Depress Clutch to Start - Manual cars

[Mi16 Man]

Dear Manual drivers!

Has anyone asked their dealer if we can bypass the 'Depress Clutch to Start' feature on start up?

Can this actually be disabled?

Why you ask? I would like to start the car the same way I have for all other cars for the last 25yrs.

I've owned manual cars all my life and take as necessary precautions. Even motorbikes, but that is easier to hold the clutch in, start and then walk away with a big green "N" illuminated on the dash....

Cheers
Stu

[spellbound]

Funny i never noticed that little memo until about a month into ownership , just comes naturally , you never know whether some idiot has left it in gear , so we were always taught to depress clutch on start .

Glad your part of the 5% Stu , nice too see you have the carbon , love it after 3 black jobs in a row and 4 silvers prior , its very different .

[mk5fsi]

Can this actually be disabled?

My Guess is that it can be disabled, i know on my mk5 golf that i bought a couple months back, you can start the car without depressing the clutch. Ask your dealer or someone with a Vagcom.

[delxa]

Yay, I'm almost in the 5% club too. Seems like it's quite exclusive.

[Mi16 Man]

Mmmm, I liked my original "For the 5% of us" thread title better.....

Fairfax? Are my phones being hacked?

[MiiLos]

I think I read somewhere that its only a setting applied to the AU models, don't think its the same for the EU and US models?

[Mi16 Man]

My Guess is that it can be disabled, i know on my mk5 golf that i bought a couple months back, you can start the car without depressing the clutch. Ask your dealer or someone with a Vagcom.

Thanks for the heads up......Car has to head back into the dealer for a warranty fix....will ask a favour of them!

Spellbound....I got this colour by luck, thankfully. Was an unloved demo for 4 months.....CW would have been my first choice if had could pick it but am in love with the CSG!

[Mi16 Man]

I think I read somewhere that its only a setting applied to the AU models, don't think its the same for the EU and US models?

Thanks Milos.....surely not an ADR/Compliance reg???

[Banzai]

I'd have thought it was for retarded Americans as I only ever hear of it for other manual cars in the USA. And yes, it is bloody annoying having to depress the clutch.

Also, if you stall the car you have to turn the ignition off before it will let you restart. First time I've ever encountered that in a car.

[Corey_R]

This feature has been on various cars for years. An extended family member had one of the first Hyundai Excels in the (early?) 90s and that had the feature too. Of course, cars not having "MFDs" back then meant if you didn't know you had to press the clutch, it just wouldn't start...

[MiiLos]

Also, if you stall the car you have to turn the ignition off before it will let you restart. First time I've ever encountered that in a car.

Now that was an experience I won't forget the first time it happened to me lol!

[gareth_oau]

my RS4 has the same clutch process, with a starter button on the centre console near the handbrake

[SMOK3Y]

Also, if you stall the car you have to turn the ignition off before it will let you restart. First time I've ever encountered that in a car.

ya thats a crap feature, but even my dunnydore had depress clutch to start.

[The_Hawk]

The key thing has been in every VW I have owned from the '70 Type 3 to the current ones. The clutch thing not in the mk1 or mk3.

That's said it's second nature to do just that anyway. I once had a friend hand me the keys of his shiny new Excel and say "bet you can't start it"... And BAM first time I kick I over and he asked how I knew about the clutch thing to which I replied "what clutch thing??"

[blutopless2]

would be surprised if it can be bypassed or switched off... surely VW see it as a safety feature and would not tamper with it.