Stickshift Driving - Do I treat the Reverse gear the same as every other and what do I do when I'm slowing...

Question

down to turn into a shopping plaza but have to wait for opposing traffic to clear - do I come to a complete stop (brake + clutch), which gear do I do that in or do I just go into neutral? Also, when trying to reverse, do I complete that process like I would with any other gear (shift to R then slowly release clutch and press gas or will the car automatically starting rolling into Reverse?)? Ugh sorry, another question...when I coming to a controlled intersection and I notice my light is red, am I pressing on the brake only to start slowing down and then press the brake + clutch fully when I need to stop or am I just downshifting? Sorry for the jumbled mess, I need to learn how to drive a manual transmission pretty quickly.

Thanks for all the informative answers. I think I have the R gear down pat now.

Clarification: So as I approach any situation where I definitely need to slow down but don't know whether I need to come to a complete stop, it's adviseable that I release gas, press brake, press clutch, pop into neutral? If I do need to stop, press brake and clutch all the way and then switch to 1st gear to get car to move?

Answer 1

When coming to a complete stop. Doesn't matter what you're doing. Apply brake until your down to about 10mph, the also apply the clutch. (Brake first to slow down and allow engine to help, then Brake+Clutch to prevent the engine from stalling)

You can downshift, but it's just extra wear on the clutch. Down shift and switch gears only if you are coming to a red light, and it turns green before you've made the complete stop. (For example, you're coming up on a red light and start stepping on the brake. Car slows down to like 25mph, then light changes green. Step on clutch and change into third gear, release clutch and accelerate, then shift back up to high gear as necessary.)

Reverse is like any other gear. Need to release clutch to engage the gear. So just putting it in R doesn't mean you'll be going backwards until you've engaged the gear by releasing the clutch. Step on clutch to dis-engage the gear.

Answer to your additional question:
Typically don't shift into first gear unless you come to a complete stop. If your coming up on something and don't make a full stop, simply down shift into second gear. (ie you're travelling along in 5th gear. You see traffic slowing to a stop. Slow down.
If you must stop. Stop (brake, then brake+clutch) Shift into 1st gear to be ready to accelerate when needed.
If you don't need to make a full stop. (Braking until you've slowed). Release brake, Step on Clutch, shift to a lower gear such as 2nd, Release clutch and step on accelerator.

Answer 2

First I should say that reading how to work your manual transmission while driving is absolutely no substitute for actually driving a manual transmission and the feel of driving a manual cannot be digested by simply reading about it.

That said...
1) When coming to a complete stop, you should avoid "riding" the clutch (using it to slow you down) and instead put the car in neutral and brake accordingly. This will reduce clutch plate wear & tear.
On the otherhand using downshifting when going into a turn is advisable as it can keep the rev's up in the engine's power band and allow you to have better performance albeit at the cost of more wear to the clutch/transmission.
2) When going in reverse, do as you would going into first.
3) At an intersection, I downshift if I need to but otherwise, I prefer to use brakes simply because brake pad replacements are cheaper than transmission part replacements.

Also, I should advise you learn where the "friction point" is with your clutch. This is the point when depressing your clutch where it actually starts to grab. Knowing it's X inches after you depress it is not enough. You need to get a good "feel" for where this is. The better you know this, the better a manual transmission driver you will be.

Also note that not all standard transmissions are the same and some are far easier to learn to drive than others. I learned in an old Honda CVCC (before the CIVIC's). Much easier than say a BMW or Porsche.

HTH!

Answer 3

Starting with a stickshift is clutch pedal to floor select gear touch of gas let clutch pedal back until it starts to "Bite" revs drop and or front of car rises then Parking Brake off more gas, release pedal some more etc unti car is rolling and pedal is released, then for next gear change off gas cclutch pedal down move gear lever clutch back up apply gas. Some small 2005 emission cars are impossible to drive smoothly.
Reverse is difficult as there is normally no synchromesh so reverse wont always engage, there is nothing to slow the gears down,if it wont or scrapes, go into 1st gear and into reverse or if it still wont move forward literally an inch and try again. Depending on the engine size careful use of the clutch will let you roll into parking spaces without using much gas, in fact after 20 years driving with stickshifts, I never let the clutch pedal all the way back when manoevering especially in reverse.
As regards slowing I just clutch + Brake and into neutral as I slow and only select a gear, 1st when it is time to move off.
Remember holding the clutch pedal down wears the engine bearings, Nissans are real bad for this and "Slipping" the clutch like having it part way back wears the clutch, Always put your left foot on the floor and away from the clutch pedal when you have finished chnging gear.
I quite often leave out 4th and sometimes 2nd gear, sometimes in town 25 in first and into 5th but my car pulls from 20MPH in fifth some Japanese cars barely pull 5th gear below 70 and even then only downhill.

Answer 4

The only way to learn to drive stick is to practice. Reverse is the same as going forward.

You don't need to know how to do it, but more important, why you do it. For instance, why do you apply gas as you let off on the clutch. The answer is to line up the speed of the engine with the speed of the wheels.

Here's good practice: Sit on a level parking lot. Try to get the car going from a stop, without using your gas. Ever so slowly, let off the clutch until the car starts moving. Eventually, you will go without ever using the gas. But you have to let off the clutch real slow, or the car will stall.

Answer 5

To Make this easy to understand

when your coming up to a red light and your still far enough away you may want to down shift to a lower gear Example:( your cruising at 40 MPH and need to prepare to stop, when you start to down shift to 3rd about half way to your stopping point and then to 2nd and then its OK to go to Neutral. then from neutral to 1st to start off again.
Now Reverse is a different game. you only shift aND it best from a dead stop and when needed to park the car or to back out.
Don't ever go into reverse while shifting like from 2nd, 3rd, 4th to reverse

Answer 6

For breaking, I always bring the car to neutral to break - that way, you can determine your speed, then just pop it back to the right gear to continue - whether breaking to slow down or breaking to stop.

for reversed, it is the same as going foward, unless you are on a bit of a hill... then it will go in reverse on it's own ;)