Has anyone ever bump started a 996?

Not that I would but can it be done or is it verboten? It's an academic question although might be good to know at some point. Consider a partially drained battery, otherwise healthy car. Has anyone done it? Why would you or would you not be able to do it?

You would have to bypass the clutch switch first. When I was in the Navy and got back from a cruise (for months), I would retrieve my MG from the 4th floor of a downtown parking garage. Bump started down 4 floors of ramps to get going. Of course that was 40 years ago. I think I would never do that to my 996. Emergency battery jump kits would be my preferred preference now. But since I'm retired I never have to worry about that anymore.

Unless you have 9.5 volts to the ECM, its not going to fire.

If you have a failed starter or"Y"cable but otherwise hot battery/good system, then you can bump or roll start the 996.... You have to have enough battery power to power everything up ie. the computer ,relays,coils ,injectors, fuel pump ect,or it won't fire up, even with bump start/roll start.... As John says at least 9.5 volts after everything is powered up...

I have bumped started my 996 several times. With a dead or low battery, no problem

In a quest to reduce the weight of my car, I drove around with a motorcycle sized battery for way too long. I got really proficient at push starting my 996. I felt bad asking people, that were kind enough to help me, not to push on the taco tail. I do not know if the clutch switch mattered, since I deleted mine. Dbjoe996, I had a couple of MGBs while I was going to college. I remember getting to school early, so I could back into a downward sloping parking spot. I was surprised to learn that there were cars that didn't have to be push started.

Clutch switch does (not) allow the starter to engage and turn the engine over. Since you don't use the starter to turn the crankshaft the clutch switch is irrelevant when bump starting.

I've done it on mine ,, it got pissed.. Ran horribly, I had to basically let it sit and idle for a minute, then turn it off and then it cranked up.. I think the ECU wants 12 volts and kinda gets lost without full power. .

I do it all the time....I live on a hill.

Same as any other car. Done it countless times before I swapped the 997.2 cable in. Use second gear if first doesn't work. Clutch safety switch does not have any impact. The clutch will be in when you let it out to start. Again, same as any other car.

Yes�

Did it a month ago on the track. I spun out and the battery was already weak. It wouldn't start at first and the battery didn't have enough juice after a few tries. The tow truck gave me a pull and I was able to bump start it in second gear. No issues except for having half the desert in my car after the spin. Turns out the battery was 8 years old and has been replaced.

I'm impressed that nobody got themselves all in a twist about this. Seems like people used to argue that there were sensitive Electronics and general voodoo to be considered. Anyone else having problems after they have roll started?

After re-reading all the comments (especially Porchetech's) my take is that you can bump start these with no problems as long as there's some juice in the battery. If it's totally dead you're still SOL because there's no power to run the engine electronics. The people that had problems afterwards probably had a situation where the ECU lost its memory at some point and needed to be re-trained. I had a 2003 Xterra that I rarely drove after I bought a new car. If I let it sit for 3 or 4 weeks it would also run like crap even with a decent battery and normal key start. It would even out after 5 miles or so. Scared the hell out of me the first time because I wanted to sell it in good condition.

Interesting about the electronics. I used to 'kick start' all kinds of cars back when I was young and poor. I well know the trick of parking on an incline, nose pointing downhill -- don't want to kick start in reverse, it's too low of a gear. I always used 3rd gear. It would work even on a stone dead battery because the generator would supply juice. I wonder if a few spins of the alternator in an electronified modern car would do the same?

Quotes source post: 18852984

Old school generators have permanent magnets to produce a magnetic field and therefore can produce/output DC current directly even on a stone dead battery Alternators don't have permanent magnets and have to have outside current to produce the magnetic field to output/produce AC current that needs to be rectified to DC current and therefore will never charge a stone dead battery or produce current, until an outside source is placed upon it..

Sometimes there's no choice but to use reverse.... on my Memorial day VW Corrado get together return trip on the Merit Parkway in Connecticut I managed to stall the thing on a steep uphill in stop/go traffic. Of course with the starter heatsoaked it refused to do anything. After a few cars got out from behind me I put it in reverse, rolled back down the hill a bit, and popped the clutch in reverse. It started right up and all was well (just don't stall it again idiot).

Quotes source post: 18853500

Friends with a 2-cycle Saab kick started it in reverse and the engine started up spinning the other way! They had 4 speeds in reverse and 1 forward. They drove it that way for a while until not having headlights became a problem. This was all back when there were 1/100 the number of cars on the road as there are today.

Quotes source post: 18853500

Nice work. The lower gears need a more gentle clutch release if you don't want to rattle the motor/ transmission right out of the car. Ideally second or third gear if there is enough Hill to generate the necessary speed for a smooth bump start. Reverse is obviously doable and obviously you did it so good on you.

I just did it this yesterday morning . Car had been parked unused for a couple weeks . Battery could light up the dash etc but not enough juice to turn it over . It kinda clicked . rolled it down the drive , popped the clutch and it started up . drove it around and put the trickle charger on over night

I got to thinking and realized that it probably confused the Throttle self test since no power, then when it got power it couldn't runt eh self test because it was already running.