Depress Clutch to Start - Manual cars

[wai]

You'd be surprised. A close friend of mine was working on his car in the garage. He leaned into the car through the open driver's window and turned on the car... he didn't realise it was in gear and the car went straight through the garage wall into the living room, sending his father flying.... His father was sitting on a couch against the wall the car went through. He was more shaken up than hurt. But yeah... there is definite potential for injury to happen.

Whether that potential is worth enforcing it the way that is done in modern cars is another thing...

Ok, so use the other sensor that tells you the car is in neutral or in gear. But to insist that the clutch is depressed no matter what is a bit much.

But then, it is unlikely VW will do anything anyway so we have to learn to live with it.

[elephino]

This feature has been on various cars for years. An extended family member had one of the first Hyundai Excels in the (early?) 90s and that had the feature too. Of course, cars not having "MFDs" back then meant if you didn't know you had to press the clutch, it just wouldn't start...

I found the Excel one as well when I went for a test drive many years ago.

It's been a habit of mine pretty much since I started driving, so I've not had any issue with it. The only time I've ever thought it would be useful not to have it is when the car's been parked in the sun for a long time and I want to let the aircon cool the car before getting inside.

[Brendan_A]

I asked to have it disabled but at this point it can not be turned off.
I find it annoying of a morning cause I can't just lean in and start the car and let it idle for a few mins while I take the bins out or whatever.

[Mi16 Man]

I asked to have it disabled but at this point it can not be turned off.
I find it annoying of a morning cause I can't just lean in and start the car and let it idle for a few mins while I take the bins out or whatever.

Bingo!!!! You are on the money right there Brendan......

[sillywet]

The only time I've ever thought it would be useful not to have it is when the car's been parked in the sun for a long time and I want to let the aircon cool the car before getting inside.

I think in the European models (no doubt an option) there is actually an auxiliary motor that uses petrol rather than battery power to turn on the aircon (cool or heat) prior to you getting in it. I read it somewhere in the manual when I got mine and got excited before getting back in my car and realising there was black plastic where the button was meant to be...

I also hate the feature being discussed. What if you have the thing up on stands/jacks and you want to just reach in the window to kick it over. Not an option.

I am just a hater of not being given a choice. If you're a muppet and you need someone to force you to put the clutch in, then no dramas, but if you have some semblance of cerebral activity then you should be allowed to operate the thing like a normal car. Same goes with the traction control. If I turn the thing off, I want to be able to exceed the limits as decided by the computer. For anyone with an R, you'll no doubt know the frustration when you have the thing planted over a bit of a crest and it unweights and suddenly Mr Computer thinks you're about to self destruct and cuts the power. fffffaaaarrrkkkk!!

And just when you think it can't get any worse, Lambos and M Division cars are becoming auto only and Porsche changes to electronic steering. Someone build me a time machine.

[MkVIGTI]

What next? Will drivers have to have the car in gear before they can remove the ignition key?

In a DSG, you'll have to leave the gear lever in Park before you can remove the key...

[Ideo]

I personally like having to tease the clutch about it's weight, lack of education, lack of drive, lack of decent job or girlfriend and how it is simply a waste of space.

Well, it does tell me to depress the clutch.

[sillywet]

Does it blow anyone else's mind that the only gearbox offered in Nth America for the R is a manual?? Do any yanks actually know what a clutch pedal is?

Mind you, at the price they're getting it for i bet there are a few people willing to have some driving lessons! Lucky buggers.

[Corey_R]

Actually... when it comes to sports and performance cars, the USA has a higher up-take of manuals than Australia...

[sillywet]

yeah well that's not really saying much. i guess what i meant was, if you were going to take only one gearbox, i would bet my left nut that the DSG would be a far more popular option. guess it just shows that they're stretched for production and the US is just getting what's left over. which in itself is interesting.