What Causes a Beginner Driver to Stall When Starting the Car?
2 Answers
The reason a beginner driver stalls when starting the car is due to inaccurate control of the clutch and unfamiliarity with the engagement point of the clutch pedal. If the foot moves too quickly from the clutch's free play to the engagement point, the car may stall. When stalling the car, it is necessary to first press the brake, shift to N (neutral), engage the handbrake, shift to P (park), and then turn off the engine before releasing the brake. For manual transmission vehicles, pressing the brake is also required when stalling. The effectiveness of the car's braking depends on the quality of the brake pads, which create friction against the brake discs or drums to achieve deceleration and stopping. The engine's power is transmitted through the transmission, and starting the car requires coordinated interaction between the engine, transmission, and clutch.
Stalling when starting off is a very common issue. When my cousin first got his driver's license, he would stall every day at the entrance of our neighborhood. The most frequent cause is releasing the clutch too quickly, especially in manual transmission cars. If you release the clutch too abruptly, the engine will simply stall. Not giving enough throttle is also crucial—if you only release the clutch without adding gas, the car will definitely shake a couple of times and then stall. Some people are afraid of rolling back and press the brake too hard, forgetting to release it, which naturally causes the engine to stall. Hill starts are the most challenging—if you don't coordinate the handbrake properly or fail to master the clutch's biting point, you'll stall for sure. Don't worry; just practice a few more times to find that sweet spot of the clutch's biting point, and with a bit of throttle from your right foot, you'll be steady. Everyone goes through this when they first start driving a manual—it gets better with practice.
