HJ has warned us all about moving a car a short distance, for example to move it out of the garage onto the drive. Apparently this upsets the car's CPU making it reluctant to start, for fear of damaging the Cat. (Hope I've got that right).
I assume therefore that if you do need to move a car (say on a forecourt, or out of the garage to clean/load it etc.) that you need to leave the car running for a time? How long then would suffice, safe in the knowledge that it will at least start up again?
I often have to move my car simply to let a colleague extract his /her car from an adjacent parking space. (So far thankfully without restart problems, but I guess certain [newer?] models have different check systems).
Thanks,
Stu
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Stu,
At least long enough to give a near-normal temperature gauge reading, and prefferably by driving round the block as this will also clear condensation from the exhaust more thoroughly, but if you are guarding a parking place just hold the revs at about 1,500 - 2,000 until that temp needle moves to about 1/4.
Regards, Adam
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Just take the handbrake off and push it.
a.) You won't knacker the cat and stuff more HC and CO and NOx into the atmosphere b4 the cat warms up;
b.) You look like you need the exercise
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I own a Rover 800 Vitesse and I don't fancy pushing that very far!
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Anybody else find that pushing a car with power steering almost impossible other than for short distances in a straight line?
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My mother in law's GTI 8 valve P reg wont start after short distances, unless she waits 10 mins. I am told this is caused by "flooding". Does anyone know a cure apart, from driving further, or getting a divorce. (and getting re-married=new mother in law)
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My story is vaguely related to this. I have a Xantia HDi (common rail diesel) and today, for the first time ever, I stalled it going through the Severn Bridge "Tag" lane. It refused to re-start - just churned the starter. It would only re-start by turning off the ignition completely (as if to "re-set" software).
As with any new phenomenon, I was slightly concerned - but perhaps I shouldn't be. Any comments (polite ones only, please!).
Ian
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I stalled my 2.0l i Cavalier the other day, and that will refuse to start unless you turn the ignition completly off, and even then it is reluctant.
Regards
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May I again recommend my invention for moving a car out of the garage? Run the front wheels up on 2 shallow wooden ramps (brick height) and then gravity will let you roll it out without starting the engine.
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all very well unless you have a sharp incline coming out of your garage.
otherwise, yeah, or get stronger legs and give it a push, my chosen technique!
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I perform air quality assessments for my job which includes calculating "cold start" emissions. It is widely accepted that a standard car takes 504 seconds to warm up to proper operating conditions, so that's about 9 minutes. I acknowledge that it won't need to warm up to that for the ECU to cope, but think of all those nasty pollutants wafting round your house.
On that theme, it is also believed that residential areas can suffer from as bad air quality as city centres because of all the cars starting up every morning and leaving in the same time window.
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