Started car in gear

The Russian

Hi, can anyone tell me is this normal, I left car in gear other evening as the hand brake can't be trusted lately and needs seen too. Of corse when I got up following morning I forgot and did what I usually do and turned ignition to warm up car while I open gate take in bin etc. Car shot forward violently before I realised I got in tried everything I could to stop it but was unable to on till it hit wall at bottom of garden doing quite a lot of damage, if there was anyone between car and wall they would of been killed. Has this happened to anyone else out there? I would of expected the car to just chuck forward at worst.

shamrock55

That happened to me with my very first car, a fiesta flair van, i only had it a few days too

The One Doctor

Sounds like you panicked and stamped on the accelerator. It happens. At least no-one was hurt.

MarkR

shamrock55 wrote: »

That happened to me with my very first car, a fiesta flair van, i only had it a few days too

Woman in Ennis was killed like that recently. Car accidentally started in gear while she was loading the boot. I think diesel cars are less likely to cut out?

Just rereading, you were able to get into the car, but unable to stop it? What did you try?

Mehaffey1

Heard of a guy selling his BMW. When he was finished washing the car and waiting for the seller to arrive he turned on the ignition through the driverside window. Car was in gear and it shot forward dragging him a long and somehow pinning him between the bumper and his garage wall. Apparently broke his leg and a prospective buyer came out to the house and found the BMW crashed and covered in a little blood as the seller had been taken to hospital. Sounds like urban legend material though.

Mehaffey1

MarkR wrote: »

Woman in Ennis was killed likt that recently. Car accidentally started in gear while she was loading the boot. I think diesel cars are less likely to cut out?

Diesel cars would pull on more because of the higher torque than petrols possibly

The Russian

The One Doctor wrote: »

Sounds like you panicked and stamped on the accelerator. It happens. At least no-one was hurt.

No I wasn't in the car I just stood outside the car and turned ignition. When car took off I ran along side hopped in and then tried to stop it.

The Russian

MarkR wrote: »

Woman in Ennis was killed like that recently. Car accidentally started in gear while she was loading the boot. I think diesel cars are less likely to cut out?

Just rereading, you were able to get into the car, but unable to stop it? What did you try?

I tried everything pressed brakes pull handbrake more, pull it out of gear but it all happened in a split second and it hit wall before I could get it under control

GrumpyMe

Have a look at http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056860990

Interslice

The Russian wrote: »

Hi, can anyone tell me is this normal, I left car in gear other evening as the hand brake can't be trusted lately and needs seen too. Of corse when I got up following morning I forgot and did what I usually do and turned ignition to warm up car while I open gate take in bin etc. Car shot forward violently before I realised I got in tried everything I could to stop it but was unable to on till it hit wall at bottom of garden doing quite a lot of damage, if there was anyone between car and wall they would of been killed. Has this happened to anyone else out there? I would of expected the car to just chuck forward at worst.

Was the engine warm? You are effectively bump starting it. I tapped into the back of a field car with another field car for the craic years ago and it took off across the field :eek:. i was luckily able to run after it and stop it before it got to a ditch. It had been stalled about 5 minutes before and left in gear with the key left in the on position.

The Russian

[quote="GrumpyMe;

I realise my mistake, not clutching, forgetting it was in gear etc. but this is an everyday mistake made by thousands everyday I'm sure, it's the lethal result that baffled me as I'm sure I would of heard of lot of people been killed because of an everyday occurrence

Mongfinder General

I drove a manual a couple of times and during my driving lessons. Hated every minute of it. I will always drive an automatic. For the life of me I cannot understand how anybody could drive a manual every day. Horrendous. Might be worth checking out.

The Russian

Interslice wrote: »

Was the engine warm? You are effectively bump starting it. I tapped into the back of a field car with another field car for the craic years ago and it took off across the field :eek:. i was luckily able to run after it and stop it before it got to a ditch. It had been stalled about 5 minutes before and left in gear with the key left in the on position.

No the car was stationary all night and it was a chilly morning so I fired up car as I usually do without getting into it before opening gate to warm it up, stupid I know but wouldn't of expected such a lethal reaction from making such an everyday mistake that's all, if this was a car park someone would if been killed.

The Russian

Interslice wrote: »

Was the engine warm? You are effectively bump starting it. I tapped into the back of a field car with another field car for the craic years ago and it took off across the field :eek:. i was luckily able to run after it and stop it before it got to a ditch. It had been stalled about 5 minutes before and left in gear with the key left in the on position.

No the car was stationary all night and it was a chilly morning so I fired up car as I usually do without getting into it before opening gate to warm it up, stupid I know but wouldn't of expected such a lethal reaction from making such an everyday mistake that's all, if this was a car park someone would if been killed.

Sam Kade

The Russian wrote: »

I realise my mistake, not clutching, forgetting it was in gear etc. but this is an everyday mistake made by thousands everyday I'm sure, it's the lethal result that baffled me as I'm sure I would of heard of lot of people been killed because of an everyday occurrence

Not many people would start a car without being in the drivers seat, it's a crazy thing to do.

The Russian

Interslice wrote: »

Was the engine warm? You are effectively bump starting it. I tapped into the back of a field car with another field car for the craic years ago and it took off across the field :eek:. i was luckily able to run after it and stop it before it got to a ditch. It had been stalled about 5 minutes before and left in gear with the key left in the on position.

No the car was stationary all night and it was a chilly morning so I fired up car as I usually do without getting into it before opening gate to warm it up, stupid I know but wouldn't of expected such a lethal reaction from making such an everyday mistake that's all, if this was a car park someone would if been killed.

nc19

Mongfinder General wrote: »

I drove a manual a couple of times and during my driving lessons. Hated every minute of it. I will always drive an automatic. For the life of me I cannot understand how anybody could drive a manual every day. Horrendous. Might be worth checking out.

I have found in my experience that the only people who enjoy driving automatics are American or shìte drivers.

If I need to stop in a hurry I dont want to have to rely on mashing a pedal and praying, I want to change down the gear ASWELL as braking thus maintaining full control of the car and stopping sooner

Captain Chaos

Any car I have been in won't start unless you have the clutch to the floor, so even if it's in gear it's going no where.???

Stheno

Captain Chaos wrote: »

Any car I have been in won't start unless you have the clutch to the floor, so even if it's in gear it's going no where.???

I was thinking the same that it would just cut out otherwise

Mongfinder General

nc19 wrote: »

I have found in my experience that the only people who enjoy driving automatics are American or shìte drivers.

If I need to stop in a hurry I dont want to have to rely on mashing a pedal and praying, I want to change down the gear ASWELL as braking thus maintaining full control of the car and stopping sooner

I was never interested in driving for pleasure, just getting from a to b, still hate it to be honest. Good thing about an automatic is that it will never jump forward when you turn the ignition unless you floor the accelerator.

GrumpyMe

Mongfinder General wrote: »

I was never interested in driving for pleasure, just getting from a to b, still hate it to be honest. Good thing about an automatic is that it will never jump forward when you turn the ignition unless you floor the accelerator.

Well there ya go - good thing that neither manual nor automatic will jump forward on starting unless you do something stupid! :rolleyes:

Mongfinder General

GrumpyMe wrote: »

Well there ya go - good thing that neither manual nor automatic will jump forward on starting unless you do something stupid! :rolleyes:

Leaving a car in gear is an easy mistake to make, flooring the **** out of an automatic after you take it out of Park is stupid.

CiniO

The Russian wrote: »

No I wasn't in the car I just stood outside the car and turned ignition. When car took off I ran along side hopped in and then tried to stop it.

Have you got a video of this event by any chance?
I'm sure if you had it would become fairly popular on youtube - you could make few quid

The Russian wrote: »

I realise my mistake, not clutching, forgetting it was in gear etc. but this is an everyday mistake made by thousands everyday I'm sure, it's the lethal result that baffled me as I'm sure I would of heard of lot of people been killed because of an everyday occurrence

It might be everyday mistake, but most people sit on drivers seat while committing this mistake, and are able to press the brake pedal when car takes off.

colm_mcm

Car with a dickey clutch could start like that

jimbis

Pressing the break in a situation like that won't do much for you either surprisingly enough. Anyone that has had to move a car with a f@&ked clutch will know how difficult it is.
I've drivin many cars by starting the car in gear because the clutch was gone and it's still a very surreal thing to do and very easy to panic and forget the basics of knocking the engine off or pulling it out of gear.

Worst one that happened to me was remote starting the car while it was in gear, thank god the handbreak was good. And yes there should have been a safety feature to stop that happening but there wasn't.

The Russian

Sam Kade wrote: »

Not many people would start a car without being in the drivers seat, it's a crazy thing to do.

It happens all the time and usually without a major incident even when left in gear, it may be stupid and not recommended but it happens

Titzon Toast

That was a very strange thing to do in all fairness.
Starting a car without being in it and not checking whether it was in gear first?
Count yourself very lucky you didn't hurt or kill anyone OP.
What if your car had been reversed on your driveway and then left in first gear?

JIdontknow

You can take off in a car by starting it in gear. Clutch cable snapped for me before as I was stopping at lights, turned it off put it in first gead and started it in first gear, car jumps or shudders slightly but will take off and go no problem, not great for the gearbox but it will go.

nc19

OSI wrote: »

Yawn.

Good stuff!

RandomAccess

The Russian wrote: »

It happens all the time and usually without a major incident even when left in gear, it may be stupid and not recommended but it happens

Eh, just because you do it all the time doesn't mean it's a common "thing".
I reckon you picked up the habit from a parent or sibling. If that's the case then I would really consider getting yourself out of the habit and doing the same for the others before they lose a limb or worse.

Cars sold in the last few years have been fitted with a mechanism which prevents you starting unless clutch is pushed to the floor.

evolutionqy7

Had the car jump forward a couple of times in my early days of driving. After a couple of times just got in the habit of pressing the clutch and checking the gear before staring.

You must do your pre flight checks

Spook_ie

GrumpyMe wrote: »

Well there ya go - good thing that neither manual nor automatic will jump forward on starting unless you do something stupid! :rolleyes:

For an automatic to start in anything other than P or N would mean a bollixed inhibit switch

BMJD

I have never started a manual without giving the gear lever a wiggle to be sure. One of those habits I guess.

GrumpyMe

I have never, unintentionally, started a manual transmission without depressing the clutch - that is how I was taught.
Until reading this thread I had no idea that some/all manufacturers implement switches/mechanisms to interfere with the natural selection process!

The One Doctor

nc19 wrote: »

I have found in my experience that the only people who enjoy driving automatics are American or shìte drivers.

If I need to stop in a hurry I dont want to have to rely on mashing a pedal and praying, I want to change down the gear ASWELL as braking thus maintaining full control of the car and stopping sooner

Eh? Automatics do the downchanging for you.

Zcott

GrumpyMe wrote: »

I have never, unintentionally, started a manual transmission without depressing the clutch - that is how I was taught.
Until reading this thread I had no idea that some/all manufacturers implement switches/mechanisms to interfere with the natural selection process!

Yeah, I'm the same. Even when I can see the car is in neutral, I'll always press the clutch before starting.

corglass

OSI wrote: »

Yeah but manually down shifting your 1.4 Corolla around town makes you more of a driver than doing sub 9 minute laps of the Nurburgring in a Ferrari dontchaknow.

"More of a driver"... What a stupid statement

Cee-Jay-Cee

Mongfinder General wrote: »

I drove a manual a couple of times and during my driving lessons. Hated every minute of it. I will always drive an automatic. For the life of me I cannot understand how anybody could drive a manual every day. Horrendous. Might be worth checking out.

Automatics are for lazy people or old people who no longer have the ability to manage gears/clutch/brake/accelerator.

I wouldn't buy an automatic if you paid me to, dull and uninspiring unless you get into higher end big power cars.

BTW my first comment is tongue in cheek. I can see why some people prefer automatics but your attitude is downright childish.

EazyD

OSI wrote: »

This site really needs a sarcasm font.

It's a satirical comment on a poorly conceived purveying attitude by many on this forum that driving an automatic means you're either a **** driver or incapable of enjoying driving. Just look at comments on the A5 thread about launch control only being designed so fat dudes could enjoy their Ferraris.

As someone who drives both, I appreciate the merits of each. Automatics are great when you are tired and just want to get to your destination with minimal fuss.

Manual box in something nippy and fun is also a joy when you want to drive for the pleasure of driving as opposed to the above. Matter of perspective really.

jimmyw

Mongfinder General wrote: »

I drove a manual a couple of times and during my driving lessons. Hated every minute of it. I will always drive an automatic. For the life of me I cannot understand how anybody could drive a manual every day. Horrendous. Might be worth checking out.

Well while your learning, manuals would be harder than autos, but I wouldn't call them "Horrendous".Nothing against autos, actually I'd like to try one.


Seems to be a rare occurrence for this to happen to the OP.When she jumps, you would normally stop turning the key instantly, she must have fired up fairly lively.Just proves you should always be in the seat and check its in neutral.I am sure you will learn the next time OP

shamrock55

MarkR wrote: »

Woman in Ennis was killed like that recently. Car accidentally started in gear while she was loading the boot. I think diesel cars are less likely to cut out?

Just rereading, you were able to get into the car, but unable to stop it? What did you try?

I was in the car when it happened to me, i just started her up but never realised it was in gear, it was a rookie mistake, anyway there was a wall about 2ft away which stopped me:D, i was only driving a few days, never done it since thank god its nearly 15yrs ago now, remember folks always make sure its in neutral before you start or at the very least put your foot on the clutch:D

biko

I learned on and have had majority manuals so for me it's second nature to have left foot on clutch and right foot on brake when starting.

Scary to have the car jump on you like that.