Hand crank start
 

I'm curios if you can hand crankstart:
1) And modern Gas petrol cal (fuel injection, computer control);
2) And Diesel automobile. I've seen some old "Mercedes" with mechanical injector (but still had electric pumps) but they needed some glowing plugs.

Petrol cars with a small displacement two cylinder engine, possibly. Didn't the Trabant and other tiny cars have a hand crank?
Diesel, I doubt it! Too high of a compression ratio. Most Diesel trucks and cars required two batteries because of the high starting current.
My four cylinder Jeep Liberty required a special single battery because of the demand.

IIRC you can still pop start manual transmission gasoline engine cars*. I don't think any maker is going to offer a crank in the USA these days 1.) the cars of the early part of the last century that did have cranks tended to break arms 2.) most members of my generation have lousy upper body strength (I've seen some so scrawny that they make me wonder how they cope with daily tasks).

*If the alternator is putting out enough voltage for spark to work then the computer is going to work too.

1) Not on any car made since electric start was perfected. Not only is it dangerous, but a modern car wirh a dead battery won't be able to run properly anyways, and then there's the issue that in a modern front wheel drive car, where would the crank go? A hole in the fender?

2) Compression ratio of a diesel engine is way too high for crank start. If I rotate the crank of my toyota 2.4L diesel engine with a wrench, it takes way more force than a gas engine.. I don't think I could do it fast enough to actually start the engine.

I thin 'Trarant' could be hand crank. "Dacia" 1300 and early 1310's (made after "Renault" 12) could be also hand crank.

I once had a Peugeot 403 which could be hand cranked.... this model was made up to the mid 1960s. I actually used the crank once on a winter day when the battery was too low to start the engine. The engine was about 1.5 liters, and started fairly easily after only a couple of cranks.

jr

A lot of French cars, even into the 80s, had a hole for hand cranking. I'm sure you could crank most modern engines, even some of the larger ones, but especially on late late model cars, they won't permit a start unless the key is in the crank position. Why in the hell would you want to, though? You'd need a special tool anyway, or you'd break your arm. I suppose you could use a ratchet, but I'm a mechanic, I've had ratchets reverse on me all the time. Not to mention, you'd have no guarantee that the ignition timing wouldn't be advanced, and backfire, and break your arm. Push starting manual transmission cars is still a thing though. For how much longer? ...Eh.

Diesel? God no.

What special tool? :worried:
The reason why? Maybe will not have some one to help push your car.

Have had my 35 Ford for 49 years and only cranked it once, it is hard to crank a V8 as just when you get one cylinder over the next comes up.

I had a 1959 Citroen DS19 with a crank start provision, you inserted the lug wrench into a hole under the front bumper.. not many front wheel drive cars with crank start provisions. There was a lever under the dash that would mechanically engage the clutch for push starting too if i recall right. there was no clutch pedal, clutch was normally engaged by a centrifugal pump that was combined with the water pump.

You know I tell a lot of my customers this: Call a cab and a tow truck, you'll be WAY better off. Some things just aren't worth it.

There have been so many times I am thankful I drive a 5 speed Ranger. If its not the battery , its the starter that has gone out.
I can always find a small hill around here to park it on, so I can roll start it.
Sadly, I have heard the manufacturers are discontinuing manual transmissions since they now have automatics that are as efficient.

@ MadMan : in Romania is not so easy to find an tow truck if you are in some rular areas.

Must be some sketchy parts of Chicago near you. The two times I've had to tow my Lincoln (starter motor died, brake line developed a suspicious hole) the tow truck drivers were decent folks and there was nothing worrisome about the ride.

Then hitchhike. Or find a farmer with a tractor. If you attempt to hand crank a modern car, you're going to hurt yourself - or your car - and you're going to be sorry. Besides, if you're in not-America, isn't your car a manual transmission anyway? Just push start it. You know we fat lazy Americans like our automatics.

Well unless you've been cruising through Englewood, I'm not sure what you mean.