Push Starting a Newer Car

[bilbo]

I have a 2014 Fiesta with a manual trans that the starter went out on. Is it possible to pus/roll start a newer car? Last time we tried, with this same car, it didn’t work. But it was colder than the ninth circle of hell and we didn’t try all that hard. I’d like to move it into a warm garage to replace it if I can.

 

[sgtsandman]

I was able to do it with my 2011 Ranger. That's the newest vehicle I have with a clutch. I also have the benefit of a rather nice hill to get a good roll on too.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

I did it with an 08 colorado. Just be prepared for dingers and lights

 

[RonD]

Yes, if its a manual transmission, you can push start it, but.................

If its a Push Button start then there can be complications to getting it started that way

 

[bilbo]

It uses a key to start. I'll hopefully be giving this a shot this weekend. I got hit with Covid round 2 Monday night and haven't been able to mess with it. Not to mention it's been highs below zero every day this week.

 

[Shran]

I had a base model 2000 Silverado 5 speed truck a while back that I could not roll or push start. I tried it just for fun a few times and the dash lights would flash but it would not start. I'm not sure how roll start was disabled on that truck but it was somewhat of a bummer.

 

[-Nate]

So ;

Did you ever get it going by bump starting ? .

Most use too low a gear, never, EVER use first and many moderns second gear is too high to work well .

I remember rolling rusty junkers down the road on the farm in the mid 1960's, that was a serious PIA because you had to use top gear and either the engine turned too slowly to catch or the rear tires just slid on the snow.....

 

[dvdswan]

Most vehicles need a by-pass switch so it will turn over with the clutch out.

 

[19Walt93]

My not-mechanically-incline neighbor tried to start his son's Honda by coasting it down our steep hill and dumping the clutch. Despite his college degree, he did not realize that wouldn't work on a car with an electric fuel pump, electronic fuel injection, and a stone dead battery. He got it stopped without crashing and I loaned him a battery charger after jumping it with my Ranger.

 

[RonD]

Safety switch only prevents starter motor from working unless clutch pedal is down, if there was a pedal up safety switch then engine wouldn't ever run
Engine computers use crank or cam sensors to initiate spark and fuel delivery, nothing else, so if computer is on and it detects engine rotation it will start spark and then fuel

A totally dead battery, under 5volts, could prevent rolling startup

An Alternator needs "startup voltage" so it can generate voltage, and there in lies the problem if there is a dead battery
Key on and no dash lights at all means no "startup voltage" for alternator, so no amount of spinning the alternator will get it to start generating power
So no computer, or fuel pump, so no spark or fuel delivery

If battery had at least 9v, key on, so some dash lights it should roll start OK
Once engine is spinning above 500rpm alternator would generate 14volts and computer would come on, then spark and fuel pump, so engine would start

 

[tinman_72]

My not-mechanically-incline neighbor tried to start his son's Honda by coasting it down our steep hill and dumping the clutch. Despite his college degree, he did not realize that wouldn't work on a car with an electric fuel pump, electronic fuel injection, and a stone dead battery. He got it stopped without crashing and I loaned him a battery charger after jumping it with my Ranger.

I have roll started my '93 Ranger with electric fuel pump, electronic fuel injection and a dead battery many times....

 

[RonD]

There is a low battery which can't spin the starter motor, so under 11.5volts usually
A "dead" battery, 0 volts, or removed battery, 0volts won't allow startup

If you turn on the key and can see the Battery Light/Charge light then push starting won't be an issue
No light means no start

You can change to a 1 wire alternator, and never need a battery, lol
Or a Generator, the bad ol' days

Neither of these need "startup" voltage

Any regular alternator needs about 5 to 6volts at the regulator to turn on the regulator, and only then can alternator output voltage to the vehicles systems, i.e. spark and fuel

You could roll the vehicle down Pike's Peak for 10 miles in 3rd gear at 3,000rpm and never get a volt out of an alternator that wasn't "turned on", lol

 

[scotts90ranger]

Relays need about 7 volts to switch which is the cutoff for a lot of things... Some new cars with computer controlled starters have a deal where if the computer doesn't control the starter (or at least think it's controlling the starter, if you parallel the system it works...) it won't work. The GM stuff we deal with at work will do that, I can turn it off but basically if it's so enabled if the computer isn't controlling the cranking it won't enable fuel and spark even though there's rpm...

 

[4x4prepper]

There is a low battery which can't spin the starter motor, so under 11.5volts usually
A "dead" battery, 0 volts, or removed battery, 0volts won't allow startup

If you turn on the key and can see the Battery Light/Charge light then push starting won't be an issue
No light means no start

You can change to a 1 wire alternator, and never need a battery, lol
Or a Generator, the bad ol' days

Neither of these need "startup" voltage

Any regular alternator needs about 5 to 6volts at the regulator to turn on the regulator, and only then can alternator output voltage to the vehicles systems, i.e. spark and fuel

You could roll the vehicle down Pike's Peak for 10 miles in 3rd gear at 3,000rpm and never get a volt out of an alternator that wasn't "turned on", lol

Yes, after schooling myself more on alternators and knowing I want to swap in a 100+ AMP alternator for my inverter and winch, I have been looking at one of these :

DELCO HEAVY DUTY ALTERNATOR - 21SI - 130 AMP - 1 WIRE on E-Bay. Though I am seriously considering a real marine alternator instead.

DELCO HEAVY DUTY ALTERNATOR - 21SI - 130 AMP - 1 WIRE | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for DELCO HEAVY DUTY ALTERNATOR - 21SI - 130 AMP - 1 WIRE at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

I am pretty sure it will be a close swap.

 

[scotts90ranger]

For a big marine alternator I think the 9SI or 11SI (I've never made sense of the SI numbers but we use the 7, 9 and 11 at work...) is decent, fairly easy to wire, it has a sense and ignition wire but that's not too complicated. Marine alternators just mean that they can't make an internal spark, doesn't mean they're waterproof or anything...