How to drive a manual car

When the majority of people learn to drive, they learn on an automatic car. Sadly, that leaves quite a few people naive to the benefits of driving a manual transmission car. In this guide I'll explain the not only the benefits of purchasing a manual car, but also give you instructions on how to drive one.

Benefits of a manual transmission car​

First, manual cars are on average less expensive to drive. Buyers can save up to $1,300 by purchasing a manual car over an automatic. Not only that, the upkeep for a manual car is considerably less. If the transmission ever breaks, it's commonly because the clutch is in need of a replacement, a repair of around $1,200-$1,500. Now, let's compare that to an automatic transmission - $3,000! That's twice the price!

Second, manual cars could potentially be more fuel efficient. Technically, manual cars have about 5% better fuel efficiency than automatics, but this all depends on the driver. What's really the key is the driver's method of gear shifting; it's very possible to achieve higher than 5% fuel efficiency. So again, it all depends on the driver.

Third, a driver has more control over the car. In a manual, the driver has the advantage of being able to up/downshift on their own accord, thus giving the driver a faster shift response. This makes it easier to power-up those tough inclines, drive through treacherous weather, and just have an over-all better performing vehicle. Besides that, people who drive a manual car are less likely to be trying to multi-task while driving, as it is increasingly more difficult. Whether that's convenient for you or not, there's no denying it increases not only your safety, but the safety of those driving around you.

Source: http://www.edmunds.com/advice/buying/articles/131235/article.html

How to operate a manual car​

1. Just like driving a an automatic car, seating is vital in driving a manual. You have to make sure you can comfortably reach not only the gas and break pedals, but also the clutch. For those of you who don't know what the clutch is, it's the third pedal on the left.

Source: http://p.lefux.com/61/20101028/A152...al-cover-manual-transmission-car-1-Gallay.jpg​

2. To start the car, you basically do the exact same thing as an automatic, except for 1 key difference: Push the clutch firmly down when you turn the key.

Note - Whenever you change gears, you always follow this equation:

Release Gas -> Push down clutch -> Shift to the desired gear -> Release clutch while giving it gas

3. This next step is one of the hardest parts in learning to drive a manual car; getting going. Getting the car into first gear was, for me, the hardest part in learning. Here is what the gears look like for those of you who don't know -

Source: http://i.ehow.com/images/a06/rq/o9/brake-manual-car-200X200.jpg​

Now, to get rolling you need to get the car into first gear. It's simple to write, difficult to perform. You basically follow the note I previously stated.

- Push firmly down on the clutch -> Push the gear-shifter into 1st -> Release clutch while slowly accelerating.

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You'll learn when you're giving it too much gas, not enough, and how soon with experience. I can't give an exact explination, as it varies from car to car. If you're getting into the high RPM's, and the car is very loudly revving, you're doing something wrong. It should all be a fluent, smooth transition.

Note - You only use first gear when the car is at a stop, never while the car is moving. Stay in first gear up until about 10 mph; it varies per car.

4. Increasing speed. Once you've mastered getting it into 1st, this part is is a breeze! Simply continue to follow the first note: Release Gas -> Push down clutch -> Shift to the desired gear -> Release clutch while giving it gas
You shift gears when the RPMs starts to hit 5 or 6. Here's an example:

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Source: http://www.cartype.com/pics/8460/full/ford_mustang_boss_302_rpm_12.jpg​

Once you've been driving a manual car for a while, you'll be able to hear when you need to change gears. It gets much easier the longer you drive!

5. Parking break. Parking breaks (PB's) are found in both manual and automatic cars. In automatic cars, they're rarely used when driving as you have the "park" gear. Here is where the parking break is located -

Source: http://www.driversedguru.com/wp-content/gallery/beth-images/parking-brake.jpg​

When driving a manual car, the parking break is your best friend. Manual cars don't have a "park" gear like automatic cars, therefor you have to use the PB whenever you park your car. This is also a necesecity when trying to perform an up-hill start. Seeing as this is a basic guide, I won't go into detail on that. Essentially it's a mixture of the clutch, gass, and PB all at once (The hardest part of using a manual car, seconded to learning how to get into 1st).

6. Stopping/Downshifting. When you're going into the low RPM's, you'll want to downshift. Follow the same method of changing gears I stated previously. When stopping, you can stay in your current gear down to about 5-15 mph, which at that point you'll put the car into neutral (when the you're not in any gear, the middle).

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Congratulations! You can now drive a manual car!​

Source: http://standardshift.com/faq.html​

This is my very first guide, so all constructive criticism is welcome!

 

I really like this guide Sanctuary. First off what I really liked was overall look of the thread. You didn't overload all of the text with crazy colors that make it hard to read, and kept it simple (in a good way). Also another thing that I liked was that you didn't center the whole entire thing like most people do. Believe it or not out of every 10 guides or so that I go to read more then half will have text that's completely centered. Lastly I like the topic that you choose to write on. You choose an original guide that I haven't seen anywhere before on the forums. This is a good thing, because when people make guides that have been seen many times before nobody really learns anything from it.

As for the content of your guide I think that you did fairly well. All of the steps are explained in a way that's understandable, and you also the pictures were helpful and relevant to the topic. I also like the fact that you added some of the benefits of owning a manual transmission car, and think that it was a nice touch.

Finally here are some thing that you could use to possible improve your guide. The first thing that I noticed that I think you could maybe improve on where the pictures. You can kind of tell that all of the arrows were quickly made on paint. It's really not a big problem, but if you made them look a bit better it would make your guide look a lot more professional. Also I think that the guide as a whole looked a little bit confusing. Maybe if you added a few more broad subsections to the guide it would make it a little easier to understand.

Hope this helps!

 

Thanks Fishy!

Just curious, but which parts were confusing to you? And yeah, I just did a quick job on the pictures using Tinypic; I'll try to re-edit those when I have some time.

 

lol sanctuary imagine actually trying to drive stick just off this guide.

If your really interested in driving ask a friend/parent to teach you has each car is different and some cars are pretty hard to learn in. I would recommend practicing in empty parking lots/abandoned roads before going on high traffic roads as you will stall!

 

Really nice guide, i'm only 15 but it seems really easy.
All i got to do now is learn the traffic signs and shit like that lol, i live in ireland so i can only get my licence when i'm 18 but who knows maybe i'll need to steal a car if i'm getting chased by murders/rapists

 

Obviously you won't automatically become a master at driving a manual car by reading this guide, I thought most people wouldn't assume otherwise. The purpose of this guide is to educate people in the basics of it. I think this guide gives a fairly good amount of advice/facts about it.

Well I hope this comes in handy if that ever happens.

 

UPDATE: Took Fishy's advice -

Changed the pictures.

 

I like your guide a lot, but your explanation on how to get the car started in first gear is kind of...eeehh. I would imagine it extremely difficult to get the car moving by just reading your instruction on how to get started.

I managed to teach several people how to get going on first gear for the first time without stalling. So here's what I normally tell them.

If you're just learning for the first time, what you want to do is:

1. Press on the clutch all the way
2. shift into first gear while still stepping on the clutch
3. slowly and I mean really slowly start releasing the clutch
4. (Do not press on gas yet) continue releasing until you feel the car move forward or shake
5. as soon as you feel the car start moving or shake, apply a small amount of pressure on the gas pedal
6. apply more gas while releasing further on the clutch
7. eventually release the clutch completely while gassing
8. keep practicing this, and you should be good to go.

 

Here in Italy cars ar mostly manual (I think 99% cars are manual), I would really like to try an automatic one

Im quoting "I Only Sell"'s post because this is a very nice detailed guide about how to start with the first gear, this is the hardest thing but it just need practice

However if the manual car is Diesel you won't have this problem because in a Diesel car when you put the first gear the car start accelerating itself when you release the clutch, you dont have to press the gas pedal so with diesel cars it is very easy

PS Aren't 5000RPM too much? I usually change gear at 2500RPM

 

learning wasnt too hard for me because i have been riding motorcycles since i was 8

 

Very nice guide! One thing you could add is how to take off on an incline. I've noticed that, not only myself, but many new drivers are scared to take off from a full stop on an incline. They're scared they won't be able to accelerate fast enough to avoid rolling back into the car behind them.

I find that if you half-mast the parking break, take off in first gear like you normally would, and disengage the break as you start to accelerate, you don't roll backwards. How far you should pull the parking break depends on how good of a break it is. Mine is terribly loose so I can actually drive a few blocks without noticing that I forgot to take it off. Just a helpful bit of info!

Thanks for the share!

 

Good guide. To those who think it looks easy, it's not. It's actually easier said than done, trust me.

 

Just curious who the hell told you it cost $1200-1500 to fix a clutch or get a replacement?

 

controlling a car is easy, it's just annoying you have to see everything on the street

 

Hey great guide.

I could drive a manual car since I was 9. Manual > Automatic.

 

Here they only teach with manual gears Easier that way around