Tips for Learning to Drive a Car with a Standard Transmission

When it comes to learning how to drive a manual transmission you may feel overwhelmed, but it isn't nearly as hard as it looks. The hardest part in learning how to drive a manual is getting the vehichle out of first gear, which means getting it to move.

If you are in a manual car for the first time you need to start out on a flat surface, your back yard, a feild, or any other flat stretch of ground. You need enough space to get the vehicle up to 20 to 30 mph. If you have never driven a manual before don't start out on the road, this imposes some dangers.

Ok, now that you are where you're going to test drive, learn where the gears are, every vehichle is different. With the car still turned off, practice changing gears. Move the gear shaft (stick) into first, second, third, fourth, and fifth gear. Do it in that order until you get the hang of it.

Once you are comfortable changing gears without looking, return the stick to neutral position, put the emergency brake on, and start the car (the clutch needs to be all the way to the floor to get the vehichle to start). Now you are going to try to get the vehichle to move. Hold down the clutch and move the gear shaft into first gear. DON'T let the clutch out yet, the vehichle will turn off.

Now you need to give the vehichle some gas, not too much, only enough to hear the engine make a low steady hum. Once you have the gas held at a steady pace, slowly let the clutch out. When you feel the car try to move forward, you have found where the clutch grabs. Return the clutch to the floor, let off the gas, and let down the emergency brake.

Now that you have found the grab point you are ready to get the vehichle moving. While holding down the clutch, move the gear stick into first gear. Next let the clutch out to the grab point, then give it gas to get it to go. If you don't give it enough gas at the right time, the vehichle will stall (turn off). If you do it successfully, congradulations, you have mastered the hardest part in driving a manual transmission vehichle.

After first gear is out of the way, you want to get it into second and the other gears. While in first gear the car should be moving about 10 mph, without over reving the engine. At about 2000 rpms (revolutions per minute), push in the clutch, while letting off the gas. Then move the gear stick into second gear, let out the clutch slowly, and return the gas amount. If the vehichle jerks a little it's ok, it wont after you get the hang of it. For the other gears do the same thing.

The only other obstacle you will run into is starting on hills. While on a hill find the grab point. At the grab point you should be able to let off the gas completely without the car rolling backwards or turning off. Then give it enough gas to where the vehichle trys to move forward, let the clutch out, and away you go.