How to NEVER stall a manual car again – Clutch control tips

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Hello I’m Chris.

If you’ve ever driven a manual car then there’s a good chance you’ve stalled at least once.

For most new drivers, apart from worrying that they might have an accident,

stalling the car is probably one of their other biggest concerns.

I’m going to demonstrate the top reasons for stalling and show you how to never stall again.

Common reason number one.

Stopping without pressing the clutch.

Easy to sort out.

About one to two car lengths before you want to come to a complete stop

press the clutch down.

This will stop the engine from stalling.

Reason for stalling number 2.

Moving off in the wrong gear.

I’m in 3rd gear.

Unless you’re moving off downhill then moving of in any other gear but 1st is

normally going to result in a stall.

Don’t forget to change back to 1st gear if you’re going to be moving off again.

Reason number 3.

Changing up to the wrong gear.

If you change up to a higher gear too early without enough speed then it could stall.

If you find that you make mistakes when changing gear, for example, 1st instead of 3rd.

Have a look at our other video on the palming technique as it might help you.

Reason number 4.

Releasing the clutch too soon when moving off.

To make sure that the car doesn’t stall, hold the clutch still at the biting point

for about two seconds after the car starts moving.

As it will give you better control.

Your choice of footwear plays a big part in driving.

To feel the pedals easier, shoes that have thin souls and aren’t too wide are the best.

Reason for stalling number 5.

This is common, especially if your first car is a petrol one and that’s not giving it enough

gas when moving off.

A lot of new drivers learn in a shiny, new diesel car. It’s quite easy to move off in a diesel without

any gas, although it’s not a good habit to get into.

And when they buy their first car which quite often is an older petrol car

they soon find out that it needs a bit more gas to get it going.

At this point, after quite a few stalls, they wonder if they can drive.

Revving the car up to about 1 and a half on the rev counter and holding it there

is a good amount if you’re moving off on a flat road

and a little more if moving off uphill.

If you’re experiencing a lot of stalling then don’t worry, like most things, after a bit of practice

especially on a quiet road or in a car park, you’ll soon get used to your car.

Bear in mind that stalling on the driving test isn’t necessarily a serious mistake.

It depends where you stall and how it affects others.

Stalling when you’re stationary at a red traffic might not even be a driving fault.

But stalling in the middle of a busy roundabout probably will be a driving test fail.

Have a look at our other videos on clutch control and how to change gear as they might help.

Thanks a lot for watching our video on how not to stall.

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Keep safe on the road and see you on the next video.