How to Drive a Manual Transmission Vehicles

When it comes to being a car enthusiast there is not much important than the car you drive but no matter how who you are the manual transmission is a staple. A stick shift in a car is more important to a real driving experience then a great power steering rack or power steering gearbox. A manual transmission allow a car to be driven in a different way then a car that came equipped with an automatic. Manual cars can be driven with heal toe which means that the driver can hit the clutch, brakes and gas all at the same time to enable the car to be driven in a more efficient manner. Before any fancy stuff basic handling of the clutch must be known.

To drive a manual the clutch pedal is a very important part of controlling the car, the first step is to understand how to set a car moving. First the shifter has to be placed into the 1st gear position and slowly sliding the clutch pedal out to allow the cogs inside the tranny to allow the clutch to put the power of the engine to the wheels. Once the car begins to move the clutch can be released and the RPMs (rotations per min) can raise to the desired amount. Once the car is to the desired shift point the clutch can be disengaged and the shifter can now be moved to the next gear.

When driving slows the shifter can be placed in a lower gear to slow the vehicle. This can be a tricky to motor brake the car with the motor since the exact RPMs that the car needs for the lower gear must be matched. If the shift RPMs are not matched correctly the engine will jerk and cause an uncomfortable ride for the passengers. The great part about the use of engine braking is if it is done right the engine will completely cut the fuel flow and use no gas at all. In times of $4 a gallon gas this is a great way to save a few drops.