Should you wait until the bulb check is complete before starting?

[The motor guy]

I almost always wait a couple seconds to let a few lights go off on the dash after starting. Today, I was in a hurry to move because someone parked across the road from me and basically blocked the road. So I'm pretty sure I just turned the key on immediately, and I could just hear it when I started. It was like a big thud from the starter. Anyways, I get to where I'm going and as soon as I put it in park the truck gets stuck in reverse even though it's in park and i loose the prnd symbols on the dash and the check engine light pops up. It's done this a couple other times over the 17 years of owning the truck. Not sure if it has something to do with being put into gear too quickly, or maybe I didn't quite get it into park all the way when I got to my destination. I just shifted it a few times back and forth and everything went back to normal. My dad had this problem once with his car too. He pulled up to the wrong side of the gas station and then got back in the car in a hurry and started it back up threw it in gear to move. Then he finds out when he leaves it won't go past 2nd gear. I think vehicles these days just need a few seconds to run before going into gear. Even warmed up. I usually pop mine into neutral for a few seconds before hitting drive. Everytime I throw a car into gear immediately after starting something weird like this happens

 

[Pablo]

That is very odd. No you should not have to wait at all. No car I have owned or know about has that requirement.

 

[The motor guy]

That is very odd. No you should not have to wait at all. No car I have owned or know about has that requirement.

Idk. I mean it didn't do it until I got to where I was going, so maybe it was something I did because I really wasn't paying attention. Maybe I somehow put it in between park and reverse without realizing it?

 

[D60]

Manufacturers try to build for lowest common denominator. You can't expect drivers to wait for the lights to prove out, nor is it necessary. That's there as a courtesy diagnostic IF you want to verify all lights are capable of illuminating.

 

[The motor guy]

Manufacturers try to build for lowest common denominator. You can't expect drivers to wait for the lights to prove out, nor is it necessary. That's there as a courtesy diagnostic IF you want to verify all lights are capable of illuminating.

On my old dodge cummins, the wait to start light was slow to come on. The truck wouldn't start until that light came on and went off. This is something that should only take a couple seconds, was taking 15 seconds. Basically that wait to start light means the ecm is booting up. Had to send it off to be repaired, so it's like an old computer that takes forever to turn on. Honestly, when I'm talking about waiting, I'm saying turn the key on...wait 2 seconds then start. Not turn key on start engine at 1000rpm because it literally just fired off and I'm throwing it in drive at the same time it's a 1000rpm I own two diesel trucks, they both shoot to 1000rpm for a second after starting, then back to 700rpm cold or not

 

[D60]

Wait to start on diesels is obviously a separate matter.

Hybrids also muddy the waters because they can be "alive" but not running the ICE

I will say the power windows in my '11 F350 annoy me because they don't come to life until a couple seconds after power on. But powertrain controls should be instantaneous.

Manufacturers would/should fear lawsuits otherwise-- it just takes one woman fleeing an attacker or one adult trying to save kids parked on the train tracks to see ANY delay after starting is at best stupid and at worst unsafe.

 

[Mechanician]

I've never encountered a car that needed a delay to operate - except a diesel with glow plugs.
I've always been impressed with the software that allows a car to go, without a fresh boot-up every time.
The bulb check is just that, and not an indication that you need to wait.
It sounds like maybe you found that perfect place in the shift position sensor/switch where it didn't make full sense to the ECM where you had it.
There may be a temporary code stored showing a bad shifter position sensor.

 

[2005jettatdi]

It takes so little time to turn the key and wait a couple of seconds before engaging the starter. In the meantime, the computer is thinking and adjusting settings.

 

[The motor guy]

It takes so little time to turn the key and wait a couple of seconds before engaging the starter. In the meantime, the computer is thinking and adjusting settings.

That's all I do

 

[Mechanician]

You could try to reproduce the PRNDL light going out.
By deliberately moving the shifter very slowly through it's range, (engine running) to see if you can find a bad spot where it doesn't send a proper signal.
But if there is a temporary DTC stored, it will set a permanent one, that will need to be cleared.
And of course you could just not do any rushed incomplete shifting, and not worry about it.

 

[eljefino]

It probably wouldn't hurt to wait one second.

You've got a huge drain on the main power bus from the starter, and it might take that second for the alternator to come online, especially if it's computer controlled and has a "soft start." You've got a bunch of other solenoids in the transmission and whatnot that need power, too. Add 17 years of corrosion and out-of-spec capacitors and I can see a couple of "flipped bits" that reset when the truck is properly restarted.

 

[bdcardinal]

On any gas one with a key to start, I turn the key to "on" let the gauges dance and listen for the fuel pump to prime, then start. On my diesel I just do the glow plug wait, then let it idle until the alternator voltage bumps up to 14V after a minute or so.

 

[John105]

No one has mentioned black electrical tape over the warning lights. Now 100% no need to wait

 

[Hall]

No, no need to wait. Those lights don't control anything. As D60 said, they're there for checking that the lights/bulbs actually work. Do you want to check them every so often ? Sure. Do 99% of drivers do it or even know why they light ? Nope. I've seen countless posts (elsewhere) from people showing a picture of all the lights lit up and asking if something is wrong. 1 out of 10 responders notice the tachometer at 0 and respond, "yes, it's normal" while the others tell the poster they need to have it towed to the dealer ... or "disconnect your battery for 10 seconds to 'reset' it".

 

[The motor guy]

On any gas one with a key to start, I turn the key to "on" let the gauges dance and listen for the fuel pump to prime, then start. On my diesel I just do the glow plug wait, then let it idle until the alternator voltage bumps up to 14V after a minute or so.

Same. It seems like whenever I'm cranking it before any light has turned on is when it's a problem.

 

[bullwinkle]

On my old dodge cummins, the wait to start light was slow to come on. The truck wouldn't start until that light came on and went off. This is something that should only take a couple seconds, was taking 15 seconds. Basically that wait to start light means the ecm is booting up. Had to send it off to be repaired, so it's like an old computer that takes forever to turn on. Honestly, when I'm talking about waiting, I'm saying turn the key on...wait 2 seconds then start. Not turn key on start engine at 1000rpm because it literally just fired off and I'm throwing it in drive at the same time it's a 1000rpm I own two diesel trucks, they both shoot to 1000rpm for a second after starting, then back to 700rpm cold or not

“Wait to start” on a Dodge Cummins mean the intake grid heater is on & warming up. If it was staying on too long, it might have been wearing out. They have red hot grid wires like a toaster. A diesel will usually start without waiting in warm or hot weather, but not as easily.

 

[bullwinkle]

Same. It seems like whenever I'm cranking it before any light has turned on is when it's a problem.

On most (not all) gas EFI vehicles, turning the key to run pressurizes the fuel system-making the engine easier to start. Unless it’s a Ford Transit, in which case the fuel pump runs when the driver’s door is opened…

 

[repairman54]

My '23 6.2 Silverado energizes the tank fuel pump when you open the door. I assume so the HP engine pump has pressure to it for starting.
I always used to pause a few seconds with the older low pressure systems for the system to prime, especially in real cold weather for less crank time and a more rapid fire up.

 

[tnt_motorsports]

A little off topic here but somewhat relevant

I use to work with a guy we called "check engine Len". He was the only guy I knew that could get in his car, start it and be out of the parking lot before the check engine light went off. He was always going a 100MPH figuratively. Very nice guy but man it was tough to keep up with him! He had a early 2000 chevy impala as I recall that he put many thousands of miles on beating the snot out of that car.

Just my $0.02

 

[Mechanician]

A little off topic here but somewhat relevant

I use to work with a guy we called "check engine Len". He was the only guy I knew that could get in his car, start it and be out of the parking lot before the check engine light went off. He was always going a 100MPH figuratively. Very nice guy but man it was tough to keep up with him! He had a early 2000 chevy impala as I recall that he put many thousands of miles on beating the snot out of that car.

Just my $0.02

There seem to be many people who have either the gas pedal, or the brake pedal, stomped down hard at all times.