push-start?

has anyone here ever push-started their boxster? I mean, getting the car to start by pushing it up to some small speed and then popping the clutch. I was stuck with a dead battery a few nights ago and wondered about it while waiting for the tow truck to come give me a proper electrical jump. I used to push-start my first car all the time. That was a 1987 carbureted pickup. Is there anything about modern engines/ignitions that would prevent this from working? I confess that I'm not sure, and I'm curious. Now that my battery is back in good shape, would I do harm to the car by experimenting with one or two push-start attempts on a hill?

While on a weekend get-away, my 987 (about 5 1/2 years old at the time) was getting a little slow to start one morning. So when I parked the car, I parked it on a slight down hill spot. When I came out, I just got an ..rr.. That was it. So I turned the ignition on, foot on brake, push in the clutch, shifted it into second, released the hand brake, then released the brake and let it get started rolling, popped the clutch and VROOOOOM. Good to go, So it works fine with a manual.

I don't see how it would work with PDK, though. If your battery is dead, there's no way of shifting it.

... pirates might've stolen the electricity.

Depends on how deadbthe battery is. The electronics need a certain minimum voltage otherwise no fuel injection or spark. So yes, its possible.

Quote
Steve (Morro Bay)
Now that my battery is back in good shape, would I do harm to the car by experimenting with one or two push-start attempts on a hill?

I do it just for fun...and like Guenter stated..you will never know when you need to do it.

BTW ...Make sure you pick a down hill.

MIKELLIG

When the car alarm was malfunctioning and it was killing the starter motor but apparently not the ignition. It started fine with a push.

That said, I think the typical case with a Boxster is that the battery dies with the alarm engaged. In that case, I don't think you can push start it because the a thumbs up from the alarm is required for the DME to tell the coils to spark.

Maybe the amount of residual charge needed to get push-aided ignition to work is also enough for the car to do the RFID thing (or whatever it does) to recognize the key.