Jacking up a hydro-pneumatically suspended Citroen wasn't that easy if the floorpan was only just clearing the ground.
Of course you could start the engine, lift the suspension to its highest setting, stick a block of wood or a prop underneath, move the suspension to its lowest setting and the wheel(s) would lift off the ground, but by then you wouldn't need to spin the wheel to start the engine.
Given the effort required, I don't think you'd stand a chance by trying to use a tyre (ignoring the fact you couldn't bumpstart these cars anyway as they were semi-automatic with torque converters).
The starter handle had a jump-out cluch fitting so it didn't spin round when the engine started. It could click back if you didn't use enough force to get a piston over TDC on compression.
Part of the problem starting that car was that the starter was also driving the hydro-pneumatic pump. There was many a day when the whole family lept into the car as we set off to go somewhere, and it wouldn't then start. This was met with the cry "everyone out", at which point we all got out except dad, and then it started OK (and pumped up the suspension), and we got back in again.
Back on to batteries, the car wasn't that good with them either. Although alternators were standard on most cars by then, the Citroen had a much more crude hybrid, which used an alternator to generate the electricity, but the regulation and charging was done with dynamo-style circuit using switching relays, and unlike a real alternator, it couldn't charge the battery at tickover speed.
My friend's Lada manual had a bit saying if it was really cold, turn the headlamps on to warm the battery up before trying to start :-)
I had a manual one - cracking car, it was.
A friend had a copy of the Ford "New" Anglia parts list. The starting handle was part of the GPO spec!
Nothing wrong with doing that. Standard practice in cold countries. A slightly less than frozen, partly discharged battery turns over an engine better than a fully charged near frozen battery.
Mains fed battery heaters are another option.
Even better is a heated garage at both ends of your journey :)
Most battery powered tools need to be used for a while in cold weather before the have full power.
Bill
Modern diesels probably won't have a chance of starting 'cos they need power for the electronics, never mind the compression you'd be fighting
- I know that when the Primera 2.2 TD that I had developed a fault and a tendency to stall, it'd nearly throw you through the windscreen as the compression fought the inertia.
There again 20 years ago I flattened the battery on a 1.6 diesel Fiesta and with no power from the battery, a valve wouldn't open (at least that's what I assumed at the time) and the damned thing couldn't even be tow started.
I borrowed a set of jump leads, which began to melt.
I borrowed a better set of jump leads and got it started - in the process destroying the other guys factory-fit alarm! It didn't matter though, he wasn't much liked ;)
SteveW
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