Does Neutral Gear Ignition Have Any Impact?
2 Answers
Neutral gear ignition has no impact. Neutral gear ignition is used to avoid the so-called "kickback" caused by shifting from Park to Drive through Reverse gear when starting. When using neutral gear ignition, the distance to shift into Drive is the shortest, avoiding any jerking sensation, with the purpose of protecting the transmission. The advantages of neutral gear ignition are as follows: Reduces Engine Resistance: Engine startup involves a process where an electric motor first starts and then drives the engine to start. This electric motor is powered by the car's battery and has relatively low power. If the engine starts with a gear engaged, it will undoubtedly increase the burden on the starter motor, making startup difficult and even potentially burning out the starter motor. High Safety: If the engine starts with a gear engaged, the car is prone to losing control at the moment of startup, leading to accidents and creating hazards, posing safety risks. Therefore, to prevent accidents caused by starting in a running gear, cars are designed to start in neutral. This function is called neutral start protection, and the primary purpose of this design is for safety.
As a veteran manual transmission driver with over a decade of experience, I've noticed many people overthink this issue. Starting in neutral is completely fine—manufacturer manuals explicitly recommend this method. When you depress the clutch, shift to neutral, and start the engine, the transmission gears fully disengage, minimizing engine startup load and reducing battery stress. Conversely, starting in gear can cause problems—if you forget to depress the clutch, the car might lurch forward suddenly. My neighbor's garage door got dented exactly this way. However, for automatic transmissions, note that some vehicles require Park mode to start, though neutral-starting won't damage the car—it's just a safety logic preventing ignition. Waiting for RPMs to stabilize before shifting gears provides better transmission protection.