Driving a manual transmission car, which is also sometimes called a stick shift or “standard” transmission, might sound a little tricky if you’re been driving an automatic vehicle, but if you get the hang of it and practice regularly, you will be able to drive it with ease. CarSwitch.com, an online marketplace that can help you buy any car in Dubai, has prepared this guide to help you do so.
Before we delve into the process, there are a few things you need to know. manual vehicles consist of three pedals, arranged from left to right – clutch, brake, and accelerator (remember it as C-B-A). The accelerator is used to speed up the car. The firmer your press, the more boost it will get. The brake is used to slow down the car, and as with the brake, the firmer you press it, the quicker your car will lose speed and stop eventually. The clutch is something you may not be familiar with if you’ve been driving an automatic transmission car. When you press it, you disconnect the engine from the wheels. It plays a crucial part in regulating the speed of the car. Before you switch gears, you must depress the clutch.
Here are some tips that can help you drive a manual car.
1. First, get in the vehicle and put on your seatbelt. When you are a beginner, it’s a good idea to start on level ground. You might also want to roll down the windows as this would allow you to hear the sound of the engine revving and respond accordingly. Adjust the seat position so you wouldn’t have any difficulty accessing the clutch pedal’s full range of motion.
2. Make sure the gear stick is in neutral or the middle position. Before moving the gear stick, depress the clutch pedal, or it wouldn’t budge.
3. Insert the key in the ignition and turn it to make the engine start.
4. Remove your foot from the clutch pedal and then release the handbrake. Put the clutch pedal down and then move the gear stick into first gear.
5. Let up on the clutch slowly while pressing down on the accelerator gently. You might have to practice this several times to discover the accurate combination of up and down pressure.
6. Increase the revs while raising your foot off the clutch slowly until the car is moving forward with only the accelerator pedal. You should expect to stall a few times when you are starting out.
7. When your RPM reaches around 2500 to 3000, shift to the second gear. Depress the clutch pedal and then move the gear stick.
8. Slowly push down on the accelerator as you release the clutch pedal. When you are in gear and on the accelerator, remove your foot from the clutch pedal completely instead of resting your foot on it.
9. When you want to stop the car from any gear, slow down, press the clutch pedal, move the gear stick into neutral, and use the brake pedal to completely stop the car.
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