How do people start their cars?

Do you get in and turn the key all the way straigh away

Or do you turn the key three quarters, wait for the any warning lights to go - Like airbags , and then startthe ignition

On the older Fabia TDIs the glow plugs were triggered when the driver's door was opened, so by the time you got in, you could start immediately. I'm not sure the newer cars work like this, but I never got out of the habit of starting straight away and only rarely (1 in 500X) does this fail.

Though if the tank is < 1/2 full, I do wait for the 'squish' before starting up.

I dont think it matters on petrol cars , by the time you twist the key everything should be ready to go , its not as if you have to wait minutes for fuel pressure to build up or anything !

I turn it straight on, no waiting.

i wait for the coil light to go out every time!

ye wait for the coil pack light to go out everytime, as if you dont do that it will prolong the life of the glow plugs on a diesel.

I wait for the coil light to go out... can do the seatbelt up in the meantime!

I wait for the heater light to go out before starting.

Chris

Truth be known it makes little difference.

The heater plugs come back on when the engine is on cold running anyhow.

Truth be known it makes little difference.

The heater plugs come back on when the engine is on cold running anyhow.

Seems to me that if I just crank it straight away, the car will run more percussively sometimes than if I let the heater light go out first. Is it possible that the heaters only come on under certain conditions and that starting before they go off can leave it running without them on?

Chris

IIRC they dont actually heat up all the time (only temps below 8 degees) but they will come on for the cold running period (although no light illuminates).

Not really attempting to protect the engine because I know it doesn't make a difference but my usual routine is open car, power on, seatbelt on, start engine then go.

Mine is jump in, belt on, start engine, foot flat down to the floor on imediate take off.

wait for the glow plug light to go out BUT also keep clutch pressed down while starting, this reduces wear in the clutch/flywheel

wait for the glow plug light to go out BUT also keep clutch pressed down while starting, this reduces wear in the clutch/flywheel

Also reduces current demand from the battery and saves you lurching forward if you forgot to put it in neutral.

Chris

The Yaris we have in the household actually forces you to put the clutch down to start regardless if you have it in Neutral. Unsure if it's a feature on all the range or just because it's a push button start, still I think it's a nice touch.

Now ye olde diesels - as per training ---get in , switch on , light fag, depress heater button, smoke fag -press throttle to floor (to alow governor to come in when engine starts) then turn key to start position- wait as engine cranks over, with great clouds of smoke, fires, dies, fires and runs .(That was olde generation 1960/1970 diesels as per the Badly Made Car Corporation (Austin& Morris))

Vauxhalls with a few miles on clock might need several heater operations via the key (turn on ignition, let light go out , switch off repeat) especially on older engines in cold weather.

Nowadays - i treat it like a petrol, except waiting for the glo plug light to go out .

How things have changed.