Stall (engine)
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A stall is the slowing or stopping of a process, and in the case of an engine, refers to a sudden stopping of the engine turning, usually brought about accidentally.
It is commonly applied to the phenomenon whereby an engine abruptly ceases operating and stops turning. It might be due to not getting enough air, fuel, or electrical spark, mechanical failure, or in response to a sudden increase in engine load. This increase in engine load is common with manual transmission when the clutch is released too suddenly.
The ways in which a car can stall is usually down to the driver, especially on manual transmission. For instance if a driver takes their foot off the clutch too quickly while stationary then the car will stall; taking the foot off slowly will stop this happening. Stalling also happens when the driver forgets to depress the clutch and/or change to neutral while coming to a stop. Stalling can be dangerous especially in heavy traffic.
A car fitted with an automatic transmission could also have its engine stalled when the vehicle is travelling in the opposite direction to the selected gear. For example, if the selector is in the 'D' position and the car is moving backwards, (on a steep enough hill to overcome the torque from the torque converter) the engine will stall, due to the fact that the engine is forced to turn in the opposite direction to what it is actually turning.
Digital electronic fuel injection and ECU ignition systems have greatly reduced stalling in modern engines.
See also
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