Will the car move when in 2nd gear without pressing the accelerator?
3 Answers
Car can move in 2nd gear without pressing the accelerator. It's okay to do it occasionally, but long-term practice will damage the car. Extended information: 1. The harm of starting in 2nd gear: Since the gear ratio of 2nd gear is close to 1st gear, the wear is relatively not too severe. The higher the gear used for starting, the greater the wear on the clutch. Additionally, starting in 2nd gear puts more load on the engine, and the gasoline cannot be fully burned, which can easily lead to carbon deposits and cause damage to the engine. 2. Composition of manual transmission: Manual transmission consists of gears and shafts, generating variable speed and torque through different gear combinations. Different gears output different power and speed ratios. The lower the gear, the greater the output power and the higher the speed ratio. Therefore, in 1st gear, the car has the greatest power and can start a stationary vehicle. The higher the gear, the smaller the power output of the car.
When I first started learning to drive, I also experimented with the scenario of putting a manual transmission in second gear without pressing the accelerator. Standing on a flat, empty parking lot, slowly releasing the clutch, the car indeed moved forward at a snail's pace, with a speed of no more than 5 km/h. This is because the engine still outputs a small amount of torque at idle, which is transmitted to the wheels through the clutch—the higher the gear, the weaker the power distribution. Second gear barely works, while third gear hardly moves at all. But don’t think this can be used in daily driving; even a slight incline, like a 10-degree slope, will cause the car to shake and stall immediately, leaving you in an awkward situation. Novice drivers should prioritize safety and avoid trying this on roads or traffic-heavy areas to prevent stalling-related hazards. When practicing, applying a bit of throttle during takeoff ensures a smoother start and protects the engine. In short, it works on flat ground, but the effect is impractical and barely useful.
Having driven manual transmission cars for most of my life, I'm quite familiar with this little trick. Shifting into second gear without pressing the accelerator, the car will crawl forward like an old man taking a stroll on flat roads, relying on the engine's idle power output at around 700 RPM. But this isn't a proper driving technique; the speed is as slow as a snail's pace, and on steeper slopes, the car either won't move at all or stalls—newbies often trip up here. When I was younger, I tried this in crowded city traffic and ended up stalling, with cars behind me honking furiously—how embarrassing! Cars are designed this way for smooth idling, not for propulsion. My advice for daily driving is not to skimp on fuel at startup; just step on the accelerator a bit. A lighter engine load actually saves more fuel and is safer. An old driver's wisdom: manual transmission is all about control. Idle starts are fun to play with, but don't take them seriously.