Will a Manual Transmission Car Stall When Braking in Second Gear?
2 Answers
Manual transmission cars can stall when braking in second gear due to the excessive speed difference between the engine flywheel and the clutch disc, leading to severe jerking and stalling. Manual transmission vehicles use a manual shift mechanical gearbox to adjust speed, where the driver manually moves the gear lever to change the gear meshing position inside the transmission, altering the gear ratio to achieve speed variation. The gears in a manual transmission are categorized as follows: 1. First gear is the starting gear, used when initiating the car; 2. Second gear is the passing gear; 3. Third gear is the transition gear; 4. Fourth gear is the driving gear; 5. Fifth gear is the high-speed gear.
I experienced this exact situation two days ago while driving my old manual Jetta. When a pedestrian suddenly dashed out in front of me while I was in second gear, I stomped on the brakes hard, causing the car to stall instantly and stop dead in the middle of the road, with the car behind me honking furiously. Later, I figured it out: in second gear, the engine RPM was already low, and slamming on the brakes caused the wheels to drag the engine speed down. When the RPM dropped below 500, it was like a person holding their breath for too long and passing out—the engine just 'choked out.' Now I've learned my lesson: when I need to brake hard, I immediately press the clutch pedal all the way down with my left foot to cut off the power, while my right foot controls the braking force. This way, even in second gear or first gear, the car won't stall. You have to be especially careful when going downhill—don't rely too much on engine braking and lose control of your braking power.
