Why oh why do I keep flipping stalling my car!?

[Cuppa12345]

I passed 8 weeks ish ago. Didn't really stall the instructors car too often. When I did his advice was that I wasn't putting enough gas on. Been driving my car since I passed, and keep stalling the thing at massive roundabouts, at junctions, at lights on hills. It's a bloody pain! I feel like I'm lifting the clutch slowly enough and putting enough gas on but obviously I'm bloody well not.

I need tips! I took my new driver plates off but I think I should put them back on until I sort this.

Anyone wants to tell me I'm not ready for the roads or shouldn't be driving, just leave it. I passed with 1 minor and took 60 hours or lessons in all. I'm in my mid 30s and am a confident driver otherwise. If you don't think I'm ready for the roads, tell me how I can actually rectify this now...

Practice sitting in your drive and finding the biting point.

In your car obviously.

Is your seat in the right position? The only time I stall tends to be if my seat is a click or
So off

Go to a quiet car park and practise, practise, practise. You could cause an accident especially at major junctions. The car behind will think you have moved off and go into the back of you. You aren't getting the biting point right.

Your car will have a different biting point to the instructors. You need to go to a quiet car park and keep practising until you find it on your car.

You should be able to hear/feel when the engine is at biting point. Sit in passenger seat with someone else driving and demonstrating (in the car park!) until you can recognise they have got the biting point on your car.

It's hard changing cars, nothing like in films where people just jump in and drive anyone's car without even adjusting the mirror.
If I was you I would take yourself to a quite spot that's off road, like a supermarket car park on a Sunday tea time and just practise stopping and pulling away.

Find your biting point. On hills make sure you're using your handbrake to help you, find your biting point then release handbrake when you feel the car lean forwards and proceed.

I find diesels more forgiving than petrols on stalling

I never seem to stall pulling out of spaces or my drive, so I'm not sure how useful it'll be practising in a car park but it's not going to hurt and might help so will give it a go in a bit. I definitely need to sort this out.

Watch the rev counter too. It helps if you know what revs the biting point is at
I passed at 17 and had a cry because I had to drive a brand new ££££ Range Rover last week and it was all new
I mean I like a key and a handbrake, this had buttons it was like trying to teach someone to use a iPhone after a Nokia

I would suggest moving your seat closer to the pedals.

On the rare occasion I stall, and everyone does it now and again, it's because my seat has been adjusted and I've not got it back in the exact same place.

It might be the seat... I'll have a look at that....

Are you going into 3rd gear instead of 1st? I did this for months stalling all round the place until I realised.

Of you can't overcome it you could contact your instructor for a one-off lesson in your car.

I stall sometimes when I feel flustered - and I used to feel very flustered in most of the situations you describe (especially big roundabouts!).

Maybe take a drive through a quiet industrial estate to get your clutch/accelerator coordination going

It's the first thing I check about the gears while restarting as I did this a couple of times in the instructors car when I first started learning and it doesn't seem to be that at the moment, anyway!

the seat tip is a good one, in any new car I always find having the seat forward a snick helps

have a think about your driving position too...some car seats are more laid back, some more sit up and beg, and that affects how you use and get control of the clutch pedal

...shoes? I often have a little hiccup when going from summer to winter shoes, lighter shoes seem to mean I don't press so hard and can be more likely to stall.

I did wear my birkenstocks for the first time today 🤔 OK, loads of food for thought. Thanks everyone for being so kind and helpful

also, you are not rushing junctions and roundabouts? I always told the children get yourself slowed down and into second in plenty of time, THEN you can tootle up to the line and stop or go as the traffic dictates, not having to worry about stopping in a hurry or faff with gears at the last minute

I would echo the suggestion of getting a one of lesson from the instructor in your car. Good luck!

Something else to consider is the age of your car vs the age of the instructor's car.

I passed my test in the day before 'clever' clutches so you had to apply the gas and let out the clutch properly or clunk...you stalled.

When my husband passed a couple of years ago he really struggled transferring into our car because it didn't have a 'clever' clutch that does almost all the work for you whereas the instructor's did.

Just keep practicing, go to a few quiet hill spots because that will mimic the feeling you'll get in moving traffic vs starting from a parking spot with no pressure to get it right first time.

pulling out of a parking space is a slow steady affair...pulling out onto a roundabout is less sedate.

If you have problems with the latter and not the former, its worth realising you need a lot MORE gas on to accelerate suddenly than to do so slowly.

I'm in second coming up to the roundabout and have no problems pulling off if still moving, but it's when I stop and then either have my foot on the break and the clutch or if a red light, I think I've got the biting point and the handbrake on, and then I take the handbrake off, apply pressure to the gas but then it cuts out. Practising on hills is a good call, will keep an eye out for a good quiet spot to practice. I have to reset myself a few times, and by then the lights have normally turned red again and I've got some royally pissed off people behind me, quite rightly. Everything else is fine.

I wonder whether it's a self fulfilling prophecy now. I'm so anxious about it I'm already flustered before.

I'm not sure if instructors call was diesel but it was younger than mine. I don't think it had a clever clutch though... Hmm, not sure...

Car* not call obv.

Definitely adjust seat and steering wheel position to make sure it's right for you. Lots of drivers seem to have their seat too low.

And wear sensible shoes.

And wear sensible shoes.

I second this. If I'm wearing shoes that are too clumpy or have a thick sole I can't feel the pedals easily and it makes it harder to find the biting point.

When I first passed I had a thin canvas type pair of trainers I used to leave in the car and change into those specifically to drive. After a few months when I was confident enough I could wear anything (apart from flips, I definitely wouldn't recommend flip flops 😂)