How to Drive a Manual Transmission
...d to get the car moving from a stopped position. Down left is second gear, used for speeds up to twenty-five miles per hour. Third gear is located upper middle of the panel, used for speeds from about twenty-five to forty miles per hour. Fourth gear is found at the lower middle and would be good for between forty and fifty miles per hour. Fifth gear is found to the far upper right, and is used for higher driving speeds such as on the freeway. Last but not least is reverse, which is to the far bottom right, used for backing up. These gears must be maneuvered the exact same way each time the automobile is driven. Undoubtedly, figuring out the timing of letting out the clutch and giving the car more gas can be the trickiest part of driving a stick shift. The clutch is found to the far left of the brake. When changing gears, the clutch must always be pushed to the floor with the left foot or immediately the car’s gears will grind. The clutch must be slowly let out as more gas is given to the car. The timing of this process must be perfect to ensure that the car will begin to slowly move forward. As for stopping, such as at a red light or a stop sign, begin by moving the gearshift to the neutral position. Then use the brake to coast to a complete stop. Downshifting is also a worthy tool to use when a light is red and then suddenly turns green as the car approaches. Downshifting is accomplished by changing gears to third or second, and in some cases even first gear, when in a higher gear such as fourth or fifth. Hence to bring the car slowly back up to the previous speed. In addition, another too...