How to drive a stick shift car.?

Answer 1

Best answered by someone in the car with you. Find someone who knows how, and have them show you.

Bottom line, you have to engage the clutch (middle pedal in my memory) in order to change gears, and then quickly give the car gas (right pedal) to accomodate the gear change.

I'd have to be there... Find a friend who knows how and ask them to guide you through it to be safe. This is a "live" question as opposed to a Yahoo Answers question.

Good Luck!

Answer 2

Basically, you are pressing the clutch to disconnect the engine from the transmission, then changing the gears and changing the speed of the engine to they match when the clutch is released.
Normally, the sequence when you are increasing speed is:
Gradually push the gas pedal down until noise or tachometer or markings on speedometer tell you the engine is nearly going too fast; step on the clutch with the left foot, release the gas with the right foot and move the gear shift lever with the right hand while steering with the left. Depending on the design of the transmission, it will give you a lot of help getting into the next gear (synchronized) or almost none at all. In any case, you want the engine to be running at the slower speed so you don't jerk the car when you let out the clutch and the motor rotation and the transmission input rotation (being driven by the rear wheels turning) come together.
If it is an old, old car or other vehicle without a synchronized transmission, then shifting becomes more interesting because it is your job to not only match speed, but adjust the speed slightly so that you can actually get the gear teeth to fit together. If you miss it, there is this lovely grinding sound. So you clutch and let off of the gas, take the transmission out of the lower gear, and slowly engage the clutch while trying to stuff the transmission into higher gear while speeding up the engine gently to find the right speed and have the gears moving slowly past each other to engage.
It is possible to drive a manual shift without a working clutch, it helps if the engine is hot. You get the car rolling with the starter and then have to match speeds entirely with the gas pedal. I have done it. Others have done it in races and won. Not good for transmission in long run.

Answer 3

Put it this way, don't go off of what anyone here tells you. It's not even just that most of them are idiots, but you don't want to learn to drive stick off what someone told you on the internet. No, get in a stick shift car with someone who can actually drive stick and have them show you. It is not that hard to learn, I learned it before I learned auto shift, but still you don't want to try until someone can show and teach you.

Answer 4

You can't answer this properly here.. I can only say to hit the clutch and shift at the right time... You need to be taken out and actually taught in the car.

Answer 5

You need to train with someone experienced at driving stick, in a manual trans car. You will never learn over yahoo answers.

Answer 6

make sure the gear stick is in neutral
start car
depress clutch
engage first gear
slowly release clutch and accelerate at the same time
depress clutch before engaging other gears
don't move gear stick unless clutch is depressed
Hope this helps

Answer 7

Rev the engine, side step the clutch, smoke the tires, and grab another gear

Answer 8

http://www.10w40.com/individual/100186.asp

Its really quite easy just have a friend take you to a parking lot to try it out, I taught my brother on a marine corp base at the beach, during the winter he was 13 and picked it up in 15 min or so.

Answer 9

No one can really explain that to you good without being in the car with you to show you; but ...

Step 1: Learn the Gears

Learn the location of and feel of passing through the gears. First learn to shift the gears without the car running (pushing the clutch in each time). Then, from the passenger seat, try it with someone else driving the car and operating the clutch. Be sure to place the stick all the way into gear--until it won't go any more--but don't force it. If you stop halfway, you will hear an incredibly unpleasant grinding sound which means your car is not in gear.

Eventually, you will know when to shift by feel, but early on you'll have to act deliberately. Even if you've never been in a car before, you can tell when a car is in the appropriate gear: the car's not making a coughing and chugging sound (gear too high) but it's not making a high-revving sound either (gear too low). If you have a tachometer, shift around "3" (3000 rpm) on each gear or every 15 miles per hour (1st gear 1-15, 2nd 15-30, 3rd 30-45, etc.). This is only a general rule, of course, and higher powered autos will deviate from this. Shift before you hear that loud revving sound.


Step 2: Start it up

Put the car in neutral before starting, or you will jump ahead. Keep in mind that most new cars will not start without the clutch pressed down. Leave the shifter into neutral while the car warms up. Alternately, start the car in gear with the clutch pedal pushed to the floor, then shift into neutral, release the clutch pedal, and let the car warm up.


Step 3: Protect the clutch, yourself and the car

The clutch is the mechanism that allows the gears to transition back and forth smoothly. If you pull the car in or out of gear without using the clutch, or release the clutch only halfway into gear, you will hear an amazingly unpleasant sound. Avoid this.

It's difficult to avoid some sort of wear and tear on the clutch when learning how to drive a stick shift. If you go slowly at first and pay close attention, you can feel (in your feet) where the clutch engages and disengages. If you learn that well, you'll put less strain on your car. You'll also be able to drive any stick shift more smoothly from the get-go.

Avoid needless acceleration when the clutch is partially engaged. When at a stoplight, don't get in the habit of holding the clutch in for more than a few seconds or you will have other problems down the line. Instead, put the car in neutral while stopped for any period of time.

Popping the clutch: Invariably, you will miss your gear (or release the clutch too quickly) and the car will lurch ahead. Often at the outset, you will pop the clutch too quickly and stall the car. Don't worry, it happens to everyone. Just get those exercises out of the way before you find yourself in bumper-to-bumper traffic. .


Step 4: Find the G spot

Here we are at the most important junction of the stick shift world: the door to acceleration. Driving a stick shift is all about that magical place where the clutch comes up and the gas pedal goes down. It's that seamless place where the gears are shifted and the car accelerates. Let's take first to second on a flat road as an example: First gear going steady, clutch in as you come off the gas quickly, then off the clutch slowly while pressing in the gas.

That place in the middle where the clutch pedal is to the floor and you're off the gas is where you take the shifter from first to second. Get those feet and hands used to working together.

Here we go once more:


Revving high (around 3000 rpms or at 15 mph).

Clutch in and gas off.
Move the shifter smoothly from first to second.

Slowly off the clutch while pushing on the gas.

Completely let your foot off the clutch and gas it up.

Same time next gear!


Step 5: Now try downshifting

Downshifting is the act of moving appropriately to lower gears while slowing down. This is the essential difference between the operation of an automatic transmission and one of manual persuasion: downshifting not only helps you slow the car, but it also puts you in the right gear for the speed. Downshifting is your friend - especially in bad weather or on hills, where immediate braking can be dangerous.

Keep in mind that you may shift down only one gear or simply apply the brakes. Again, knowing your range in each gear will help determine what's needed.

While downshifting, move from clutch to brake while in gear. This will help you slow down without revving too high between gears.

If you are driving 45 mph in fourth gear and come upon a stop sign ahead:


Push in the clutch and shift down to third while using the brake.

Let the clutch out slowly to avoid high revs.
Next, do it again into second before you stop.

Don't downshift into first!


Step 6: Learn the subtleties of reverse

Be very careful in backing up. The reverse gear is very quick and can jump out at you. To get into reverse, sometimes you need to run the shifter through the other gears first with the clutch in.

The clutch is key while going in reverse. Since reverse is so quick, let out the clutch slowly and push it back in while using the brake if necessary; you will likely be able to back out of any spot with this simple measure.


Step 7: Win the hill challenge

Find a hill with little traffic. Use your emergency brake when coming to a stop. When the light turns green to go, shift into first, start to accelerate slowly as you release the clutch pedal, then release the emergency brake just as you feel the car engage the gear. This way you are using the brake to keep you from rolling back. If you stall, put on your brake and start again.


Step 8: Remember the parking brake

It is important to note that the emergency brake is very important when parking a stick shift car, because there exists no "park" gear to keep the car from rolling. Some rely only on the pull-up emergency brake, usually sufficient in most situations. But for extra safety, leave the car in gear AND use the emergency brake.


Step 9: Practice these scenarios

In the neighborhood, 25 mph: Start, 1st gear, change to second gear, run either high rpm in second gear or low rpm in third. Sometimes run high to low second gear depending on speed.


On the highway: High rpm in third or fourth onto the highway at the appropriate speed, then fifth gear (if available).

Going down a steep hill: Keep the car in a gear that will aid the braking process, the engine sounds like it's working but not screeching. You may press the clutch in and out to further complement your braking.

Answer 10

well you would have to have someone show you. but once you do it its easy