Questions and Answers

Starting A Running Engine Q. If you turn the key of the car forwards, the opposite way than you are supposed to, while it is on, accidentally, while trying to turn it off, will it cause any damage?

A. When one of the guys in the shop accidentally try to start an engine that is already running, we all yell out; "Hey! Grind me a pound!"

If you do it rarely, you probably won't hurt anything. What you are doing is putting a spinning starter gear into a spinning flywheel. All it's going to do is grind teeth on both gears.

If you do it often and long enough, yes, you will damage both the starter and flywheel.