I failed my third driving test on Thursday - messed up at a junction, and the examiner and me both went for the brakes.
My instructor has said that there's nothing wrong with my driving technically, i just have a confidence issue. He and i have now decided until my next test, i'm just doing an hour lesson a week with him, and going out with my dad as much as possible in my car.
However, here's my problem. The car i learn in with my instructor is a diesel Corsa. The car i'm going it in with my dad is a petrol Volkswagen Polo.
I am forever stalling the petrol car when i'm out with my dad. It's really getting me down, because i don't have a problem with stalling in the diesel - can't even remember the last time i did.
What am i doing wrong in the petrol? How can avoid the stalling?
It's pretty obvious why you stall in the petrol and not the diesel, you find the diesel easier to drive!
What I used to do at the start of my lessons, sometimes still do if at the start of my lessons my friends are watching me drive off is to look at the revs and find out how many revs you need to find the biting point, I'm sure you know this all already but looking may help you hear what it sounds like when you won't stall.
Does that make sense!?
Got my 1st driving test next month, don't think I'll pass to be honest but life goes on!
It's pretty obvious why you stall in the petrol and not the diesel, you find the diesel easier to drive!
What I used to do at the start of my lessons, sometimes still do if at the start of my lessons my friends are watching me drive off is to look at the revs and find out how many revs you need to find the biting point, I'm sure you know this all already but looking may help you hear what it sounds like when you won't stall.
Does that make sense!?
Got my 1st driving test next month, don't think I'll pass to be honest but life goes on!
Hmmm, what do you mean by looking how many revs you need to get to the biting point? I don't quite understand that bit?
I did the exact same as you, still learning in diesel but i have a peugeot 206 Petrol.
The best tip i can give you is to just for say 10 minutes go on a really quite road and try and find the clutch biting point, its much 'smaller' than the diesel one so just raise the clutch up REALLY slow to start with until you feel / hear it.
What you do when you're actually going / starting off etc is Gas first, clutch to biting point, more gas and off clutch.
And in reverse manoeuvres you have to do the same, set gas and then slowly lift up clutch to biting point. I got a feel to it pretty quick but hadn't been driving in the diesel for long so that's probably why. But i can switch between petrol / diesel easy now so it will come!
Hmmm, what do you mean by looking how many revs you need to get to the biting point? I don't quite understand that bit?
Like on the diesel that I am driving in if you put the accellerator at 1,000 revs and life the clutch up to the right point the car will lift up slightly like it wants to go, so you release the handbrake at that point.
Comprende?
If not I hope someone else will explain, I'm finding it difficult to choose the right words for what I'm trying to say, it's kind of confusing, sorry.
1. Depress clutch and select first gear.
2. Set gas.
3. Get the biting point.
4. Do observations.
5. Bring the clutch up a little, and press down on the gas.
That is right in the petrol isn't it?
On the counter thing - where it's like 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and so on - where ideally should my revs be to avoid stalling?
1. Depress clutch and select first gear.
2. Set gas.
3. Get the biting point.
4. Do observations.
5. Bring the clutch up a little, and press down on the gas.
That is right in the petrol isn't it?
On the counter thing - where it's like 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and so on - where ideally should my revs be to avoid stalling?
Have to figure this out for yourself, there is no magic number. This is called learning to drive! It depends on the car and the load etc etc. Practice iss all you can do.
I did the exact same as you, still learning in diesel but i have a peugeot 206 Petrol.
The best tip i can give you is to just for say 10 minutes go on a really quite road and try and find the clutch biting point, its much 'smaller' than the diesel one so just raise the clutch up REALLY slow to start with until you feel / hear it.
What you do when you're actually going / starting off etc is Gas first, clutch to biting point, more gas and off clutch.
And in reverse manoeuvres you have to do the same, set gas and then slowly lift up clutch to biting point. I got a feel to it pretty quick but hadn't been driving in the diesel for long so that's probably why. But i can switch between petrol / diesel easy now so it will come!
Just have patience and keep trying
With the manouevres then what do you do like? When you've got the gas and the biting point, what do you do then? Cos like you want the car to move dead and slow and everything.
I failed my third driving test on Thursday - messed up at a junction, and the examiner and me both went for the brakes.
My instructor has said that there's nothing wrong with my driving technically, i just have a confidence issue. He and i have now decided until my next test, i'm just doing an hour lesson a week with him, and going out with my dad as much as possible in my car.
However, here's my problem. The car i learn in with my instructor is a diesel Corsa. The car i'm going it in with my dad is a petrol Volkswagen Polo.
I am forever stalling the petrol car when i'm out with my dad. It's really getting me down, because i don't have a problem with stalling in the diesel - can't even remember the last time i did.
What am i doing wrong in the petrol? How can avoid the stalling?
Any help/advice really appreciated!
because of the way a diesel works. it's alot harder to stall them. I was going just fine in my instructors car but when I got in my Volkswagen lupo I was having the same issue. Because petrol ignites without pressure the cars have a much lower tickover hence the need to use a little bit more power. In my instructors car I hadn't used nay power to pull away. it was shock having to use both feet at the same time
You'll get there. You've got to remember not to be scared of using power when you pull away - you'r not going to fly off provided that you let the clutch out slowly- as soon as your going you can ease off the power.
It too a fair bit of practice to get it though - I was just start stopping round a car park for a fair few hours while I got used to it
Like on the diesel that I am driving in if you put the accellerator at 1,000 revs and life the clutch up to the right point the car will lift up slightly like it wants to go, so you release the handbrake at that point.
Comprende?
If not I hope someone else will explain, I'm finding it difficult to choose the right words for what I'm trying to say, it's kind of confusing, sorry.
I see! That's the counter in the car where it's like 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 etc.. and the 1 is 1,000 revs isn't it?
1. Depress clutch and select first gear.
2. Set gas.
3. Get the biting point.
4. Do observations.
5. Bring the clutch up a little, and press down on the gas.
That is right in the petrol isn't it?
On the counter thing - where it's like 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and so on - where ideally should my revs be to avoid stalling?
that looks right ye, and for the ideal revs i think it differs for every car, when you can feel the car like..edge forwards thats when its not gonna stall. After a while you'll get it instinctively.
You can release the clutch as quick as you like as long as there's an equal and opposite motion going on with the accelerator. When I'm trying to accelerate from stationary quick I lift the clutch in a split second, and as long as you're right on the throttle you're fine.
1. Depress clutch and select first gear.
2. Set gas.
3. Get the biting point.
4. Do observations.
5. Bring the clutch up a little, and press down on the gas.
That is right in the petrol isn't it?
On the counter thing - where it's like 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and so on - where ideally should my revs be to avoid stalling?
it depends where the needle is when your just stood.
since it's a Volkswagen engine (like mine) i would assume it ticks over about 800 revs - when i was getting used to it I'd stick about 2000 on. how fast the car goes really depends how fast you let the clutch out.
On the counter thing - where it's like 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and so on - where ideally should my revs be to avoid stalling?
I hate to say it, but this bit of learning to drive is different to other bits of it.
I often see learners post about this issue, and try to force it into very technical methods, when its impossible to make it work that way.
You just have to get a 'feel' for the car, a familiarity of how the car feels under your foot when you ease to, or past, the biting point. It will depend on the make, age, condition of the car and your surroundings as to how much acceleration you need to pull off.
Its a good thing that you're getting to learn with two different cars, and at least a diesel is harder to stall than a petrol, when the diesel is the one you have for your test.
Don't try to do the exact same thing every time, and practice pulling off from all sorts of situations (hills etc) to see the variation you need.
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Stalling Problem - Help!
It's really getting me down, because i don't have a problem with stalling in the diesel - can't even remember the last time i did.
Re: Stalling Problem - Help!
