Will the car stall when braking to 20 km/h in fifth gear?
3 Answers
Whether the car stalls when decelerating to 20 km/h in fifth gear depends on whether the clutch is depressed. As long as the clutch is depressed, the car will not stall. If not, it will definitely stall. Here is the relevant information: Reason: Because the car will stall when the speed drops below 35 km/h in fifth gear. Each gear has a corresponding speed range. During driving, when braking occurs, each gear must maintain a speed above its minimum threshold; otherwise, the car will stall. Purpose: Depressing the clutch prevents stalling, while braking ensures safety. Speed ranges for each gear: First gear: 0 km/h - 15 km/h. Second gear: 10 km/h - 25 km/h. Third gear: 20 km/h - 45 km/h. Fourth gear: 40 km/h - 60 km/h. Fifth gear: Above 60 km/h.
When I first learned to drive, I did this: I braked directly in fifth gear to slow down, and when the speed dropped to about 20 kilometers per hour, the car suddenly stalled, which scared me. The reason was that the engine speed was too low, and the deceleration was too fast in a high gear. If I didn't downshift in time, the RPM would drop below idle, and the fuel supply would be cut off, causing the engine to stall. Later, I figured it out: every time I brake, I need to pay attention to the tachometer and speed. For example, when the speed drops to 40 kilometers per hour, I should shift to a lower gear, such as fourth or third, to keep the engine above 1000 RPM for stability. As a beginner, this lesson made me practice coordinating the clutch and brake more to avoid embarrassment at traffic lights and also save some fuel.
I've been driving for years and seen this plenty. Manual transmissions will stall eight times out of ten if you brake from fifth gear down to 20 km/h without depressing the clutch or downshifting - the engine just can't handle the load. But I've developed the habit of shifting by ear: when braking and speed drops to 30-40 km/h, I downshift to third, keeping RPM steady around 1,000 for smooth deceleration without jerking. New drivers often make this mistake mainly due to nervousness forgetting the sequence - it just takes practice. Stalling itself isn't catastrophic, the car just shudders to a stop, but avoid letting it happen in traffic as the steering wheel becomes heavy and unresponsive, which is dangerous. My advice: make downshifting an instinctive part of slowing down, don't take shortcuts.
