How to drive a manual transmission car
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Something everyone with a license should know....
If you are one of the people who have been driving an automatic car since they got their license then chances are that you haven't learned how to drive a manual transmission car, or "stick" as most people say. For some people it's hard to understand how much gas to give it, how much to let off the clutch, how to get going, ect ect. I'll give you a few tips on how to drive stick and hopefully you can go out and learn something new.
First let's talk about how it basically works. When you push in the clutch, the cluth pulls off the transmission and is sitting there freely with no friction. As you release the clutch it closes down onto the gears in the transmission and starts to go because the gears are set in motion based on what gear you put it in with your hand. So think of it as if you have a record spinning and you put your finger on it slightly the record will slow down unless you turn up the speed on the record, and if you push down to hard, it just stops it because you have too much pressure without enough force to keep the record spinning. This is just like your transmission, you need enough force to keep the transmission working while allowing the clutch to sit on it. Lets start with the basics.
A good thing to do before actually starting the vehicle is to play around with the shifter and kinda get a feel on how to put it into the different gears. Make sure the parking brake is on so that you don't roll away. After you get a feel for it, put the car into neutral by moving the stick to the middle of the gears where it feels loose and free. Once there push down on the clutch (make sure the P-Brake is still on) and turn the key until it starts. I recommend you doing this on flat ground so that you don't roll away and it's easier to learn. After the vehicle is started, let go of the clutch and release the parking brake. Take a deep breath and push the clutch in and put the vehicle into first gear while holding the clutch in. Slowly release the clutch and you'll feel the vehicle start to move, once you feel that give it a little bit of gas to keep it from stalling. If you let the clutch out without giving it gas, the car will jerk and buck and then stall out. You want to release the clutch as you are giving it gas so that it equals out. This first part is usually the hardest and a good way to get a feel for it is just to keep practicing letting off the clutch and giving it gas so it moves. When I first learned how to drive stick, I would wait till I could feel the car start to move and then give it gas. After you give it gas it won't be long till you have to shift. You should shift gears around 3000 RPM or before it gets to the red area on your RPM reader. When shifting just push in the clutch all the way and let off the gas. Once you let go of the gas just shift from 1st to 2nd and release the clutch smoothly while giving it gas again. Continue to do so up to however many gears you have. Now comes for the stopping.
Stopping isn't your normal just push on the brake and everything is good. If you vehicle is any gear besides neutral then you have to push in the clutch all the way while you push the brake. If you have the car in a gear while pushing the brake and you stop then the car will jerk and buck and then stall out and you will look like a fool as you sit there at a stop light and have to turn your car back on. So when coming to stop just push in the clutch and hit the brake if you are in gear, or you can just put it in neutal and put on the brake. If the vehicle is in neutral then you can put the brake on without having to put in the clutch, this is because there is no gear for the clutch to rub up against and stall out on if it is in neutral. Another way of slowing down is to downshift, to downshift just put the car into a gear that is lower then what you're in, i.e. if you are in 4th then put it in 3rd gear. After it's in gear just slowly release the clutch. The RPMs will go up more so but you will slow down a little without putting on the brake. All you have to do is put it in a lower gear then slowly let off the clutch and the vehicle will start to change gears and slow down. This can be hard to get used to, so I don't recommend it to new stick drivers.
So there you have it, you now know how to drive stick...kinda. Just remember to give out equal gas to clutch pressure and put in the clutch when stopping. Getting to get going is the hardest part because that requires the most attention. Once you get going it's really just simple because all you do is switch gears and hit the gas. After driving stick for a while you'll find that it is a lot more fun to drive at times. When you have a fun small sports car it can be really fun because you can accellerate quicker and more precise that way. Also a lot of times you forget you're driving stick because it becomes so natural. I know at times I forget im driving stick and I almost stall because i forget to put int he clutch when i come to a stop. Hope this has been useful. Always wear your seatbelt, or else i'll pull the car over.
The greatest muscle car ever, the Shelby GT 500 Mustang
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very good article! it helped me out some!!!!!
thanks
hey there nice car
good tips i think i will try them have practice and find easy to do
hey there nice car
good tips i think i will try them have practice and find easy to do
Have my first lesson tonight. Thanks - that was very clear and helpful. Oh and nice car!
Thank you soo much,i found that very helpfull,im after doing 5 lessons,and have stalled on nearly every occasion,especially at junctions.The part im finding very difficult is the hill start any tips there.
That "AMERICAN
That "AMERICAN P.O.S." puts out over 500 hp at the wheels. Do some research before making the claim that your not-even-200-hp civic would "BURN THAT."
Adam
P.S. - I have nothing against ricers; I own a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo MR. But I am for a well presented argument.
Great article! I agree that everyone should know how to drive a stick. Schools should offer a follow-up course to drivers ed. Maybe make it manditory.
You shouldn't under estimate Imports like that, if tuned right some cars can easily go 500hp+
P.S -Muscle cars can't corner for sh*t.
Just a big thank you from kuwait bro.. thanks alot for the article..i have my lesson in 2 days and im glad i read this.. i was really worried and i really want to drive a stick im getting a Ford Mustang 2005 GT or a Shelby GT500 2005 if i had the money by then..thanks again
cool, i work at a Ford dealership and the mustangs do kick ass now. Wasnt liking the old ones, they looked ugly and drove funny. The news though drive really nice and they feel like a muscle car.
Hi,
I just bought a 2007 Mustang GT, and it's a stick. Hope your article will help, because I'm definitely going to practice what I read. Thanks Randy
Im british and i love old american muscle cars more than other crap like honda's and small european cars we have, so what if they cant turn corners, they were meant to be drove in the states where there are no corners
I'm also british, and just passed my test on a stick shift toyota, in manchester. I didn't know if people really drive stick shit cars in america, so I was having a look, and read your article. To be honest, I hate ricers, they just make me think."get a real car!", and all the best acrs around here are american muscle imports. at the moment, i'm driving a horrid little fiat seicento....*sigh*, but i aspire to someday own a shelby, who cares about corners?
sexy times.XP well, i'm a self-taught stick driver thanks to you and other manual driving-related articles. good time.=D
Well sayed! Now i understand.
-thanks man
I like this post! It's always great to learn something new!
It's great! It really helped me!
Thanks! I wish more people knew that!
Thanks so much m8, im just learning to drive manual and the car i drove stall many times today at the traffic because I didnt put enough gas and i suddenly release leg of clutch, but anyway this Tutorial or Article whatever you wanna call it help me a lot and give me ideas of how to get going and how not to stall again. Once again thanx m8.
I like this post! I learned somthing new!
Nice post! It's always great to learn something new!
thanks for the article...it'll help me during my practice...thanks
eleanor wil kick ricers asses
I have read the article, now its time to practice, practice, practice, practice, and practice. Thanks for your help!!!!!!!!!!
a useful resource, thanks for sharing
What about "feathering" the gas for burnouts? What about "J" turns, drifting, launching, and power shifting? I have a 96 mustang GT that I have added a bunch to in order to get it to 300hp. A stick allows you to do so much more than an automatic. I was hoping for more performance technique from someone who loves the old gt500 shelby. My motto is to "Drive it like it was stolen!"
yeah, i wasn't really going for that, a lot of people dont know how to drive a stick, so i'd rather tell people how to drive a stick safely, rather then thinking they are in the movie Gone in 60 seconds
i drive a mustang gt 96 stick shift its the best im a girl and alot of people would trip telling me i was going to endanger everyone in the road that i wouldnt be able to handle the car but i proved them wrong and trully it takes patience to learn and its always good to understand how things work and always remember to use ur e-brake when parking your car or else it might roll away lol
thanks. well said. now i can express to my girlfriend what i've been trying to teach her. very helpfull. nice ride.
ummmm.. "a lot." two words. you won't learn that in drivers ed.
Here in the UK most people learn how to use a manual gearbox or "stick shift" as 99% of the cars here are manual.
To the above most cars in America are automatic, anyway thanks for the help as I plan to start driving manual this summer.
Good lookin out on the aritlce. This will help me i when I get my Mustang GT 2morrow!
I mean article. Sorry bout that!LOL
I'm a girl. I drive shift, and I didn't need your silly article to teach me :) Man, I'm good ;)
i have a renault clio sports, before starting driving lessons and your tips have gave me great cofidence in driving, thanks alot.
you would have alot of success if you had a carreer in driving instructing.
thanks from big D
My driving teacher sucked. One day I'll master manual but for now I just stick to auto. Good hub, man.
Jay
This was a good article, and when I finaly get my car I know what type to buy. Thanks.
Awesome Article Mate!
An what a ride!
My first car had stick... I never learned how to operate it correctly and finally gave up and sold it. I don't think I want to go through that again. But if I ever do, I will come back to your awesome hub for help. Thanks!
I've never driven an automatic...would find it confusing. I drive an Audi A3 sport with a 'stick' shift but then most of us in the UK have manuals:-)
Wow, that made sense :)
Great info. I also would like to add that when driving stick, beside the red light or STOP sign which you normally would bring the gear to neutral at a stop, remember to always use 2nd gear when making a turn. If you are in the 1st gear the car will jerk forward (depending on your speed) and it's not a good feeling (trust me). If you are in the 3rd or more then you are turning too fast (unless you are Dale Earnhardt Jr. This also applies to those who are on two wheels (unless you think you are Ben Bostrom).
That article on driving stick was very helpful, I only drove stick a couple of times and I just got a new car in stick and now I have a better understanding of driving stick.
YoJDawg,
LOL, I have a series of articles on the topic (not on the Hubpages), but you made it really short and sweet. Good work!
Regards, Misha
hey.. thanks for this article. ive been lookin up things that give you something on how 2 drive stick shift. im gettin a mustang for my b-day so i just thought id look something up b4 i tried driving it for the 1st time. now i understand how it all works and things like that. thank alot! :D
Great hub page, this has got to be one of the simplest explanations of what many find to be a very difficult and complicated topic. - Thanks, Paul
It is a good one because I followed your instructions and it worked.
awesome car!
Thanks sooo.. much this helped me out a tons! I was looking everywhere for something as helpful as this! Thnx dude
Good article. Going for my tests, I hope to apply to one or two i picked up from here. Keep it up!!!!!
Manual transmission is great after some time, when you get used to it. I especially like it on the countryside roads or on the narrow mountain roads in Europe. On straight roads, wide roads or in the city I prefer automatic.
Thanks! Very informative hub! I prefer manual cars to automatic ones. Somehow, my right foot always looks for the clutch.
Elizabeth P.
Learn defensive driving and drive safely! Visit DefensiveDrivingAdvice -- http://www.defensivedrivingadvice.com/ -- for tips and advice.
very good advice i will print off and read over lots i need to get going in our manual car soon after driving an automatic for nearly 11 years.thankyou.
Thanks for the tip. I hope it helps be i needt to keep the tires from spinning the car has alot of power. Thats the only mustang i like the new ones are girl cars. Trans Ams are where its at I own 2.
I'ts kind of sad americans don't use manual transmission to very much extent..
I personaly have never driven an automatic, the thought of it is just... Dull :<
Stick shift is not hard, it's fun, and an automatic gearbox can never anticipate what YOU are going to do next. Only you can.
Great hub! I miss having a stick shift myself as my wife can't drive one and we only have 1 car. Ah, someday I will have one again!
I wonder what you people gonna say about my TATA indica hatch.
who drives a car to drive in traffic ? just get up earlier to go to work, miss the traffic and drive the car so its more fun. you can even take the long way to work :P i know this doesn't work everywhere but in some places it will. in traffic get angry at the traffic not the manual transmission. manual transmission is the most fun for when you get to drive the car. and driving the car is the whole point of a car and a manual transmission. recommend manual transmission all the way.
very well explained.its very informative.a big thanks to u bro.
iam happy i've found this article.i hav a test drive very soon
nice one bro see you on the starter line with our muscle and my let see sk,dk(speed king, drift king)
I didn't really need this article but I thought I would look up some tips for manual driving as I mainly taught myself. I recently bought my first car, a 2001 Acura Integra LS (with mods). I think I've inheirited genes from two very good drivers, but the first time I test drove it, I killed it a million times (I drove it for about an hour). It has a 6 puck clutch which is apparently much harder to drive than a regular clutch. But the second time I drove it (right after I bought it), I had a lot less trouble driving it. I can now drive it pretty much without killing it at all, and I've only driven it 3 times as of today. I reccommend manual ALL THE WAY. I'd rather drive my little import than my mom's 36 thousand dollar Toyota Avalon Limited. I absolutely love the feel of being in complete control of the car. I'd like to see everyone learn how to drive stick, regardless of how long it takes you to learn how. I guess I'm lucky to have a talent for driving them lol but it's the most fun I've ever had driving. After a bit I got bored of driving an Automatic because I got to the point (after less than a year of driving) where I could do a million things at the same time as driving because I got bored of it. I've finally discovered something new! STICK FTW.
p.s. I don't care what you say about imports :P I love my car.
i'm currently in my 3rd day in driving school and believe me i was scared shhtless. i am being taught on an old, modified beetle bug and in a lot of ways it has been fun. at first par, what i noticed was that the clutch was hard while the steering and gas were so soft (especially the gas). i stalled twice and that was because i hadn't learnt how to balance the clutch to gas equation. well to my surprise (and after a little prayer to God to take control on the third day) i finally synchronised perfectly and it was so much fun. in my excitement i stalled once, crossed a busy t-junction perfectly, navigated a stretch of bad road with my clutch only and parked. WOWW!!! and to make it even more interesting and a blessing, i came across your article and its been a tremendous source of inspiration, morale booster and support. i feel like driving a mack truck and a lamborghini embolado together. your article rocks man. thanks a milli.
Nice article. I have driven in USA often and offcourse automatic cars. Now I have to drive in India and am learning stick shift. Your article will help a lot. Thanks a lot.
Soumyasrajan
I been reading your comments, I find it funny how most of you people overseas think WE canadians and americans drive automatics, i thought that overseas most folks drove auto, im just a new driver (15 is when us folks here in saskatchewan can get their learner licence) learning standard, and i hate stalling but my folks say ill get the jist of it in time, sure hope so :-) Me personally im not into muscle cars Im into pick up trucks and antique vehicles...
Thanks i have my first lesson today and these instructions where very clear and easy to understand, thank you
Thanks, It was very easy to understand and very easy to follow. I had my Lesson about 2 days ago and I hated it stalling. But thanks to these instructions I finally got it going and got my Licence thanks to this Article. Think you can let me post it on my Blog?
THIS IS AWESOME!! my dad took the only automatic we own down to washington for two weeks and left me with my new old jeep after a two hour lesson. This site really helped me out, double checking that i won't tear up the clutch or stall on a hill. I've come to realize that a manuel transmission is sooo much easier to drive on ice than an automatic!
jamestedmondson says:
3 years ago
Thanks Dad!