How to Drive a Manual Car - Stick shift

In this video I will demonstrate how to drive a manual car. We're going to start with some terminology that you may not be familiar with, starting with the gearshift. The gearshift is a lever used in a manual car to select the gears for the transmission of power. There are many different types of gears depending on the car, and I will be demonstrating the gears shown in the red box. 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 half way into the gear you will hear a very unpleasant sound and I would try to avoid this. The clutch is the pedal on the left, the brake is in the middle, and the gas is on the right. Use your left foot on the clutch and your right foot for the brake and gas just like you would in an automatic. The tachometer shows the working speed of an engine in RPMs. They assist the driver in selecting the appropriate gear. A general rule of thumb is when your RPM reaches about 2500 to 3000 while the cars in motion, it's time to shift to the next gear. Familiarize yourself with the gear layout of your car. You may want to practice shifting through the gears with the engine off. Starting on level ground, press your left foot all the way down on the clutch, your right foot is on the brake, and make sure your gearshift is in the neutral position. Which is the middle position that feels free when moved side to side. Turn the key to start the car. Once the car is on, with your left foot still on the clutch shift to the first gear. To start moving, let up on the clutch while pushing down on the gas. Balance the light downward pressure on the gas with slowly releasing pressure on the clutch pedal. You would probably have to do this several times to find the right combination of up and down pressure. Releasing the clutch too quickly will result in your engine to stall. Once you are moving keep slowly pushing the gas pedal. When your engine reaches approximately 3,000 RPMs push the clutch pedal down again and move into second gear Note that the actual RPMs at which shifting is required will vary by the car you are driving. Shifting gears in motion is the same as shifting into first from a stationary position. It's all about listening, looking, and feeling for the engines cues and getting the up and down timing of your feet on the pedals correct. Practice is key. To stop, shift down gradually until you reach first gear. When it's time to come to a complete stop move your right foot from the accelerator to the brake and press down as much as required. Continue practicing these steps until you can smoothly accelerate, move through the gears, and stop. When you feel confident keep testing your higher gears and faster speeds. You'll be a master of the manual vehicle in no time.