How to Hill Start a Manual Car
One of the biggest hurdles people face in learning to drive a manual transmission is to start driving up a hill from a dead start. When the vehicle comes to a stop on a hill, because of a stop sign, stop light or traffic, you have to step on the brake and press the clutch pedal all the way down. Pressing the clutch down puts the vehicle in neutral, which prevents the engine from stalling. To move forward, the clutch pedal has to be gradually released while giving gas to the engine by stepping on the accelerator. The vehicle will roll backward and engine will stall if the clutch and accelerator pedals are not operated in sync.
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Instructions
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Engage the parking brake. The parking brake allows you to depress the clutch without rolling backward. Place the vehicle in first gear.
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Keep the clutch depressed with your left foot and position your right foot on the brake and accelerator. The toes of your right foot should be on the brake and the heel of the right hand should be able to reach the accelerator pedal.
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3
Practice releasing the clutch several times until you reach the friction point. The friction point refers to the spot where the energy of the engine transfers from the engine in an idling position to where car begins to move forward. The friction point varies from car to car. Learning to control the friction point is the secret in driving a manual transmission. Once you develop a feel for it, it is possible to stop and start on a hill by simply using the clutch, brake and accelerator and bypassing the parking brake.
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Release the clutch to the friction point while partially releasing the parking brake. Step on the accelerator. Once you feel the car begin to move forward, fully release the parking brake.
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Give the car more gas and gradually release the clutch. At this point the car will begin to move forward. Continue giving vehicle gas and completely release the clutch.
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