Learning To Drive A Manual Transmission Car
Submitted by: TigerEye
Whether you are learning to drive a manual car or an automatic there is a certain way to go about developing this skill. Take the steps mentioned here and you will be driving a stick shift like a professional in no time.
Learning to drive a manual transmission car seems overwhelming at first. If you have wanted to learn but are mystified when you see someone driving a stick shift, just remember; if they can do it you can too. The first thing to do is get familiar with the car you will be learning in. A car with a tachometer will be easier to learn with, but it is not a necessity. You can watch the engine speed with the tachometer and it will tell you when is the best time to shift gears.
Get in your car that you will be using to learn with. Make sure the engine is not running. Take a look at how things are set up. Is the seat at the right position for you to reach the pedals ? If not, adjust the seat so you can reach the clutch, the pedal to the far left, with enough room to depress it fully with your left foot. Practice changing gears while the engine is not running. Do all the things you would do as if you were on the road driving normally. What you are doing is just getting the feel of the car before your first real learning lesson.
Once you are familiar with the feel of the car, it is time to get out on the road. Use a person to help you who is patient and has used a manual drive transmission for a long time. Make sure the engine is in neutral. Start up the car and disengage the emergency brake while you keep your right foot firmly on the brake pedal. If you need to depress the clutch with your left foot to start the car, do that before you disengage the emergency brake. Now depress both the brake pedal and the clutch pedals at the same time. While you do this put the transmission into first gear. Gently move your foot off the brake and if the car does not move, depress the accelerator enough to rev the engine a bit. As you rev the engine watch the tachometer and be aware of what is in front of you and the car. If you do not have a tachometer be sensitive to the sound of the speed of the engine.
As the engine is revving slightly, let up on the clutch and the car will start to move.
Be sensitive to the sound of the motor and if it sounds like it will die, add more pressure to the accelerator. The engine will continue to move the car and soon you will be needing to change gears. When the engine ( or tachometer ) tells you that it is time to change gears, simultaneously let your right foot off of the accelerator and depress the clutch with your left foot. At the time that the clutch is at the lowest position and the accelerator has very little pressure from your foot, shift the transmission to second gear.
After shifting into second gear, release your clutch gently and put pressure again on the accelerator gently. Do this with smoothness. Once you get the hang of going from first to second gear you can proceed to the higher gears. When you are ready to stop you must depress the clutch and the brake pedals at the same time. As you do, change the transmission to neutral.
While you are at the first stages of learning to drive a manual transmission do not drive in hilly or mountainous areas. Driving in these areas takes advanced abilities that a new learner does not yet have. When you want to use reverse, do the same steps as you would as if you were using first gear. Remember to use your rear view mirror or look over your right shoulder as you move the car backwards.
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