Lee 68autobug in Australia

sb001 · 06 November 2017, 18:04

Quote from: 68autobug on 04 November 2017, 05:41

I believe You cannot push start an autostick unless You can get to 60 Kilometers an hour from memory..

60 kph??

That's 35 mph... that seems WAAAYYY too fast. Yikes!
The owner's manual specifically states a minimum speed of 15 mph (25kph) to obtain the necessary speed to push start... again it does say this is the minimum speed so it might need to be faster than that--but I can't imagine it has to be much faster. And yeah, using Low gear at anything much higher than that could blow up the tranny

68autobug · 09 November 2017, 09:13

Yes, My mistake, I was probably thinking 30 kmh and getting mixed up with kmh and mph... it has been a long time since I read it... I always thought it was too fast for someone to push it... but now thinking You could push the car down a good slope or hill.... but I have always thought it was easier to jump start it using another car... I just replaced the battery in My beetle with a large capacity battery made for a V8 Ford... Buying a cheap small capacity battery didn't pay off... lol..

Lee in Australia

Interesting to think what happens when you push start an autostick.... Lee

68autobug · 09 November 2017, 13:00

The rear wheels and axles go round along with the torque converter which I presume pumps ATF into the ATF pump connected to the engine....As there is no direct connection between the road wheels and the engine?

?? ONLY ATF ---

Lee

Airpseed · 10 November 2017, 14:05

Quote from: 68autobug on 09 November 2017, 09:13

Interesting to think what happens when you push start an autostick.... Lee

Only one way to find out right?

68autobug · 14 November 2017, 10:43

I actually had the chance to push start My beetle about 2 months ago, when the battery was dead. It was on concrete and there was a downward slope onto the road plus a few workers... [like Homemart] and it may have started, but it might not have seeing the battery was dead, but after I walked about 3 miles home and drove back, it started straight away?

? but the started motor was only just turning...!!

LEE in Australia

tmea · 05 January 2018, 17:58

Simple enough experiment. Would do it myself were my local roads not covered in ice and salt at the moment. Find a hill on a non-busy road, stop at the top shut off the engine, turn the ignion back on put it in L and coast down hill and note the speed that it begins to turn over and the engine starts. Would love to hear what the result is.

Tom

68autobug · 06 January 2018, 08:13

Hi
I might just do that. I live at the bottom of a short down hill street, so it would be easy. I have just never thought of trying it as I thought I had read that the speed needed was rather high, but the speed would have been in Miles per hour, and My calculations to Kilometers an hour must have been incorrect. I have owned manual beetles and a manual type 3 variant over the years and have push started all of them over the years....they all started very easy as the engines were always fine tuned, it was always a dead battery that caused the problem..

Lee in Australia where the driver sits on the Right Hand side...lol

t

tmea · 08 January 2018, 19:37

Let us know what you find out. I"m betting if you are in L 25mph would do it. Will try when conditions here improve we can compare notes.

Tom

68autobug · 09 January 2018, 04:44

OK Tom, once the high temperatures have subsided, I will try a few different speeds. I'll try to find out what manual gave You the speed to start it. My Street has just been recoated with Bitumen and large stones, and I have 4 new tyres on My car so grip should be OK.. Will be interesting to try... I can't remember ever reading how fast a manual car should be going to clutch start it, but never ever had any problems.. and in 2nd gear the car would only just need to move maybe 5-10 MPH.... and it would start.
I've always thought that the speed to push start an autostick was too high to actually push start it, and I never ever thought of using a hill.... even if I was at the top... lol
[/color]When I first got My beetle on the road after 7 years of restoration, I forgot it wouldn't start when in gear, so for the next 5-6 times I had to jack up the car using the VW jack, turn the idle speed up a bit, and short out the two large terminals on the starter motor with a large screw driver, and it always started. First time was at a fuel station... lol another time was a car show... I had rewired the car totally, so I thought it wouldn't start because of My wiring mistake or loose relay...

[/color]cheers Lee in Australia at 37.3c Degrees in the shade..

sb001 · 17 January 2018, 15:48

Interested in hearing the results of these tests! I tried this once many many years ago with a couple friends of mine pushing me down a hill, but I had the gear shift in neutral not Low-- I thought the instructions meant leave it in neutral until you get up to speed and then shove it into Low. Anyway I'm not sure I ever got it up to 15 mph anyway....

sb001 · 24 January 2018, 16:58

Any updates?

tmea · 26 January 2018, 23:34

YES! Here is my update and let the matter be closed. An hour ago I tried this three times. Stopped at the top of a local hill with a mild slope shifted to neutral and shut the engine off and ignition back on. Let it roll downhill and shifted into L at 15 mph and it immediately started. Tried it again but shifted into L just above 10mph and it also started quickly. No problems whatsoever. If I can find a way to post a quick movie on this site I'll do it. Give it a try!

Tom