engine stalled...

[grape]

after about 20 days since bought this 2.5i, I stalled engine again twice
today. Seems that my driving habit was changed a bit that I no longer
throttle it to 2000RPM then release the clutch, instead, I release the
clutch then give throttle. It now starts to stall the engine again, since
the idle RPM is a bit too low to catch up even clutch is not fully released.

So which habit is better? giving throttle before releasing clutch or during
clutch engagement?

my idling speed is around 600RPM, is it a bit too low?

BTW, why people have no patience once I stalled the car?! I got hell a lots
horns from behind

 

[Michael Pardee]

after about 20 days since bought this 2.5i, I stalled engine again twice
today. Seems that my driving habit was changed a bit that I no longer
throttle it to 2000RPM then release the clutch, instead, I release the
clutch then give throttle. It now starts to stall the engine again, since
the idle RPM is a bit too low to catch up even clutch is not fully
released.

So which habit is better? giving throttle before releasing clutch or
during clutch engagement?

my idling speed is around 600RPM, is it a bit too low?

BTW, why people have no patience once I stalled the car?! I got hell a
lots horns from behind

I still think of clutching as a bit of an art, and it varies enough between
cars I don't think I can advise you on that. But have you tried a bottle of
injector cleaner? I had a couple of cars (a 1970 Volvo and a 1984 Nissan)
that would get really touchy about coming off the line if the engine was
weak. In the Volvo it was the points that always gave trouble, and in the
Nissan it was always the injectors.

I consider the practice of honking at stalled cars an indication of low
intelligence. When I am at a disabled car and somebody honks as they go past
I call back, "Honk louder! It still won't start!" Disabled motorists need a
chuckle anyway

Mike

 

[Larry Van Wormer]

after about 20 days since bought this 2.5i, I stalled engine again twice
today. Seems that my driving habit was changed a bit that I no longer
throttle it to 2000RPM then release the clutch, instead, I release the
clutch then give throttle. It now starts to stall the engine again, since
the idle RPM is a bit too low to catch up even clutch is not fully released.

So which habit is better? giving throttle before releasing clutch or during
clutch engagement?

my idling speed is around 600RPM, is it a bit too low?

BTW, why people have no patience once I stalled the car?! I got hell a lots
horns from behind

Basically, the engine needs enough output to balance the load you are
putting on it. Since you can adjust the load (clutch) as well as the
engine output (throttle), it takes practice. Also, of course, you don't
want to slip the clutch more than a minimum, so as to avoid wear.

So, rev the engine up a bit, say 1500-2000 rpm, smoothly release the
clutch while at the same time increasing the throttle, so as to pull
away smoothly with minimum clutch slippage. You shouldn't have to slip
the clutch more than a second or so, and you shouldn't have many excess
revs at any point.

Yeah, that is kind of vague. You will just have to keep practicing!

600 rpm is okay for an idle, but not enough to move the car reliably
from a stop.

Larry Van Wormer

 

[Rick Courtright]

after about 20 days since bought this 2.5i, I stalled engine again twice
today. Seems that my driving habit was changed a bit that I no longer

Hi,

No biggie, really! You're just learning the characteristics of that
particular engine, clutch and gearbox combo (and of impatient rude
people!)

But, to make it easier than sitting at an intersection with idjits
honking at you, see if you can find an empty parking lot (abandoned,
store's closed, way out yonder?) where you can start, stop and stall to
your heart's content with nobody bothering you. You'll soon learn how
much throttle you need to apply for smooth starts.

Some cars can be started straight from idle. I taught a few people to
use a clutch on big American V-8s from back in the '60s that had enough
low end torque you could just gently let the clutch out without ever
touching the gas and off they'd go, smooth as silk. Your car probably
isn't gonna like that, though. While 2000 rpm is probably a bit higher
than needed, leading to more clutch wear than you'd like, you will
probably find smooth starts DO take a bit of throttle. Try 1000 rpm as a
starting point, then work up or down as required. You'll soon get the
"feel."

Is 600 rpm low? Don't know--check the stickers under the hood. If it's a
US model, there should be one that gives the proper idle speed. I can't
speak for cars sold in other countries.

Have fun!

Rick