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How to Drive a Stick Shift

If you've never driven a manual transmission car, it can feel like learning to drive all over again. With a quick primer and plenty of practice, however, you'll be driving a stick shift with confidence before you know it.

Advantages of Driving a Stick Shift

The use of automatic transmissions is so common today that many drivers don't know that there are benefits to driving a stick shift.

  1. They are less expensive to purchase and fix. Stick shifts may seem more difficult to drive, but they are actually less complicated mechanically than automatic transmissions.
  2. Stick shifts use less gas.
  3. There is more control for the driver.c

Selecting the Right Car

Learn on an older car
  • You don't need to find a museum piece, just not a brand new one. New clutches are often less smooth to operate. Manipulating the clutch requires you to be craftier with your feet than you're used to being. A sticky new clutch can make it more difficult.
Choose a car with a floor-mount stick shift
  • Don't try to learn on a car that has the shifter on the steering column. Floor mounted stick shifts are more intuitive and easier to use. You don't want to reach for the windshield wiper and end up slipping the transmission out of gear.c

Getting Ready

Once you find the appropriate car, you'll need to make some arrangements and adjustments:

  1. Find someone who's experienced with a manual transmission and has a patient temperament. Friends or family are the best choice.
  2. Have your teacher take you for a test-drive, while you remain in the passenger seat. Be an observant passenger, so you can see how a stick shift works and sounds.
  3. Go to a large empty parking lot near a low-traffic highway.
  4. Make sure the car is parked on a flat surface.
  5. The vehicle should be facing forward.
  6. Make sure the parking brake is on.
  7. Adjust the seat according to your comfort level.

Gear Shift

The gear shift is the famous "stick" in "stick shift." It's located between the driver's and passenger seat.

  1. Note the diagram on the gear shift. Most cars have a double "H" design on top of the handle that indicates the following gears:
    1. Odd numbered gears (1st, 3rd and 5th) are typically located on top of the gear shift.
    2. Even numbered gears (2nd and 4th) are usually located on the bottom along with reverse.
    3. The neutral position is located in the center line.c
  2. There is no park gear for manual transmissions. When you stop, the gear shift should be in neutral. When parked, slip it into 1st.

Clutch Pedal

A manual transmission has two pedals: gas and brake. A stick shift has three: clutch, gas and brake. It's very important not to mix these up, so get yourself acquainted:

  1. The clutch pedal is the one on the far left.
  2. The brake pedal is in the middle.
  3. The gas pedal is on the right.

Understanding Gears

Remember that choosing the correct gear for your speed is a key element in learning to drive a stick shift. Most cars have five or six gears. The higher your speed, the higher the gear you'll need to be in:

  1. When you accelerate, you should switch gears approximately every 15 miles per hour (mph), or when you hit "3" (3,000 rpm) on your tachometer.
  2. 1st gear is used when starting your car. You can accelerate up tp around 15 mph. At that point, you will need to shift into 2nd gear.
  3. 2nd gear is used from about 15 to 30 mph and in stop-and-go traffic.
  4. Higher gear ranges differ slightly but, in general, most of your driving will be done using 4th gear. When you drive at higher speeds or on highways you will shift up to the highest gear.
  5. Listen carefully to the noises your car emits to make sure it's in the appropriate gear.
    • If the engine is revving loudly, you need to shift into a higher gear.
    • If you hear a sort of "coughing" sound, you probably need to shift into a lower gear.

Practicing

You shouldn't shift gears with the car turned off, as it can strain the transmission. However, you can make an exception when you're just getting the feel of it.

  1. Keep the engine off and the emergency brake on.
  2. Use your left foot to press down on the clutch, using a slow and fluid motion.
  3. With the clutch completely pressed down, move the gear shift into neutral and release the clutch.
  4. Press down on the clutch again and shift from 1st to 2nd gear, then release.
  5. Use the same method to shift into 3rd gear, 4th gear, 5th gear and reverse, then back to neutral.
  6. Remember to press all the way down on the clutch before shifting gears and make sure you move the gear shift all the way into each gear before releasing the clutch.

Starting the Engine

Now that you're comfortable in the driver's seat and have an understanding of the gears, you're ready to start driving. The goal is to create a smooth ride and avoid damaging your gears with improper shifting:

  1. Make sure the parking brake is on.
  2. Press the clutch pedal all the way down to the floor with your left foot.
  3. With your hand, move the gear shift into neutral.
  4. Let go of the gear shift and turn the ignition to start the car.
  5. Hold the gear shift again and move it into 1st gear while continuing to press down on the clutch pedal.
  6. Press the brake pedal with your right foot as you release the parking brake.
  7. Remove your foot from the brake pedal when you're ready to start driving.

1st Gear

  1. Slowly release your left foot from the clutch pedal. If you remove your foot from the clutch too fast, you will stall the engine. If this happens, start the car again.
  2. As you continue to release the clutch with your left foot, slowly press down on the gas pedal with your right foot. The car will start to move.
  3. Instead of shifting into a higher gear, use this opportunity to practice braking:
    • Press all the way down on the clutch with your left foot.
    • Shift back into neutral.
    • Brake with your right foot, while lifting up on the clutch with your left.

Going Faster

  1. Scan the area to make sure it's clear.
  2. Press down on the clutch with your left foot and shift into 1st gear.
  3. Just as before, slowly release your left foot from the clutch pedal while pressing down with your right.
  4. Once you reach 15 mph and you hear the engine start to rev high, take your right foot off the gas pedal.
  5. With your left foot, press down all the way on the clutch pedal.
  6. Move the gear shift into 2nd gear.
  7. Release the clutch pedal gently while pressing down on the gas pedal.
  8. Repeat until you've attained the desired speed. 
  9. If you want to stop, just shift into neutral and brake to a halt.

Downshifting

The basic premise of downshifting is that you're doing everything in the same way you did to gain speed, but instead of the gas pedal, you're usually the brake pedal in conjunction with the clutch pedal:

  1. Slowly release the gas pedal when you want to slow down.
  2. Press all the way down on the clutch with your left foot.
  3. Move the gear shift into the lower gear. Remember to downshift one gear at a time.
  4. Once you're in the lower gear, release the clutch slowly as you press the brake pedal.
  5. Continue to downshift until you reach the desired speed. 
  6. When you need to stop, hit the clutch, shift into neutral and break.
  7. Once the cars stops, be sure to put the parking brake on and leave the gearshift in 1st gear or reverse—whichever direction is uphill.

Conquering a Hill

Although you will use the same basic shifting techniques as above, keep in mind the following when going up a hill:

  1. Practice makes perfect, so locate hills that don't have traffic that you can practice on.
  2. Use more gas, pressing down more on the gas pedal than when you're driving on a flat surface.
  3. Move your foot faster instead of the fluid movements you typically use when you drive a stick shift, to prevent your car from stalling and rolling backwards.
  4. Relax and don't panic if you stall. Just restart your car and try again.

References

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