Updated at: 01-07-2022 - By: Lucas

I’ve seen a lot of people on the internet say that starting a car in neutral is bad, so I wanted to put an end to this argument.

Starting a car in neutral uses more gas, but the real question is whether or not this is bad.

You can start your car in neutral, but it will wear out your engine very quickly. When you start your car in neutral, the starter motor keeps running to try to reach a high enough RPM to fire the fuel injector. It is not a good habit to start a car in neutral.

Read on to find out what could go wrong if you start your car in neutral, as well as other helpful tips for keeping your car in good shape.

Why Experts Discourage Starting A Car in Neutral

Can You Start A Car In Neutral (1)

To see why this isn’t good for your car, think about what we do when we normally start a car.

When you put your key in the ignition and start the engine, the starter motor turns until it reaches an RPM where fuel can be injected into the cylinder (around 500-600RPM).

Then, when it gets to that point, fuel is put in and set on fire.

This makes a pressure wave that moves through the cylinder and pushes down on piston 1. This turns your crankshaft.

If you start the car in neutral, none of these things will happen.

The starter motor keeps turning until it gets to 500 to 600 RPM, which is where it can start the fuel injection. However, it never gets there because your foot isn’t on the accelerator.

While this is going on, something else is happening: wear and tear.

Depending on how old or new a car model is, the starter motor uses between 200 and 350ft-lbs of torque to turn the engine over.

This puts a lot of pressure on the parts, especially if the engine turns without the fuel injection firing.

So, let’s say you have an older car that has some wear and tear (which will cause more strain on other areas).

If you always started your car in neutral, it would be like doing this to it every time you turned it on.

As you can see, starting in neutral puts extra stress on other parts of the engine that are just trying to keep up with all the extra work.

4 Things to Avoid in An Automatic Transmission Vehicle

Can You Start A Car In Neutral (2)

Automatic cars are great. They make it easy to drive because you don’t have to put the car in gear every time you step on or off the gas pedal.

They also have their own rules that must be followed to keep them from breaking.

Here are some things that, if done often, can damage or stress out your automatic car.

1. Switching From Drive to Reverse and Vice-versa Without Stopping

This is bad for the transmission of your car. This makes transmissions hard to work (and differentials in the case of trucks).

When you switch between drive and reverse without stopping, it puts a lot of stress on the gears inside.

2. Putting Your Car in Park Before It’s Completely Stopped

This puts stress on the torque converter, which makes it possible for your car to go from being still (when you stop) to moving (when you speed up).

If the torque converter doesn’t have enough time to speed up, it can hurt the engine.

3. Coasting Downhill In Neutral

It can be very bad for your car to let it coast downhill in neutral.

One thing is that when the engine is in neutral, the RPMs of the pistons are at their lowest.

This means that less oil is being pumped to the engine, which will cause the bearings to wear out from heat and friction.

Second, you can’t use the gas to slow down or speed up your car when it’s in neutral and going downhill.

When you coast downhill without using the gas, you are more likely to roll into dangerous situations.

4. Putting Your Car In Neutral At Stop Lights

It is very bad for the transmission if you don’t put your car in gear when you stop at a light.

The starter motor keeps turning until it reaches 500 to 600 RPM, which is the range where it can fire the fuel injection. However, it never gets there because your foot isn’t on the accelerator.

Depending on how old or new a car model is, the starter motor uses between 200 and 350ft-lbs of torque to turn the engine over.

This puts a lot of stress on the parts, especially if the engine keeps turning without the fuel injection firing.

FAQs

Can You Start a Manual Car in Neutral?

No, it’s not a good idea. If your car runs out of gas, the only way to get it moving again is to push it into a different gear. Before you try it, make sure someone else is there with you. If something goes wrong, they need to be able to stop the car from moving forward on its own.

How Can You Tell if a Car Has Been Started in Neutral?

When you start your car, you should be able to hear the starter motor turn for longer than usual.

Each type of engine has its own sounds, so if something doesn’t sound right, you shouldn’t drive the car until you find out what’s going on.

What Is The Difference Between Neutral and Park?

In a car with a manual transmission, you would put it in “neutral” if you pushed it away from where it was without having someone else help you steer it.

In an automatic car, you put it in “park” after parking for the brake to work.

In Summary

If you start your car in neutral, the engine and transmission can get damaged because they have to work harder.

If you don’t put your car in gear at a stoplight, it’s bad for the transmission.

The starter motor keeps turning until it gets to 500 to 600 RPM, which is where the fuel injection can be started.