Car stalled upon start up, even if the trans was in neutral

[TypeRD]

FL5 is actually the easier car to drive. It has the anti-stall which helps when you aren't giving it enough throttle. The extra power allows for better gearing and requires less revs to get going. That was the most annoying part of the SI, getting going initially. And first gear in the FL5 is actually useable.

Interesting! I had no clue about the anti-stall. That’s certainly a helpful feature for a new learner.

Well, less revs (more torque) to get going is both a gift and a curse. You still need to give it enough revs to not lug the engine when you upshift. With the torque this engine has (over the Si), lugging can occur more intensely, for lack of a better term. As with any manual vehicle, it’s VERY helpful you to understand the engine’s power band and to shift accordingly. It becomes second nature and by feel over time.

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[TypeRD]

Now that you mention it, can you explain more what engine lugging is?

Google it. Lugging is when you upshift to a higher gear while the engine is in too low of an RPM range (for that gear). If you press the gas, but the car cannot easily accelerate, you might be in too high of a gear and lugging the engine.

Have you ever ridden a 10 speed bike and tried to pedal in 10th gear from a stop…or accidentally shifted from like 3rd gear to 6th? It’s really difficult to pedal, right? Imagine the car trying to do the same. The car will either shake and stall hard or something will eventually break between the engine and the transmission…and it’s probably gonna be the connecting rods and rod bearings.

 

[TchnoZ33]

Don’t stress so much about lugging. Unlikely you’ll do it often enough or bad enough where it’ll cause damage. Just my two cents.

 

[Nothing]

The FL5 is probably the easiest manual car I've ever driven, aside from a somewhat vague engagement point. Since the mid 2000s or so, Honda requires the clutch pushed in to start. Now it kills the start of you let out before it's done - even if you're in neutral. I'm sure somebody in the safety and legal department thought of that one.

Im not sure if I've experienced anti-stall, but I wouldn't be surprised. I heard it does have auto restart if you do stall and push in the clutch again, which saves time and stress in traffic or at a light.

It also has hill-hold, which I first found on a Subaru, that is probably the best feature any stick car can have for the safety of everyone especially those that like to stop right behind you on a hill.

A part of me does die inside knowing that it's no longer a requirement to learn how to nail an engagement point and feather the clutch to not stall on a hill or drive without auto rev match. I would not recommend learning without hill holding on a car this hard to get, though I would recommend turning rev match off to learn. Bad habits will be hard to break on your next stick - if they still make them after this.

 

[sterminare]

Im not sure if I've experienced anti-stall, but I wouldn't be surprised. I heard it does have auto restart if you do stall and push in the clutch again, which saves time and stress in traffic or at a light.

Do the non FL5/sport/sport touring models have this feature?

I haven't stalled my car in a long time. But I remember while learning, whenever I would stall my ST at an intersection, I'd have to (in a panic) turn off the car, wait a few seconds for it to boot down, then clutch in and wait a couple seconds for the car to boot up and start back up. In reality it probably only takes 5 seconds for the whole cycle but it feels like an eternity when you're already embarrassed sitting dead at a green light.

In contrast, I recently learned to ride my 1984 motorcycle and when I stalled that, it takes maybe half a second to clutch in and hit the crank button, and you're recovered and off again in less than a second. In that sense it makes me really not like learning manual in a push-start car. Takes a lot longer to recover from a stall.

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