When your car stalls, you may be worried that it has done damage to the transmission, engine, or clutch. Understanding why and how a stall occurs can help you determine if there is any reason for concern.
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Can stalling a car damage your transmission?
Stalling a car will not damage the transmission. It may be startling and leave you uneasy, but it should not pose any serious problems. However, there are some things you should know about stalling a car.
Stalling an engine can cause problems too. Stall it at the wrong time and you could be in for a nasty surprise when trying to accelerate again.
What happens if you stall a car?
It’s nearly impossible to stall the transmission unless you have your foot firmly on the brake. When you stall the engine, it’s usually because you’ve let off on the gas pedal too quickly and without thinking. If this happens in traffic, it can be dangerous because your foot may still be on the accelerator when you restart.
This is especially true if you pull up to a stoplight or are stopped at an intersection. If the light turns green and you are not ready, you may lurch forward into a vehicle at your front. Sometimes when this happens, it’s called “a false start” because the driver has unintentionally accelerated when there was no real danger of moving into traffic.
When should I stall my engine?
When parking on a hill, stalling the engine may bring it to a stop before shifting out of gear. This is usually preferable because if you shift without stopping first, you will come off the brake and coast down the hill at high speed. This could damage your transmission or wheels as they spin freely in place without any resistance.
What happens if you stall a car at high speed?
If you are at high speed, you probably cause a total loss for your engine.
Can stalling car damage your engine?
The answer depends on what gear you’re in when the stall occurs.
In a properly timed engine, stalling in 1st gear (or neutral) will cause minimal to no damage whatsoever to your vehicle.
As speed reduces during an engine stall, the engine load will decrease. A properly timed engine in neutral should be able to idle indefinitely.
In 1st gear, it’s possible that engine damage could occur if the car has high horsepower and a short-ratio transmission (meaning it doesn’t have much torque at idle speeds). In this scenario, the driver may notice an increase in revs or possibly even engine damage (this is rare).
If you’re in 2nd gear when the stall occurs, make sure to hold the brake. The car will start rolling backward, so apply some pressure. At low speed and with a light load on the engine, it’s unlikely that any damage will occur.
As speed increases during an engine stall, the load increases, and so does the chance of engine damage.
If you’re in 3rd gear and the stall occurs (engine revs drop to zero), hold your foot on the brake firmly while applying some throttle.
Ideally, when you release the brake, you should be able to restart without stalling again or without lurching forward. If the car stalls again, pull over and call a tow truck.
If you’re in any other gear when the stall occurs (e.g., 4th or 5th), you have to be very careful not to let your foot slip off the brake or throttle. The engine will idle for a while, but the load will go up, and the risk of engine damage will increase drastically.
If you stall in one of these gears (especially 5th), you may find that it is difficult to restart – this could be a sign of serious engine or transmission damage.
At what RPM does a car stall?
From my experience, most cars will stall at 750RPM, some at 500RPM
What are some of the symptoms of car stalling?
One symptom is that RPMs drop to zero.
If you’re in gear when the engine stalls, the car may lurch forward or backward, and it may be difficult to restart the engine. If this happens smoothly, you could have a loose accelerator cable that needs replacing.
Can stalling a car damage your clutch?
The answer is yes, It’s possible.
When you’re driving, your engine is running and the car’s RPMs are smoothly increasing until it has enough power to keep accelerating. In an ideal world, when you release the gas pedal, the RPMs decrease and the car glides to a stop.
What happens if you stall your car? Well, there isn’t any real chance of damage if you do it once or twice. However, repeated stalling can cause harm to your car’s components, such as the clutch.
Conclusion
Stalling a car should not pose any serious problems for your car transmission. If you’re in any other gear when the stall occurs, you have to be very careful not to let your foot slip off the brake or throttle. The engine will idle for a while, but the load will go up and the risk of engine damage will increase drastically. If you stall in one of these gears (especially 5th), you may find that it is difficult to restart – this could be a sign of serious engine damage.
Reference
Car Stalling: What You Need to Know About Engine Stall – https://www.aceable.com/safe-driving/car-stalling/
