Proper technique to driving a manual transmission
before driving a stick shift, one must know how the system works and the different parts and types of transmissions.
How a Manual Transmission works:
Common shifting pattern: H -pattern
How a Manual Transmission works:
- The flywheel is attached to the engine and the clutch disk is in between the pressure plate and the flywheel.
- When running, the clutch disk spins with the flywheel. As the clutch pedal is depressed, the throw out bearing is pushed in, which makes the pressure plate stop applying pressure to the clutch disk. This makes it stop receiving power from the engine so that the gear can be shifted without damaging the transmission.
- When the clutch pedal is released, the clutch disk is allowed to start receiving power from the engine.
Common shifting pattern: H -pattern
Steps to Driving a Stick:
Brief explanation to driving a stick:
- Push clutch in and move shift knob side to side confirming that the vehicle is in neutral. (when in gear, shift knob will move very little side to side.)
- holding In the clutch, turn key to start vehicle.
- Move shifter into first gear position.
- when letting out the clutch the rpm gauge will begin to drop, signaling that the gas pedal needs to be pressed slightly to keep from stalling out.
- as the clutch is let out more, more gas will be needed and soon enough the vehicle will begin to take off.
- Making sure the clutch is completely out, continue driving until the Rpm gauge reads between 2500-3000 Rpm.
- then letting off gas and pressing the clutch in , shift into the second gear position.
- once into second, let out clutch and press gas until the truck reaches the next shift point. (2500-3000 rpm)
- Continue to do this until into the final gear.
- When having to slow down, release the gas pedal, press in clutch and downshift. the gas pedal does not need to be pressed since it will cause the engine to rev really high. (a downshift should occur when the vehicle seems to be bogging down or the engine sounds like its clunking.)
- Continue to do this until into a gear that makes the engine sound like it is not revving to high or bogging down.
- When at a complete stop, be sure to hold the clutch so the vehicle does not clunk out, causing a restart.
Brief explanation to driving a stick:
- Clutch in, shift, clutch out, gas
- repeat