Learning to Drive a Stick

Learning to Drive a Stick

Learning to drive a car with a manual transmission is much more difficult than learning to drive a vehicle with an automatic transmission. There are several steps to learning how to drive. You will need to pay close attention to the steps below to be able to become a safe and defensive driver.

. The first step to learning to drive is to identify all the important parts. In order to do that, you will need to begin by looking down at the floor board. You will see three pedals, starting from the left, the clutch, brake, and finally the gas on the far right. Next you need to identify the diagram on the top of the gear shift. This diagram will show you where all the gears you will have to shift to are located.

The next step is to start the vehicle. Remember you can't go anywhere without the car engine running. Make sure that the parking brake is engaged, and that you ensure you are in an area where there is plenty room. You will need to press down on the clutch pedal, remembering this is the pedal on the far left. You will then move the gear stick to the position N, it will show where the letter N is located on the diagram you located before. Then start the engine by turning the key.

The next step will be to begin moving. Keep the clutch pedal on the left pressed completely down while you put the vehicle into the first gear. You will do this by moving the gear shift to the left position. Following this you will need to apply the brake and to release the parking brake. Then release the front brake when you are ready to start moving. You want to slowly release the clutch pedal. When the engine begins to slow down, press down slowly to the gas pedal. As you do this simultaneously the car will began to move.

Now that you are moving you will want to learn how to change gears. As you begin to accelerate in the vehicle, the RPM, rotations per minute, will increase. When you reach 3000 RPM, as indicated on the odometer, which is usually located on the front dashboard, you will then take your foot off the gas, press down on the clutch pedal, and pull the gear shift down through the neutral position into second gear. Then you will want to release the clutch pedal gently while simultaneously pressing down on the gas pedal. From here you will want to repeat the shifting process each time your reach about