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How does engaging the clutch stop a car's engine from turning off when you're not giving it any gas? What keeps a car with an automatic transmission from turning off when you don't give it any gas?

 
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Dont take this the wrong way but...........WTF are you talking about? hahahaha.

An automatic transmission has a torque converter, which sort of acts like a clutch.

A clutch disengages the crankshaft of an engine from the rest of the driveline allowing it to freewheel without having the car move.

Thats about as general as it gets, search online there are plenty of articles on the net with diagrams that explain how a transmission works. Having someone tell you on a forum is more work than its worth. Its a concept you would be better to learn with visual aids.

 
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auto always moves forward thats how it wont turn the engine off. it just creeps slowly when in gear.

 
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Sorry if that wasn't clear. . . . I've been reading about manual transmissions and this question just crossed my mind, basically why manual transmission cars can "die" and automatics don't. It's probably a stupid question but I was just wondering.

 
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How automatic transmission works:
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/automa...ansmission.htm

 
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Not when you are stopped with your foot on the brake. The torque converter works on rpm and fluid transfer/volume, etc. If rolling resistance is great enough at zero or low throttle position the torque converter will not propel the car (think of a slipping clutch). Older automatics (with carb engines) were set 200+ rpm higher at idle to keep the car from stalling at idle while in gear. Newer automatic cars have an idle control that will adjust the idle to keep the car from stalling.

 
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basically, your engine is connected to your wheels right? the clutch is what detaches and attaches your engine to your wheels. now it should become obvious that if your wheels arent spinning fast enough and the clutch is engaged (hence connecting the engine to the wheels) the engine will die because the wheels are stopping the engine from spinning.

 
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thanks for the link!!