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ok, i'm not talking about the button you press on an S2000 to start the car. rather, i'm talking about what you do if (for example) you have a dead battery. i know how to do a push start, that is... you get someone to push the car while the driver sits in the car, when the car gets some momentum going, the driver drops the clutch in 1st gear and cranks the motor and the car starts. i've done this numerous times for my friends cars, etc. but the question is how exactly does it work? how does the car get the spark for the spark plugs if the battery is dead??? does it work because when the driver engages the clutch it makes the pistons move??? anyone???

 
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the alternator belt is in motion thus giving the alternator power, thus giving the car spark.

 
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the alternator is one part but u have to push the car while in gear and when its moving in gear the crankshaft is turning as if the starter motor was working to turn over the car...but i dunno if it can be done in out civics considering we have to have the clutch pressed when u start it...anyways since the car cannot get a spark with a dead battery even tho the crank shaft is spinning the alternator belt is moving as stated by blah man so what he said is the second part to push starting a car

 
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well, its common sense that when the car is moving the crank is moving, once the crank is moving other belts turn, the crank is what turned the other belts. Without the crank moving the other belts won't turn(alittle tipsy, so it will explain a bit if my posts make no sense)

 
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haha its no problem...just further explaining the details of it xP DD

 
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thanks for the explanation. makes sense...

 
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the only thing i know is you put the keys into ON position press the clutch, the gear in 2nd and jump. . . kinda lame huh, should have explained further! lol

 
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cant do that in our cars though, because i tried it already...lolz

 
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i dont think it works on automatics, but on manual it does. my friend's car died at HIN after he drained his battery at the end of the night ('02 civic). we started his car by giving him a push start.

 
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well.... i have an 01 civic manual and it didnt work for me. my battery was drained from my system. maybe your friend had a remote start alarm to where he dont have to step on the clutch to start his car.

 
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No, you'll need to push the clutch in, bypassed clutch or not. The tranny will just stall out if you don't. Chances are you just did it wrong. Most people who try it at first can't always get it right.

 
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no your doing it wrong then. a push start works with any manual car.

 
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What he said^
The reason we have to push in our clutch is electrical only. It's only a sensor that tells the starter that the car is OK to go. When you push start, it's all mechanical.

 
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o0o0o..... i will try again sometimes later on then. i did it the way i did the older models cars such as the 2000 civic and older and integras, but at the time it seems like it wouldnt work. well have anyone else on here have tried it on our cars?

 
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its called popping the clutch, only done on manual cars, it works by using power in the reverse direction