5-Speed, lift up for reverse Forum Sticky?

[virtualchuck]

Somehow I missed the trick to putting a manual DeLorean in reverse. I almost ran over my louver and went through the front wall of my garage! I think that needs to be a sticky on the forum?

Chuck

[David T]

Somehow I missed the trick to putting a manual DeLorean in reverse. I almost ran over my louver and went through the front wall of my garage! I think that needs to be a sticky on the forum?

Chuck

Maybe you just need to refer to the Owner's Manual.

[rdarlington]

Somehow I missed the trick to putting a manual DeLorean in reverse. I almost ran over my louver and went through the front wall of my garage! I think that needs to be a sticky on the forum?

Chuck

That's nothing. Wait till you leave it in gear and turn the key. There is no neutral safety switch (at least not in mine). Yeah, that almost ended in disaster.

-Bob

[virtualchuck]

That's nothing. Wait till you leave it in gear and turn the key. There is no neutral safety switch (at least not in mine). Yeah, that almost ended in disaster.

-Bob

I actually almost did that too, thanks for the heads up! Unfortunately my manual was a hunk of mold so I skipped right over it and went straight to the tech manuals. Guess I missed these little tips.

Chuck

[Bitsyncmaster]

That's nothing. Wait till you leave it in gear and turn the key. There is no neutral safety switch (at least not in mine). Yeah, that almost ended in disaster.

-Bob

+1
I tend to leave it in neutral and if I let others drive my car they leave it in gear. I alway set my parking brake so the few starts in gear have not done much. But now I make it a point to verify neutral before starting the car.

[LordFly]

That's nothing. Wait till you leave it in gear and turn the key. There is no neutral safety switch (at least not in mine). Yeah, that almost ended in disaster.

-Bob

Same here! I think we've all done that though.

I'm curious how the OP got there car to their driveway before figuring out reverse? I picked mine up on a trailer, so the first thing I had to do was back it out of the POs garage. I couldn't find reverse, looked at him confused, and he made an "upwards and back" hand motion. I essentially drove the car about 6" before learning the trick. I figured everyone else would have a similar experience.

[Dangermouse]

That's nothing. Wait till you leave it in gear and turn the key. There is no neutral safety switch (at least not in mine). Yeah, that almost ended in disaster.

-Bob

You don't start with the clutch depressed?

[virtualchuck]

Same here! I think we've all done that though.

I'm curious how the OP got there car to their driveway before figuring out reverse? I picked mine up on a trailer, so the first thing I had to do was back it out of the POs garage. I couldn't find reverse, looked at him confused, and he made an "upwards and back" hand motion. I essentially drove the car about 6" before learning the trick. I figured everyone else would have a similar experience.

I picked it up over the summer, and it wasn't running. The only miles I logged "driving" was with one hand on the wheel while pushing it up and down the driveway. We finally got it started over the weekend in the driveway, I drove it into the garage, and then I tried backing it out the other night, I immediately searched the forum and found I wasn't the first to make that mistake.


Here is a link of us first starting it:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152012293316552&l=5940125698574037461

Chuck

[David T]

I picked it up over the summer, and it wasn't running. The only miles I logged "driving" was with one hand on the wheel while pushing it up and down the driveway. We finally got it started over the weekend in the driveway, I drove it into the garage, and then I tried backing it out the other night, I immediately searched the forum and found I wasn't the first to make that mistake.


Here is a link of us first starting it:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10152012293316552&l=5940125698574037461

Chuck

Don't feel too bad, I have seen more than a few where the gearshift was forced and things were knocked out of whack or bent and in some cases broken. Too bad about your owner's manual. It is not at all obvious in the Workshop Manual. It is easily overlooked on F:07:01 end of the 2nd paragraph. If it has been forced you should check the adjustments. While doing that it won't hurt to lubricate the linkage to make shifting easier and smoother.

[rdarlington]

You don't start with the clutch depressed?

Not when my feet are on the ground and I'm leaning in to start it while working on the engine. No need to touch the clutch in just about every car on the road to start it as they can't start in gear.... except this one can. I almost hit my garage door and the car moved about 5 feet before I was able to stomp on the brake pedal and stall the engine. Ooops. Now I make for darn sure that I'm in neutral or the clutch is in every time I start it. I keep the car parked in my machine shop at home that is in use by others so it's *always* in neutral when parked in there.

-Bob

[Dangermouse]

Gotcha.

I learned to drive in manuals in the 80's before the whole Audi-unintended-acceleration thing, so I have always clutched before starting.

I suspect that it is standard in all pre-80's cars