How to Drive Standard

Driving a standard transmission car is not as common these days. Here's a simple guide to help you drive a manual transmission vehicle.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• a manual transmission vehicle

1. Standard transmissions have anywhere from 3 to 6 forward gears and one reverse gear. Most modern cars have either 5 or 6 forward gears. Understand that the different gears are designed to handle a specific range of speed and that greater speed is obtained from higher revolutions per minute (RPM) and that all engines have a limit when it comes to safe RPMs indicated by the redline on the tachometer. For normal driving, most cars should shift between 1500 and 2500 RPMs. But always listen to the engine and make sure you don't over rev.

2. First, press in the clutch and brake and start the car. Shift into first gear, release the brake and slowly release the clutch while gently pressing the gas. To make a smooth take off from a stand still, you want to "ride" the clutch just enough to get rolling. If you "pop" the clutch at a stand still you will lunge forward and the engine will die. Release the clutch slowly, and once the car starts rolling, fully release the clutch and accelerate.

3. First gear will rev quickly and you will need to quickly shift into second. Press the clutch, release the gas, then shift from first to neutral, then to second. The pause at neutral is just for a split second and allows the gears to synchronize. Release the clutch and press the gas. Continue up the gears as you require more speed.

4. When you decelerate from the upper gears, remain in gear and break. As your speed falls toward the lower limits of the gear you are in, press the clutch and tap the accelerator and engage the next lower gear. The idea is to match the RPMs with the car's speed. Stop down shifting at fourth or third gear, depending on your particular gear ratios. Never down shift into second or first gear under normal driving conditions. From fourth or third gear, press the clutch, shift into neutral and break until you stop.

5. Another word on riding the clutch. You do want to minimize riding your clutch due to wear, but there are times when you must, like when stopped on an incline or when you need to move forward very slowly. So become familiar with riding the clutch by familiarizing yourself with how the clutch feels as you slowly release the clutch pedal.

6. More advanced driving techniques like heal-toe down shifting and power shifting can come later. First master the feel of your car's clutch, become familiar with the speed range of all your gears and practice.

[Butterfli]

on 11/7/2008 Good information! Thanks! 5*

[GreenGardenChic]

on 11/7/2008 Good information to know, I should brush up on my clutch driving skills.

[veryirie]

on 11/6/2008 I learned 30-some years ago. I memorized the H pattern of the gearshift in my head and that helped a lot. Now I have a 6-speed manual trans Jeep Wrangler and boy is it fun! This is a well written article; thanks for sharing it!