How do u drive a vehicle w/a stick?

SteveN

Your best bet is to take a couple of driving lessons. It will cost maybe $100-200 for 4-8 hours, but will save the wear and tear on your new clutch.

By the way, you should be aware that if you buy a new car with an AUTOMATIC transmission, that part on the car is covered by your warranty. However, a MANUAL transmission is controlled by you, and so the clutch assembly and manual transmission are not usually covered, as it is considered "normal wear and tear", much like brake pads. Replacing a clutch or a transmission is expensive, and may end up costing you more than the $2000 in the long run.

Driving with a manual transmission is not difficult once you get the hang of it, but if you have to drive in a lot of rush hour traffic, or live in an area that has a lot of hills, it can be a bit tiresome on the legs.

Essentially what you need to know is there are three peddles at your feet: Clutch, Brake, Gas. Usually you control the brake and gas just like a normal car (right foot) and use the left foot for the clutch.

You have to press the clutch all the way in, then starting in 1st gear, you slowly release the clutch while gradually stepping on the gas. When the clutch "catches" (or should I say starts to catch), you will press more on the gas and the car will start moving forward. When you reach a certain speed on the car (you can tell because the engine sounds like it is racing too high and the car won't be moving too fast), you need to press in the clutch again, shift into 2nd gear, then gradually release the clutch again until it catches. Repeat these steps until you reach the "comfortable cruising speed" for your area.

To slow down or stop, you can usually just brake (while holding in the clutch to prevent the car from stalling) , and then start your clutch/gas system all over again at the lower speed, or you can "downshift" by slowing down and reversing the clutch from 4th to 3rd, from 3rd to 2nd, etc.

ca_surveyor

Nope....

Driving a stick is an experience thing...

Its like if you were asked to write out instructions for riding a bicycle.

Once you learn it, however, you will never forget it and, in the long run, it is pretty easy to learn.

My suggestion: Find someone you know who owns a stick shift, buy them a dinner or lunch and, after hours go to a large parking lot and start learning. Starting and stopping are the hardest to master and the quickest to learn when there is no other street trafic. Once you learn that the rest will take about 2 or 3 hours and then a day or so of driving around.

good luck...

.

Mistress

Sheeewww...that's not the kind of thing you can learn by written instruction I don't think. Surely you know someone who can drive a stick who will teach you?

Here's a VERY short lesson to get started:

Get the car in a wide open area...with no other cars or buildings or people to worry about! A deserted parking lot is great..or your yard if it's big enough, but those first few jumpy starts might tear up some grass.

You have to push in the clutch to crank the car, so crank the car with one foot depressing the clutch and one depressing the brake and the car in 1st gear.

Let off your clutch foot slowly. At some point you will feel the car begin to "vibrate" (for lack of better term).
This is the car's "clutch point". Go ahead and go past it...your car will cut off but you need to be familiar with the feeling when you're in the clutch point and what it feels like to go past it.

Now crank the car again. Find the clutch point and take your foot off the brake. Your car will probably move forward a little on it's own with your foot off the brake. GENTLY press the gas pedal as you slowly lift off of the clutch.
It may take a few tries, don't get frustrated because that makes it hard. No one can do it the first time...

That's the hard part. Once you're rolling, the rest is easy. You can feel when the gear needs to be shifted.

You have to depress the clutch to come to a stop.

Don't put your car in a low gear if you're travelling at a high speed. When you're slowing down to make a turn, you'll need to be in 2nd gear, but slow WAY down before you put it in 2nd.

Get lots of practice before trying to take off on a hill because the inexperienced and sometimes the very experienced will roll backwards taking off on a hill.

Practice makes perfect!
Good luck!!

c_lotty2001

It can't really be explained, it has to be shown.
Find someone who can teach you - it's not difficult at all, guess it just takes som getting used to if you've never done it before.
I've never driven anything else.

Odessa R

you need someone you know personally to teach you.... find someone who's willing to let you learn on their car , its not hard !! I wouldn't have my jeep any other way !!

Matt G

Driving a stick shift car is fairly simple once you get moving. While moving all you have to do is push the cluch down, shift, then slowly remove pressure from the clutch.

Getting started is the hard part. What you will have to do is to Push the Clutch down and start it and put it in gear. Then apply a little gas and SLOWLY remove pressure from the clutch. This takes practice. Also when you stop push the clutch down and follow the start up plan again to get moving.
After about a week of 'average' driving you should have this down.

Saif

Simple, Press the left most padel of clutch and put the car in 1st gear and slowely release the clutch while increasing gas to move the vehicle. When it gains speed do the same to change the 2nd gear and so on.

ladybug

Driving a stick can not be done written down on paer like a manual you must practice, especially when it comes to hills. I you need to be under the wheel. i can tell you if you know how to drive you can learn in 20 min to an hour if you are good and can follow directions of the instructor and once you learn you will never forget and your first few months you will cut off, stop, hold up traffic ect.. it's natural but have some one take you to a open area when you can pratice, stopping, starting, getting up to 5th gear and stopping and starting on hills.

A. RMZ

O.K. I PERSONALLY SUGGEST STICK!

IM EXTREMELY HAPPY. U SAVE LOTS OF GAS(IF YOU KNOW HOW TO WORK IT) AND IT RUNS FASTER!!
--------------------------------------...
PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!!!!! WITH YOUR CLUTCH TESTED ALL ARE DIFFERENT ...PLAY WITH CLUTCH AND GAS -CLUTCH AND GAS.......
O.K. BABE AFTER YOU GET THAT DOWN ON YOUR RIGHT SIDE YOU HAVE YOUR MILE METER AND ON THE LEFT SIDE THERE IS THE TACHOMETER~VERY IMPORTANT WILL SIGNAL WHEN TO CHANGE GEARS........
1ST GEAR IS ONLY USE TO START AFTER STARING THE CAR AND AFTER A STOP. NEVER RUN IT AFTER THE 15 ON THE TACHOMETER.
2ND GEAR IS HELPFUL FOR A 30MPH AND UNDER ...~NEVER RUN AFTER 30 ON THE TACHOMETER IF YOUMUST SPEED UP CHANGE TO 3RD GEAR
ECT.ECT.ECT.
EVRYTIME U SPEED UP AND RIGHT AFTER YOU GO OVER 30 AT THE TACHOMETER CHANGE UPPER GEAR IF YOU SPEED DOWN A LITTLE SHIFT DOWN NEVER BE LESS THA 20 AT THE TACHOMETER BECAUSE IT CAN STALL .
ON HILLS: IT WILL ROLL BACK SO BE CAREFUL ALWAYS KEEP YOUR FOOT ON THE CLUTCH JUST IN CASE NEVR LET IT ROLL !!!!!....WHEN U PUT STICK IN THE MIDDLE YOU NEUTRALIZE IT ON YOUS BRAKE AT THIS POINT AND YOU USE IT WHEN YOU ARE COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP.

accomacgeo

find someone with a stick to teach you with a little practice you;ll be shifting gears in no time

fireman sam

its amazing how so few americans can actually drive a 'stick'... its called a car actually, the cars you drive are automatics

fat and lazy...

Keith

It's not a trade you can learn from reading, you just have to get in a car with someone who knows how to drive a stick.

maxinebootie

You drive a stick shift car just like one equipped with an automatic transmission. The only thing is, you will have to do the gear changes yourself. It's not hard, people have been doing it for years.

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