I also had a hand crank for my A-4 and I used it too when the starter crapped out. Both start a lot easier when they are warm. As the others have said, the crank only works one way. Once the engine fires it will spit the hand crank off the crank shaft. The problem arises when you can't spin the engine fast enough and it fires just before TDC. I managed to get a couple good thumb sprains starting the Land Rover before an old timer saw what I was doing and instructed me to keep my thumb on the same side of the crank handle as the rest of my fingers. Seems pretty obvious once someone points it out.