Don't worry man . They are all a little burned by our bulletproof 300k engines..

 

i'm not worried cuz i eat 12v for snack ; ).

 

I need my clutch to start. 1998.

 

min is 99. and car wont start until clutch is pressed

 

I drive a 00 and do not need to press in clutch to start. I assume this is because mine is European spec or something, i have never heard of a car that wont start unless you press in the clutch and nearly every car iv ever been in has been manual. Id say it is a safety feature for US spec cars due to the lack of experience you guys have of manual transmissions.

Also, they say you should park it in 1 if facing uphill, or R if facing downhill. Its in case the hand brake (e-brake) fails. I must admit i never do unless its a very steep hill.

 

lack of experience with manual transmission cars? wow... ok lol

 

^ to be fair Badman isn't that far off the mark with the "due to the lack of experience you guys have of manual transmissions" remark.

Most car companies in the US sell their vehicles with automatic transmissions as standard equipment. Not trying to stir the pot, just clarifying his point.

 

Oh, you're 100% correct, OD. People that have never driven manuals will turn the key without the clutch in, and without that switch, the starter engages and will drive the car forward. How far depends on what gear and whether or not the emergency brake is on, but the car will move. May even chug itself to a run. Seen it. I've even had my icy boot slip off the clutch while I was starting my old Ford. You have a strong battery and the emergency brake isn't set, and she'll run over anything while you hold that key in, trust me.
I never release my emergency brake until I'm actually ready to move the vehicle, and always park in gear. Been that way for over 30 years of driving.

And Mr. Phil, you need to read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clutch_control if you think holding the clutch in damages anything but the clutch disc/pressure plate.

 

I agree with the lack of experience remark. Maybe an lack of forethought or abundance of ignorance would be a more apt remark. Why else would VW and Audi put the automatic transmission lock on the US models. You can't leave park until you firmly apply the brakes. This is from the constant front ends ruined when people just throw it in gear.

 

My 97 ofcourse stars without having to push in the clutch.. I don't get why they used money on sensors to prevent this, if you're unable to put it in N, you're pretty much an idiot ^^