used to do this with my buddies del Sol.
Here is how it looks when done on a hill

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=de8h27wsxpY

 

I've started my car like this in the parking lot at walmart.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong but if your battery is dead because your alternator is shite, compression starting will get you nowhere. I'm 99.99999999% certain that fs there is not sufficient voltage coming from the alternator OR battery to power your coils, you aint going anywhere no matter how hard you push.

 

Correct. There needs to be enough power to get the electromagnets in the alternator to work. Without them working no current will flow no matter how fast you spin it.

 

LOL @ everyone thinking this could do damage.... as stated above, it is not much different than using the starter to turn the engine. Just be smooth with the cluth and u have nothing to worry about. I drove my CRX for a month with a bad battery, forward & reverse.

 

ok thanks guys. i just wanted to make sure it was possible with our car, being that the compression is so high.


to takeshi:
don't laugh at me

 

[QUOTE=3ngin33r1,Aug 4 2008, 02:26 PM] Correct me if I'm wrong but if your battery is dead because your alternator is shite, compression starting will get you nowhere.

 

i would imagine disconnecting the battery would leave the entire vehicle's circuit open....

 

I was going to make this point also. Use second gear, not first.

If necessary, you can use reverse (if the car is rolling backwards, obviously). But the best gear for this technique is second gear.

 

That's correct, but in most cases the problem is that there is an open circuit somewhere that drained the battery, not that the alternator is toast. Typically it's just a light left on, or a radio left playing too long.