Is it possible to drive a car with a starter

First of all, you need to recall what the functions of the starter are. It is a small electric motor that is used to start an internal combustion engine. The fact is that the internal combustion engine cannot create torque in a stationary state, therefore, before starting work, it must be “unwinded” with the help of additional mechanisms.

Is it possible to use a starter to move

On vehicles with a manual transmission, the starter can be used for driving if the clutch is depressed and the gear is engaged. As a rule, this is rather a side and undesirable effect, since the starter is completely not designed for such actions.

What could be the consequences

The starter, in fact, is a mini-engine that only drives the car's engine, so its resource is not designed for operation in more difficult conditions. Simply put, the electric motor is capable of running for a very short time (10-15 seconds), which is usually enough to start the main engine.

If the starter continues to work, it will fail very quickly due to overheating of the windings and significant wear. In addition, sometimes a starter failure negatively affects the battery, so a driver who decides to drive an electric motor will have to change two nodes at once.

When can you ride a starter

However, there are some situations where the engine may stall or suddenly run out of fuel, and the machine must not be left in place. For example, this can happen at an intersection, a railroad crossing, or in the middle of a busy highway.

In such a case, it is permissible to drive a couple of tens of meters on the starter in order to avoid an emergency, in addition, the resource of the electric motor is usually enough to overcome short distances.

How to move correctly with a starter

So, the starter on the “mechanics” allows you to overcome some short distance before its winding burns out, and driving a car will be basically impossible. To carry out such a movement, you need to squeeze the clutch, engage first gear and turn the ignition key. The starter will begin to work, and in order to transfer its movement to the wheels of the car, you need to smoothly release the clutch. If everything is done correctly, then the car will start moving, and this will be enough to bypass the dangerous area or pull over to the side of the road.

Riding on a starter is possible only on a manual gearbox, and this method of movement is highly undesirable, since this leads to a breakdown of the electric motor. At the same time, sometimes it is urgent to overcome a couple of tens of meters, and for this it is quite possible to use the work of the starter.