How to Drive a Stick Shift Up a Hill
If you've ever attempted to drive a stick shift on the streets (or hills) of San Francisco, you know the importance of being able to properly handle your manual-transmission vehicle on an incline. Driving up a steep hill can be a white-knuckled ride, especially when you stop and start again with a car closely on your tail. Vehicles with manual transmission have a tendency to roll backward--especially on a hill--and coordinating the clutch and gas pedal while minimizing rollback can be an intimidating experience. With practice, however, driving a stick can be an exciting and pleasurable experience.
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Instructions
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Make sure your seat belt is fastened securely.
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Activate the parking brake while waiting for the light to change, or at a stop.
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Step on the clutch with your left foot; and with your right foot on the brake, put the car into neutral.
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Shift the gear shift into first gear when the light changes, or from a stop.
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Slowly ease off the clutch while simultaneously moving your right foot quickly from brake pedal to accelerator.
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Release the parking brake just as you feel the car beginning to get into gear.
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Begin driving up the hill, giving more gas as needed, revving the engine a little higher than on flat terrain, so as to not lose momentum.
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Shift quickly once the car is revving high in first gear; depress the clutch again, and shift to second.
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Immediately release the clutch while giving the engine gas.
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Tips & Warnings
The more you practice, the better you'll get. Once you become experienced at driving a stick up a hill, you will not need your parking brake to get you going.
Don't panic if your car stalls.
References
- Photo Credit shift stick image by BaSSaBaS from Fotolia.com
