Driving a manual can be one of the most nerve-racking things, especially when you’ve got a car full of spectators and commentary to go along with it. But, it can be one of the most satisfying skills to learn, especially if you’re wanting to get into more advanced driving techniques like tracking your vehicle, road racing and whatnot.
Before reading the tutorial, I HIGHLY recommend you watch the video. As it will reinforce the elements provided in this tutorial and will further assist you in perfecting your newly obtained manual transmission skills.
Without further blabbering, let’s get into this tutorial.
Step 1: Ensure You’re in Neutral.
Place your car into the neutral gear by moving the gear selector into the center of the shift boot. In order to verify that your car in truly in neutral, wiggle the stickshifter around and see if it moves freely. If it doesn’t move very freely, ensure that the gear selector is truly in the middle or not.
Verifying that it is, we can move onto our next step.
Step 2: Place Your Foot Onto the Clutch Pedal
Now that our vehicle is in it’s neutral gear, we may move onto our next step of starting the manual transmission for use.
In order to start a manual transmission vehicle, your left foot must press the clutch pedal fully to the cars floor. This is a safety feature that’s in most modern day vehicles – to ensure less accidents.
That being said, depress the clutch pedal fully and move onto the next step.
Step 3: Safety Check
Verifying that the car is in neutral by moving the gear selector to the middle of the stickshift boot, wiggling the gear selector back and fourth and checking to see if the stickshifter moves freely and also verifying that the clutch pedal is pressed all the way to the floor, we may continue to our next step.
Step 4: Seek Out the Ignition
In order to start the vehicle, you must locate the ignition. They’re most commonly located right next to the steering column. Certain vehicles have push-to-start features, so be aware to check your owners manual if you’re not sure where your vehicles ignition is located.
Step 5: Turn the Ignition Halfway
In order to start the vehicle, you must turn the ignition to the halfway position to allow all the vehicles sensors to take their readings.
Step 6: Turn the Vehicle On
With your foot on the clutch pedal fully, your gear selector in the neutral position, you may turn the vehicles engine over and start the vehicle up.
Step 7: Disengage the Handbrake/parking Brake
In order to begin moving forwards in your manual transmission vehicle, you must disengage the handbrake. Please check your owners manual whether or not the vehicle you’re driving has an electronic handbrake or not, as these vehicles will not appear to have a handbrake. Driving with the handbrake engaged is not only dangerous, due to the heat it produces, but it is also very bad for your vehicle.
When disengaging the handbrake, ensure that you are on a level surface. If not, cover the brake pedal with your right foot whilst letting off the the handbrake/e-brake.
Step 8: Prepare Yourself for Rolling Forwards.
Now that we’ve got the vehicle started, we’re going to move onto the next steps in driving a manual. At this point in time, it would be a good idea to take a deep breath, count to ten and relax your muscles. As we will begin to attempt our first feats at driving a manual transmission.
It would be a good idea to put your seat belt on if you haven’t already and adjust your seat to the most comfortable position possible.
Step 9: Place Foot Onto Clutch Fully
In order to begin the process of moving forwards, we must depress the clutch fully. As this will be the tool we will be using in order to move the manual transmission vehicles forwards.
Step 10: Move Gear Selector Into It’s First Gear.
While the clutch is fully depressed, move the gear selector into it’s first gear. In order to do so, refer to the stick shift pattern located at the top end of the shifter itself. If you cannot find a shift pattern on your stickshift vehicle, that is okay. As the first gear in most vehicles is located to the top left portion of your gear selector.
That being said, you may move your gear selector light and then upwards. Keep in mind, certain vehicles could make this process a little tricky. This in itself is all about trial and error.
Step 11: Begin Moving Forwards.
With the clutch fully depressed and the gear selector moved into it’s first gear, you may begin the process of moving forwards.
In order to begin moving in your manual transmission vehicle, you must slowly lift the foot that is resting on the clutch pedal. The slower that you remove your foot from the pedal, the lesser the chance you will stall and higher the chance you will begin moving forwards. Keep in mind, it is completely normal to stall your first 50-100 times attempting to drive manual. Do not be afraid to stall out the motor or slam on the brakes at any time, as most modern day vehicles were designed for beginners in mind – dropping the clutch and stalling out will NOT damage your vehicle.
Step 12: You are good to go.
Learning to drive manual can be a very complicated process. there’s more than many people who have failed their first attempts at doing so. Don’t get discouraged, as many drivers who had learned how to drive a manual had not done so successfully their first to ’round. Stay persistent and you’ll be rewarded with the skills of a dying art – driving a manual