2007 Mustang. Does the clutch have to be depressed for the car to start?

[ShelbyMotorspts]

Title basically says it.

Will a manual trans 2007 Mustang start in gear?

[STLR FN]

Title basically says it.

Will a manual trans 2007 Mustang start in gear?Is the sky blue? yes start in gear not that I'm aware of.

[Breadfan]

I'm betting this has something to do with the video of that 14yo kid crashing the Shelby through a wall...

Most cars nowadays have clutch safety switches that won't let the engine start without the clutch in. Started "in gear" yes in the sense that if you have in in 1st but the clutch depressed. I don't think you can crank it in gear with the clutch let out though.

(Before I took it apart I could do that in my spitfire, you could actually move the entire car with the starter. :) )

It seems to me what happened was he started it, forgot it was in gear and took his foot off the clutch, and the car having so much power did not stall out on him...

Video here: http://www.break.com/index/son_crashes_new_car_into_garag e.html

[ShelbyMotorspts]

Yup it's in regards to that Eleanor video.

And your explaniation is the only one that makes sense. Clutch depressed, car started and then the kid releases the clutch not realizing it was in gear.

[Breadfan]

Yup it's in regards to that Eleanor video.

And your explaniation is the only one that makes sense. Clutch depressed, car started and then the kid releases the clutch not realizing it was in gear.

Yeah, he's very unlucky that it didn't stall, that's probably one of the rare cases where stalling the clutch would've been a good thing...

[Dragcity]

Now, who can do that Homer Simpson impression real well?

Douh !

[magindat]

If the car was equipped with an aftermarket remote start system, the clutch switch had to be over-ridden. Such an aftermarket 'feature' could have caused the incident.

[alarmguy]

Doh!!!!!!!

[Blackened300a]

Well that kid just lost $50k worth of allowance.

[SergntMac]

Back in 1969, I owned a Camaro and a full size Chevrolet Brookwood station wagon, both with manual trannies. The Camaro had a four speed, the Brookwood a "three on the tree".

The clutch had to be depressed to the floor to start the car, in any gear including neutral. Anti-theft devices required the the tranny to be in reverse gear before the key would come out of the ignition lock.

I don't think it's any different today...

[jdando]

I would assume the clutch has to be in to start on the Mustang.

Just as a tangent reference...the Mercedes C class sedan I had in Germany last month could be cranked in gear:eek: Luckily I had a few feet in front of me or I would have been in deep doo.

jeremy

[BigCars4Ever]

Iv'e never owned a stick that you couldn't start without depressing the clutch. Except mabey a 74 ford f100 custom with a three on the tree.

[BAD MERC]

Do stupid people rule the world? Are there As$hole attorneys waiting to sue for the slightest mistake? Are we breeding a world of irresponsible weaklings that believe that accidents are somebody's else's fault? Of course you have to push the clutch in. Even better, car makers will eventually design cars that only start when nobody is standing within 100'. Of course, you will have to be wearing a helmet, goggles and hearing protection while seatbelted. Yep, we did this to ourselves folks. Thanks John Morgan of "Morgan and Morgan". "For the people".

[O's Fan Rich]

My 67 and 69 mustangs did not have that little safety feature.
I recall once cranking it ( the 69)in gear to get a bit of forwad momentum up a slight grade, then down the other side for the kick start!
I don't recall if the Pinto Wagon had it... I was too impressed with it's overall
aura of coolness to think about that.

[Mad4Macs]

Yup, you put the clutch "in" before she'll start. I test drove one last night, and MAN, if I hadn't gone through knee surgery the same time I bought mine, I might have got the stick. What a blast!

[94_302]

I'm betting this has something to do with the video of that 14yo kid crashing the Shelby through a wall...

Most cars nowadays have clutch safety switches that won't let the engine start without the clutch in. Started "in gear" yes in the sense that if you have in in 1st but the clutch depressed. I don't think you can crank it in gear with the clutch let out though.

(Before I took it apart I could do that in my spitfire, you could actually move the entire car with the starter. :) )

It seems to me what happened was he started it, forgot it was in gear and took his foot off the clutch, and the car having so much power did not stall out on him...

Video here: http://www.break.com/index/son_crashes_new_car_into_garag e.html

It actually was not a Shelby. It appears to have been the C-500 (https://cervinis.com/product.aspx?car=1&id=1208#C-500)

[tddpop]

I had a 4 cylinder 1988 Toyota 4x4 pickup in high school with a "clutch over-ride" switch that if depressed would allow the truck to be started in gear. It was completely gutless, way lacking in the torque department. One of those "won't get out of it's own way" types. Yet if you engaged that switch and cranked it in first gear, it would lurch forward and start up without stalling. A friend of mine who wanted to test drive it to see if he wanted to buy it had it sitting in his driveway, saw the switch, was curious and hit the switch, turned the key and it drove through his parents garage door. Brilliant, I know. I wasn't in the truck with him.