# Stalling your manual transmission vehicle **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 1, 2011, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stalling-your-manual-transmission-vehicle/604674 "2011-12-01T04:49:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stalling-your-manual-transmission-vehicle/604674/1 "2011-12-01T04:49:09Z")
Well, shit. I stalled my car this morning when the light turned green. I had no excuse for it. I just managed not to apply nearly enough throttle as I was lifting off the clutch. I got off and running again before anyone even had time to honk at me, but it was weird and embarrasing. And I realized I couldn’t actually remember the last time I’d stalled in my own car. So, I’m creating a poll so I don’t have to be the only embarrased one here. (OK, I’m far more amused than embarrased, but sometimes you need an excuse to start a thread, ya know?) The poll will be multiple choice, but is really intended to be divided into two parts (which will hopefully be clear from the poll design), so expect to click on two choices. Part 1: How long has it been since you stalled your manual transmission vehicle? Part 2: How often do you stall your manual transmission vehicle? Poll to follow soon, but don’t let that keep you from commenting. ---
**Author:** ![Hilary\_Algar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hilary_algar/32/4282_2.png) [@Hilary\_Algar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hilary_Algar)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stalling-your-manual-transmission-vehicle/604674/2 "2011-12-01T04:56:50Z")
> [@Asimovian](#): > > Part 1: How long has it been since you stalled your manual transmission vehicle? maybe three months or so? > [@Asimovian](#): > > Part 2: How often do you stall your manual transmission vehicle? darn near never 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stalling-your-manual-transmission-vehicle/604674/3 "2011-12-01T04:58:39Z")
I’ve never stalled. I know this sounds crazy but I never have. Burned a good bit of clutch on steep hills though 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stalling-your-manual-transmission-vehicle/604674/4 "2011-12-01T05:07:35Z")
It’s been about 15 years since I stopped driving manual transmission cars. At the end of when I did, I probably stalled about twice a year, mostly on uphill stoplights. Y’know, this is a question that is entirely experience based. Inexperienced drivers are going to stall all the time, and that lessens as one gains experience. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stalling-your-manual-transmission-vehicle/604674/5 "2011-12-01T05:09:08Z")
I’ve been driving a stick for about 15 years now, and it amazes me that I can still stall it occasionally. It’s not the hills that get me, either - like **Asimovian** , I just don’t give it enough gas sometimes. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stalling-your-manual-transmission-vehicle/604674/6 "2011-12-01T05:43:07Z")
Stalling your vehicle below 50’ AGL never ends well. ---
**Author:** ![Asimovian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asimovian/32/172_2.png) [@Asimovian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asimovian)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stalling-your-manual-transmission-vehicle/604674/7 "2011-12-01T05:44:46Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Stalling your vehicle below 50’ AGL never ends well. And here I thought I’d just read that that’s precisely how one should land. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stalling-your-manual-transmission-vehicle/604674/8 "2011-12-01T05:50:20Z")
I stall quite a bit, but never on paved roads. I drive a lot on dirt and snow covered logging roads with tight intersections on hills. It’s fairly easy to stall when you are feathering it. ---
**Author:** ![brittekland](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@brittekland](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brittekland)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stalling-your-manual-transmission-vehicle/604674/9 "2011-12-01T05:56:54Z")
Right in front of a bunch of teenagers drooling at my brand new shiny sports car… I remember. ---
**Author:** ![Taomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/53a042/32.png) [@Taomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taomist)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stalling-your-manual-transmission-vehicle/604674/10 "2011-12-01T06:00:06Z")
> [@brittekland](#): > > Right in front of a bunch of teenagers drooling at my brand new shiny sports car… I remember. Lol! Sorry, but at least your mortification drew a sincere, empathetic laugh. 😛 Yeah, I’m the dork that chose the last option, as I haven’t owned a stick in at least a decade. ---
**Author:** ![AaronX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7bcc69/32.png) [@AaronX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AaronX)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stalling-your-manual-transmission-vehicle/604674/11 "2011-12-01T06:11:27Z")
How do you stall an automatic? ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stalling-your-manual-transmission-vehicle/604674/12 "2011-12-01T07:49:37Z")
> [@Asimovian](#): > > Part 1: How long has it been since you stalled your manual transmission vehicle? > Part 2: How often do you stall your manual transmission vehicle? Over thirty years. As for Part 2: Never, nowadays. > [@AaronX](#): > > How do you stall an automatic? My mother found a way, many times. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stalling-your-manual-transmission-vehicle/604674/13 "2011-12-01T08:21:38Z")
Right-hand drive vehicle (where I’m usually a LHD driver), so shifting with the wrong hand, got it into the wrong gear, and stalled it. I’m more proud of not dying while driving on the wrong side of the road than I am embarrassed of having stalled. ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 8:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stalling-your-manual-transmission-vehicle/604674/14 "2011-12-01T08:40:53Z")
If you’d posted this a couple of weeks ago, I’d have said I hadn’t stalled in years. But I just bought a new (second hand) car, and I’m not quite used to it yet. Before that, it would have been a few years, I think (ie, the last time I was getting used to a different car). ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stalling-your-manual-transmission-vehicle/604674/15 "2011-12-01T08:46:40Z")
I’d be interested to see how peoples’ responses to this poll would correspond with how long their clutches last. I’m of the opinion that if you’re driving a manual correctly, stalling occasionally is to be expected. I think people are too worried/embarrassed about stalling and so often err on the side of overrevving which in the long run is not good for your clutch. (ETA: And yes, I am the only once-a-day thus far, but I’m currently driving an underpowered 4x4 with oversized high-traction tires, so it can be hard to get into gear.) ---
**Author:** ![Ashes\_Ashes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/db5fbb/32.png) [@Ashes\_Ashes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ashes_Ashes)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stalling-your-manual-transmission-vehicle/604674/16 "2011-12-01T09:40:37Z")
I very rarely stall but when someone’s driving my car, they stall painfully often. One guy stalled three times before he’d gone 10 yards. Poor thing-- his face was beet red. ---
**Author:** ![saje](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saje/32/3631_2.png) [@saje](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saje)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stalling-your-manual-transmission-vehicle/604674/17 "2011-12-01T11:52:00Z")
With cars I’ve had for a long time I rarely stall. I have a new car though and the clutch is a lot lighter than my old car, so I’m still in the adjustment phase. Currently I stall about once a week, but pretty soon I’ll have the feel of it and be more or less stall-free 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stalling-your-manual-transmission-vehicle/604674/18 "2011-12-01T12:21:27Z")
Only when I’m wearing new shoes. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stalling-your-manual-transmission-vehicle/604674/19 "2011-12-01T12:33:16Z")
The old Honda has a clutch that catches in a very different place then either of the Nissans. The Daughter uses that one almost exclusively, but when I have to drive it I can almost be assured of stalling at least once. Damn embarassing for an old man. Angry-making when one of those whippersnappers honks his damn horn while I’m restarting. ---
**Author:** ![svrider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eb8c5e/32.png) [@svrider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/svrider)\ **Post date:** [December 1, 2011, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stalling-your-manual-transmission-vehicle/604674/20 "2011-12-01T12:39:18Z")
I drive a manual transmission car and have never tried an automatic. Can’t remember when I last stalled. Never happened with my current car, but might have been when I was getting my license in the instructors car (+12 years ago). I stalled my current motorcycle a couple of times on the first ride 5 years ago. I went from an inline 4 cylinder bike to a V2 and it required more throttle when starting. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stalling-your-manual-transmission-vehicle/604674.md?page=2)