Manual Car Stalling – Reasons and Solutions

Driving a manual car has some unique perks. But, there are some problems too and car stalling issue is one of them. Every engine has an RPM (a.k.a. stalling speed) where it does not have enough power to overcome the pumping loss caused at the time of switching the engine on. The speed limit for this condition to occur varies from one model to another. However, it remains between 300 and 750 rpm for most vehicles.

Clutch Mechanism of a Manual Transmission Car

Understanding how the clutch works is a vital part of figuring out why the manual transmission cars stall. The component has two solid discs and works as the connecting link between the engine and the gearbox. It links engine’s output to the transmission’s input shaft by creating a firm lock between them at a 1:1 ratio. It means that one turn of the engine will yield one turn of the input shaft.

You can disengage the clutch by depressing the pedal. It disconnects the discs from each other, allowing the engine to turn without affecting the transmission.

Why Does the Car Stalling Problem Occur?

Slowing down a manual car requires the engagement of the clutch, which locks the rpm of the engine and the wheel. The RMP ratio depends on the gear locked in the transmission.

When the car is about to stop, the wheel speed drops and closes to the car stalling speed limit. The engine will start to stall at this point as it has to struggle against the pumping loss and the resistance of the wheels and the drivetrain. When the car goes slower than that RPM limit, the engine stalls and fails to generate any power.

A fully-engaged clutch works as a bridge between the engine and transmission (and with the components of the drivetrain too). So, when the engine spins, it affects the wheels, axle, and transmission. If one component of this chain stops working, it will stall every other part connected to it unless the clutch is engaged. So, when you try to stop the car with an engaged clutch, the car will stop because the engine’s RPM will drop below the required speed limit.

How to Prevent the Car Stalling Issue?

There are two simple ways to solve this problem. They are:

Depressing the Clutch – It will break the lock between the engine and the transmission. It will prevent the car from stalling since the engine will work separately even if you stay in-gear.

Car Stalling — Depressing the clutch at the right time will solve this problem. Source: Vox

SEE MORE:

Depressing and Releasing the Clutch – In this method, you will have to shift the gear to neutral after depressing the clutch. Then, you will need to release the clutch. Doing so will not break the connection between the engine and the transmission but the input shaft won’t be in touch with the output shaft or wheels because of the neutral gear. It will allow the engine to rotate without putting any impact on the transmission.