Saturday, October 16, 2010
Learning how to drive a car with a manual transmission is tricky at first, but will become natural just like riding a bike. Getting accustomed to the physical feel of the stick shift, the brakes, and the clutch is mandatory when you are first learning how to drive. The mind needs to be trained to use the left foot while driving; this is essential in order to depress the clutch for shifting. A driver that is accustomed driving an automatic transmission type car will find driving with two feet strange and uncomfortable, because it is natural to rest the left foot while driving.
Learning how to drive a manual itself is confusing as well to the new learner. Sitting in park in a neutral place like a parking lot and practicing shifting from first to second and second to third, and so forth, is the best bet for learning the structure of the stick shift. The driver needs to practice pushing the clutch in while shifting gears is essential to learning how to drive a manual car. Eventually, clutching will become second nature as well. Once a person has a handle on how the clutch and the stick shift function together, it is time to hit the road.
Starting a manual transmission requires putting the car in neutral, depressing the clutch and turning the ignition. The emergency brake must be disengaged at this point in time if not before. The car should be put in first gear or reverse to start out, and then let up off of the clutch slowly. Some cars will want the gas to be pressed on a bit to start moving, and others will start driving as soon as the clutch is loosened. Removing the foot off the clutch too fast will result in a stalled car, and then the whole process must be started again. Getting familiar with the car is all part of driving any car, not just the manual style cars.
But, given the car didn't stall; driving is fairly simple at this point. Just like driving an automatic, depress the gas in order to gain speed. Once the car reaches the point where it seems to need a little more power, remove the foot from the gas pedal, push in the clutch, and switch the stick into the next gear. Let the clutch out while concurrently pressing the gas. Generally, the best time to shift the car up to the next level is at about 3000 rpm's. When it is time to slow down, the car can be stopped at any time by pressing the brakes. But, there will be a point where the car will want to be shifted to neutral in order to stop, otherwise it will stall and require to be restarted.
Driving a manual transmission is more about learning the principle of how to use the different parts. Once that is understood, getting the hang of it is just a matter of practicing in safe environments. It will not be long before driving the car is second nature, just like riding a bike.
