How to Drive a Stick Shift (Manual Transmission)
I’ve never had any formal training driving a vehicle with a stick shift. Since I learned to ride a dirt bike at an early age, the concept of driving a manual transmission wasn’t lost on me, so when it came time for me to get my drivers’ license, I had already grasped the basics pretty well and while it’s quite similar to riding a motorcycle, there are big differences. These days, I prefer driving an automatic transmission over a manual and reserve the shifting for motorcycle riding only, while some people love a stick shift and actually prefer it for a variety of reasons, one being of course, that a vehicle with a manual transmission is actually cheaper to buy.
If you’d like to learn how to drive a stick shift, here are the basics but keep in mind, it generally takes practice. Driving around a vacant parking lot with an experienced friend before attempting to head for the streets is a good idea.
1) When driving a stick shift, you’ll become very familiar with the clutch pedal, which is located on the floor of the drivers’ side and is furthest to your left. Basically, the clutch pedal controls the shifting and when it’s pressed, shifting can occur. In an automatic, the torque converter does the work for you, but when driving a manual, it’s up to you to shift the vehicle into gear.
2) To start the vehicle, push down on the clutch, making certain the stick shift is in neutral (if it isn’t, the vehicle will stall). When you hear the engine fire up and turn over, take your foot off the clutch pedal slowly.
3) Move the stick shift into First Gear by pressing on the clutch pedal and moving the stick shift left and up. Take your foot off the clutch pedal slowly until the vehicle begins to move forward. You’re now in first gear and at this point, you’re not going to be able to go very fast, so you’ll need to move on up into Second Gear to get rolling.
4) Push on the clutch pedal with your foot and move the stick shift into Second Gear, giving the vehicle a little more gas as you remove your foot from the clutch pedal. If you don’t give the vehicle enough gas, it will stall.
5) Now that you’re in Second Gear, let’s boost it by going into Third Gear, doing the exact same thing as before, but moving the stick shift into Third Gear. Once you get the hang of it, driving a stick shift becomes almost second nature and you’ll rarely think about it, but during the first few times and practice sessions, you’ll be aware of everything you do.
6) Keep in mind that all vehicles are different, but listening to your engine is a good indicator of shifting times, although a good rule of thumb is:
• 10 mph Shift into Second Gear
• 20 mph Shift into Third Gear
• 30 mph Shift into Fourth Gear
• 40 mph Shift into Fifth Gear
7) When approaching a stop light or stop sign, shift back into neutral and come to a nice, easy stop by coasting and using your brake.
8) To resume travel, simply put the car into First Gear again as in #3 and repeat the process.
9) If you happen to be at a light or stop sign located on a hill, you’ll have to be quick while taking your foot off the brake, using the clutch and giving it gas, or the vehicle will begin to roll backwards.
10) Remember to set the parking brake when you leave your vehicle.
I’d also point out that neutral is when the stick is in the middle. I know when I learned and I was told to put it in neutral, I pretty much said, “…..I’ve got 5 gears and reverse, where the hell is neutral?” Also, you are in neutral when the clutch is down, so it doesn’t matter what gear you’re in when you start the car (at least not on any car I’ve driven.)
And isn’t using RPMs better than speed for knowing when to shift? Speed is pretty vehicle dependent. My fiancee’s car for instance, you don’t want to shift to 5th until you’re going 55-60 or you get no acceleration.
And a tip that really helped me, practice finding the spot where your clutch just engages. When you’re stopped on a hill, there’s that spot right when it engages and you should start to move slightly forward. It’s very helpful to find that spot before the guy behind you is 2 inches off your bumper.
Slinky: Thanks – excellent tips!
I mentioned the mph instead of rpm’s because, as you said, every car is different when it comes to the “catch” point. I guess we’re talking about the same thing, just different ways of finding it.
Neutral coast is illegel.
Use brake to slow down, till you must shift to lower gear.
Shift to neutral just before a complete stop, otherwise the engine will stall to die.
you pretty much have it down, except for when you’re on a hill it’s easier to use the handbrake method:
pull your handbrake when you come to a stop on a hill. when the light turns green or you’re ready to go, just start like you would in 1st normally but when you feel 1st catching release the handbrake and your good to go. It’s alot easier than fumbling around with 3 different pedals when you only have 2 feet.
I haven’t been driving a stick for very long, my family never owned a vehicle that had manual transmission so i never had the oppurtunity to learn, but just recently i bought an 85 camaro and it’s a 5-spd.
I learned how to drive a stick in about 10 minutes and after that i decided that i would never buy an automatic again. The funny thing is that alot of people are scared to learn to drive a stick. Once you get used to it it’s just like driving an automatic, you don’t even think you just shift. Not to mention their better on gas than automatics.
and vehicle speed isn’t a good way to decide when to shift. generally if you’re running above 3500 rpms, upshift, if your running less than 1500, down shift. In my camaro i can bury the needle in 4th gear, which is probably near 100 mph and then i still have 5th gear.
“Neutral coast is illegel.
Use brake to slow down, till you must shift to lower gear.
Shift to neutral just before a complete stop, otherwise the engine will stall to die.”
So is speeding. What’s your point?
At least with neutral coasting you are using the clutch less (at least from everything I’ve been able to figure out), which means your transmission will last longer.
You never want to be in neutral unless you are completely stopped.
If your coasting in neutral and some obstruction presents itself you will have a much harder time dodging the obstruction.
Or say a police car or ambulance needs to get past. So you need to be able to change course.
Its a law for a reason. Also you should keep your car in first at the light as well. Reason is that if someone rear ended you, you would stall and the car would come to a stop instead of barging into the intersection.
So guys neutral is bad. Just keep the clutch pedal pressed while in 2nd while coming to a stop. Then shift into first at the stop with the clutch again depressed.
Or you could also use engine breaking to slow down combined with brakes i tend to do that to save my pads. And a transmission is much tougher than brake pads.
“Or you could also use engine breaking to slow down combined with brakes i tend to do that to save my pads. And a transmission is much tougher than brake pads.”
Yeah, brake pads cost $30 and can be replaced in half an hour. How much is a new clutch plate? Your brakes have far more horsepower than your engine, and were designed to stop your car, so use them.
Also, coasting in neutral is illegal? Since when? Does that mean that every time I put my foot on the clutch, I’m committing a crime?
Honestly. Think before you post.
How do I go faster when going up a hill? Or r manuals just slower up a hill? HELP!!!!!! So sick of cars going past me!!!
Jenny, shift down as your engine speed (RPM) drops when you go up a hill. The power of the engine gets less and less as engine speed drops.
If you approach the hill in 4th say, at 2000rpm, and engine speed drops to around 1500rpm, shift to 3rd.
It seems odd that people can’t drive manuals, over here in the UK, 80%+ drive manual.
What is also good is to get to know your neighborhood well so you can do better when coming to stop signs. I treat stop signs ( only when there are 0 cars in front of me) as a down-shift from 2nd to 1st and in between that down-shifting time at the stop you get enough time for a complete stop and can continue safeley.
When my parents surprised me with my first car (09 Scion tC, standard) I was scared to drive it. I’m a 17 year old girl and the last thing I wanted to do was learn to drive stick. Now all I can say is: I will never go back to automatic.
I personally love driving manual and i can’t think of living with a car with an automatic transmission after learning.
Though, there is one dent in your article, by shifting to neutral when stopping. The reason this is bad is that you are making unnecessary wear on your brake pads. By down-shifting while slowing down the engine actually helps stop the car (safer and faster) when paired with brakes and it’s easier on the break pads and extends the life of them.
If you’re really good you’ll end up in first gear when you finish stopping, ready to take off when the light turns green.
Best of luck and drive safe,
- Tom
There are plenty of states where neutral coasting is illegal. Try using Google before claiming someone else should think before posting.
What does pressing in the clutch have to do with neutral coasting? The guy presented the exact reasons why neutral coasting is illegal. In an emergency situation you arent in gear and able to respond, and the car will roll rather than stall and stop if you are hit and let off the clutch pedal.
You can argue with the law itself, but its pretty stupid to argue with the person who is just relaying that the law exists and the rationale behind it.
“What does pressing in the clutch have to do with neutral coasting?”
Pressing in the clutch pedal disengages the clutch from the engine’s flywheel, effectively putting the car in neutral. Technically, you could “neutral coast” by just pressing in the clutch pedal and leaving the transmission in any gear.
Anyway, how are the cops going to prove you were “neutral coasting” in order to ticket you?? I realize this wasn’t the point of the above discussion, the law is the law, but that one seems pretty unenforceable…
C’mon. Seriously? You can argue the law if you want, but the fact is that it exists. The person relayed the information regarding the law and all he received in return are snide comments?
To make it simpler than need be, it refers to coasting while your gear is in neutral. Not when you have the clutch depressed, or whatever other alternatives you can conjure. Asshats.
Good write up.
Replacement brake pads or shoes can be cheap, but labor never is. Also, replacing a warped rotor or drum is never cheap. Third, down-shifting gives you better control on deceleration, making it less likely for tires to lock out.
Also, keep your transmission in neutral with your foot off the clutch at lights. Depressing the clutch separates the clutch plates, which is when wear happens, not when your foot is off the clutch pedal and the clutch is engaged.
Go spend some time in Europe and you will see that 95% of cars are stick and they have wimpy brakes, making downshifting a neccesity.
I likes to drive fast.
thanks my dad is trying to teach me stick and its so confusing this really helped instead of him screaming in my ear STOP! BRAKE! GAS! SWITCH GEARS!