Warning: Bad to bump start and skip gears

[palemelanesian]

Smooth bump starts:
Do a little clutch pulse - just a quick up-down - in top gear. Don't even let it out all the way. It'll give the engine enough to start, but not enough to jolt anything.

Then, choose your gear and shift and go.

It's smoother and less strain than even the smoothest standing start.

[JanGeo]

OH while you were moving - the only thing I hear in my xB like that is three rapid beeps when the skid control detects a skid. Yeah I would say to avoid turning off the engine when in motion . . . as one person found out the ignition switch is expensive to replace.

[theholycow]

Hmm...now there's a point, I was thinking of a kill switch yesterday when I read a howto for putting one on another car. Maybe it wouldn't make those angry beeps if I did it that way, though I suspect it would throw some error codes.

[GasSavers_JoeBob]

So what's wrong with bump starting? Used to do that in my Chevette all the time...especially when the starter would quit...which it did regularly. When I sold the car, I told the purchaser to guard the receipt for the starter with her life...the starter had a lifetime warranty, and she would need it.

"I don't like to go down to the flats,
'cuz I can't park on a hill.
Instead of getting a rolling start,
I have to pay the bill." -Neil Young

My dad usually bump-started our '49 Ford when I was a little kid (our street had enough downhill slope to do that). Never saw any ill effect from that. The Chevette's clutch eventually wore out, but that was after over 200k, so I really can't fault it.

[theholycow]

Supposedly the computer and/or catalytic converter on my VW can suffer from bump starting. Perhaps that's what's allegedly wrong with doing it on other modern cars too?

[Snax]

I see no way the catalytic converter could be damaged from it UNLESS the computer failed to engage the ignition at the same time as the injectors. Only loads of raw fuel, oil fouling, or extreme heat will typically destroy a converter.

The computer on the other hand simply may not have the programming to deal with it properly. I've yet to find a car where that seems to be the actual case at least as far as apparent operation.