How to Drive Stick

You're going to learn how to drive a stick shift. This is a great idea because it is going to open up a whole new world to you, and will also give you more opportunities to drive. Not only more opportunities, more opportunities with different types of cars. No longer will you have to decline driving someones car, or decline getting a car just because you can't drive a car with that funny little stick that moves in ways you don't understand. Oh yeah, there is that extra pedal too.

I assume you already know how to drive a car, and already know how a standard transmission works. To review how the whole stick shift situation fits together, the clutch pulls the gears out of place, and then puts the news gears in place spinning at the right speed. Now your stick shift is the item that will deciding which gears you choose. Chose too low, and the car shakes and acts like a tired pig for a while till it gets up to the right speed. All of the wrong choosing causes unnecessary gas usage and wear and tear on all of the components involved.

So how do you go about doing this? The hardest part is the beginning, that's the hardest part with everything really. You are behind the wheel, there are three pedals. The pedal on the left is the clutch. The pedal in the middle is the brake. The pedal on the right is the gas or accelerator. There should be a stick to your right that is sitting somewhere between you and the passenger seat. Depending on the manufacture, will depend on where it is. The pattern of the gears are dependent on the manufacturer as well. Most cars what is called the standard "H" pattern. Looking carefully at the letter "H", which should be represented on the gearshift itself. First would be to the top left. Second the bottom left. Third must go into the center and go to the top right. Fourth would be bottom right, and if you car has it, most do , there is an additional leg that would be top further right, and reverse ("R") is bottom further right. Always start a car in neutral, this is in no gear and the stick shift will feel loose and free. Before you start the car, try going through the gears a few times, just so you know what they feel like.

To start a manual, you must push the clutch all the way down tot he floor and then turn the key. It is always a good idea to push the brake as well. You never know if there is something wrong with the car and it is going to lurch forward for some reason. It's better to error on the side of caution. Now that you have it started, keep the clutch depressed and put the car in 1st gear.

This is the trickiest part of a manual. Once you figure this part out, everything else is easy. My suggestion is to pull the clutch out completely. Do this very slowly, paying attention to the car and when and how the car reacts to this. When you let it out completely, the car will lurch forward quite violently. Be prepared for this lurch. Many do not agree with me on this, but this works wonders at seeing where the clutch "pops". Now that you have done this, you will have to restart the car. Once the car is restarted, slowly let the clutch out again till the car begins to shake. When the car shudders push the clutch back in immediately. The car will stop shuddering. This shudder,a nd inevitable lurch, is because you are allowing the car to run without speeding up the gears. There is only one way to speed up the gears, the accelerator. however, you can't accelerate the gears too fast or too slow once you put them in the housing, it has to be a relatively perfect match.

Slowly take the clutch out as you you very very slowly push the gas in. When the car begins to slightly shutter, push the gas slightly more. Keep this give and take till you are no longer pressing the clutch and only pressing the gas. This movement of your feet is the skill in which there is no way to get better at then to practice, practice, practice.If you give it too much gas, you will go very quickly, you'll hear the engine rev very high, and you will stall. If you give too little gas, you are pulling the clutch too quickly, and you will violently lurch and stall like you did when you just pulled the clutch out. The positive thing: Whenever you mess up, take your foot off the gas and press the clutch, and you go back to 0 again.

Once you get the starting part, you can move on to the driving part. The driving part is easy as pie compared to the starting part. In fact, most people take 3-4 days on the starting and an hour on the driving. When you are driving you will have to look at the dials. There should be a "rpm", dial. This dial will tell you when to shift. As you get better at shifting and driving a stick you will be able to "hear" and "feel" when the car needs to go into another gear. But, for now the general role is this: Shift from 1st to 2nd around 2500 rpms. 2nd to 3rd around 3300-3500. 3rd to 4th around 4000-4500. 4th to 5th around 4800 -5000. This is only a rule of them, and it differs on engines and cars themselves. If the car is screaming, and yes you can hear it scream, do not wait till the "rule number", Shift! With a little practice you'll be driving a stick shift down the road like its something you've always done. Good Luck