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What happens if you slow down in 1st gear and don't push the clutch?

Say you've just pulled off in 1st gear, and you are going at about 20mph and just let the car roll without pressing any of the pedals. I know when it gets very slow it pulls forward, but i've always pushed the clutch in as soon as I feel that so I don't know what would happen.

Does it keep pulling forward or does it just stall and jolt to a stop?

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Reply 1

Laomedeia

If nasa chucked you on the sun would you burn up or would you melt. What do you think would happen! Your car isnt Herby lol.

Reply 2

HaNzY

It just keeps going lol. Try it. Slowly lift the clutch when in 1st and it will just go itself, same as if you slow down. I find it easier/better in a diesel though, more power I guess, I'm pretty inexperienced with petrols, and I have just bought a petrol car...it's a whole different experience of driving lol!

Reply 3

Stevo F

Original post by Laomedeia

If nasa chucked you on the sun would you burn up or would you melt. What do you think would happen! Your car isnt Herby lol.

neither, you'd be instantaneously vaporised :tongue:

Reply 4

Stevo F

Original post by Runninground

in a diesel on the flat/downhill it would probably keep going, if it was a petrol or if you were going uphill you would probably stall

Reply 5

InnerTemple

As Hanzy said, the car would usually keep rolling forward - at a rather slow pace.

There are things which stop the car from rolling forward, leading to the car stalling. Such things include the gradient you are on - if you are going up hill, the car may not have enough power at idle (no throttle) and stall. Another factor may be the load being carried by the vehicle.

Diesels will be more resilient than petrol cars when it comes to moving around at engine idle.

Learning to move around with just the clutch it quite useful - consider the times when you are on a motorway and the traffic is just crawling. Get a good enough separation distance between you and the vehicle in front, and you can just bring the clutch up (slowly, to get the car rolling) and just roll forward without adding any gas.

Reply 6

JC.

Original post by Stevo F

in a diesel on the flat/downhill it would probably keep going, if it was a petrol or if you were going uphill you would probably stall

Petrol / Diesel doesn't make a difference.
It'll keep chugging away and probably take you up a gentle incline.

You don't even need to press the throttle pedal in ANY car to pull away on the flat. If I can do that in a '56 Ford 103E with a 30bhp side valve engine you can do it in ANY modern car.

Reply 7

Laomedeia

I stand corrected
So what about those mad people who kit out cars with turbine engines then? A road legal example of such a vehicle is the Y2K motorcycle but im sure there are car equivalents.

Reply 8

snozzle

It will stall try it. No standard type car is going to generate enough torque at idle to move the car.

Reply 9

InnerTemple

Original post by snozzle

It will stall try it. No standard type car is going to generate enough torque at idle to move the car.

You're wrong...

Reply 10

WaceMindu

Diesel with keep on ticking over pulling you along slowly, (on flat/down hill)
Petrol will judder and probably stall.

Reply 11

snozzle

Original post by InnerTemple

You're wrong...

Think about it, at idle the engine is generating just enough torque to overcome its internal friction and maintain rpm. Where does the extra torque come from to move the car? You'd need to suck in more air without opening the throttle more.

The only way I think it's possible is in a petrol car the ECU has a lot of room to get more air in to prevent stall by either opening the throttle by drive by wire, or by opening the idle control valve to suck more air in.

In a diesel the ECU might be able to inject more fuel to prevent stall if it has the capability.

Withourt 'cheating' it's just not possible though.

Reply 12

InnerTemple

Original post by snozzle

Well I manage it... and have done on a variety of standard cars- T reg fiesta, 02 Focus, 2010 Focus and a 2008 Astra to name a few.

Reply 13

Delphinus

a petrol car would definitely stall.... trust me i know...i've stalled trying to get out of my drive many times

Reply 14

Nice.Guy

Original post by KAB1010101

a petrol car would definitely stall.... trust me i know...i've stalled trying to get out of my drive many times

if you're pulling off then yeah course you can stall, but that's not the question....

Reply 15

Saliency

In my instructors old diesel car we tried this and it just kept going unless I pressed the brake pedal and then it stalled.
I never tried it in my petrol car though.

Reply 16

The Toch

I've practiced driving in both a diesel and a petrol car. In the diesel, you could move off by just lifting the clutch. In the petrol however, the car would stall if you lifted the clutch without applying the accelerator. In fact, you need the engine power meter thing to show at least 1.5 (don't know the unit) to have even a chance of getting the car to move off.

Original post by JC.