The basic principle behind driving cars with a manual shift as opposed to an automatic transmission is that the driver has direct control over which gear the car is in all the time. In an automatic car, the transmission shifts through the gears itself, as the driver simply adds gas. The more gas the driver gives, the more the engine revs; when the engine gets to a certain level, the automatic transmission shifts up to the next higher gear. To some degree the transmission also shifts down in gears, but the driver does not have much control over the situation.

This document is designed to instruct a driver who is already experienced in automatic driving in the basic techniques of driving a manual shift automobile. This is by no means a complete guide. There are varying methods to be used in driving other types of vehicles, including trucks, buses, motorcycles, etc. It is the intention of the author to provide this information as a precursor or reference for new drivers. Anybody learning these skills for the first time should seek a professional driver trainer. The author assumes absolutely no responsibility for any damage that may occur to vehicles as a result of this information. If you have any comments or suggestions, please feel free to contact the school, at css@interlog.com.

When the gearshift is in the middle position, it is considered out of gear, or in neutral (N). To make sure the gearshift is in neutral, you should be able to move it left and right along its horizontal path. If it doesn't, then it is not in neutral. To select each gear, move the lever into the appropriate position by following the paths from neutral. Usually there is a blocking mechanism preventing the gearshift from engaging reverse gear (R) from 5th. gear. The diagram shows the standard arrangement in most cars, especially American and Japanese cars. On some European cars, reverse gear is located on the left side of 1st. In these cases, look for some kind of procedure to engage reverse gear (like pushing the gearshift down towards the floor, or lifting a ring, or pushing a button).

Practice moving the gearshift from gear to gear in sequence, up and down, with the engine off and the clutch depressed, until you get a feel for it. While you do this, you will probably notice that 1st. and 3rd. gears are very close to each other and may be difficult to discern visually. Also, the shift from 4th. to 5th. gear can be tricky.

Each gear is designed to drive the car within a specific speed range. In most cars, follow these very general guidelines:
 

There are some times when you may want to shift up at higher speeds or lower speeds. For acceleration, climbing hills, or pulling heavy loads, shift LATER than normal. For fuel economy, shift EARLIER than normal. When shifting down, make sure the car's speed is within the normal range for that particular gear. For example, you wouldn't shift to 2nd. gear if your speed is 60 km/h (40 mph) or higher.

The ideal RPM's for maximum power balanced with fuel economy ranges between 1,500 and 2,500 RPM's (in most cars). Typically, when the engine hits 3,000 RPM's the driver should shift to a higher gear. The engine will be loud, and the car will feel like it wants to go faster, but something (the gear) is holding it back. When the RPM's are pulled below the idle speed (750 to 1,000 RPM's), the engine will start to shudder as if it's about to die - this is the point where the driver should shift to a lower gear. The driver should practice "feeling the engine" and hearing the engine sounds as opposed to watching the tachometer. (Keep your eyes on the road!) After a while, when to shift and what gear to shift to will become a natural exercise, derived from practical experience and a knowledge of how the engine itself feels. The car will, in many ways, tell the driver which gear it wants to be in.

The clutch pedal has two principle functions, simplified here:

1. The clutch synchronizes the movement of the gears so that they can be meshed with each other without risk of damage.
2. The clutch separates or disengages the engine from the transmission, and consequently the wheels, if the car is in gear.

1. Press and hold the foot brake, in case the car rolls.
2. Make sure the clutch is depressed. Very important! Some cars have safety switches which do not allow the engine to start unless the clutch is on the floor. If the car is in gear and the clutch is not depressed, the engine is essentially connected to the wheels. Turning on the starter with the key at this point would MOVE the car! (It would also place an unnecessary load on the starter motor, potentially damaging it.) Always start the engine with the clutch depressed.
3. Make sure the gearshift is in neutral.
4. Start the engine.
5. Once the engine starts, check the instruments. Check all the warning lights and the tachometer: the RPM's should read idle speed.
6. Make sure the gearshift is in neutral.
7. Release the clutch.
8. Release the foot brake only if the parking brake is engaged.

1. Press and hold the foot brake.
2. Make sure the clutch is depressed.
3. Move the gearshift to 1st. gear.
4. Release the parking brake (if engaged).
5. Release the foot brake. The car may roll at this point if the road is inclined. If the road surface is level, the car will remain stopped. In the beginning, practice these steps on a level surface.
6. Ease up (slowly) on the clutch pedal. At the same time, add some gas with the accelerator pedal.
7. When the clutch reaches the friction point, the car should start to move forward. At this point, you should stop any further clutch movement. You can tell the clutch has reached the friction point by feeling the car beginning to move forward. You may also feel the engine struggling slightly, especially if you have not added sufficient gas. It is very important to look up, and not down at the pedals or instruments; you need to perceive the motion of the car. Once the car has begun to move, stop bringing up the clutch.
8. Balance the clutch and gas pedals together. To move the car forward faster, add slightly more gas, and ease up slightly on the clutch. If the engine starts to struggle, press the clutch down slightly. If the car starts to bounce, depress the clutch down to the floor and begin again.
9. Once the car is rolling smoothly forward and the gear is engaged, release the clutch completely. The longer you hold the clutch at the friction point, the smoother the start will be. Don't worry about clutch wear at this point. Aim for smoothness, not speed; with practice, speed will come naturally, and wear will be minimized.
10. Rest your left foot off the clutch and on the foot rest (dead pedal). Pressing the clutch, even slightly, when you're NOT using it is very bad habit that can lead to premature clutch wear.

Some things to practice: moving the car forward with the clutch only, no gas; and finding the balance point between the clutch and the gas on an uphill road (so that the car remains in one place without the brake).

1. If the clutch is still partially depressed (as when balancing with the gas pedal), depress the clutch first, to the floor.
2. Press the brake as necessary.
3. If your foot is off the clutch, depress the clutch to the floor before the car comes to a complete stop. The engine will stall otherwise.
4. Place the gearshift into the next required gear, or neutral. Don't place the car in neutral unless the car is stopped or stopping.

Practice creeping the car at very low speeds, by using the clutch as a brake. Basically, you start moving the car with the clutch and gas as normal, but to maintain minimal speeds, depress the clutch frequently, instead of the brake. At VERY low speeds, as in parking, the clutch causes the car to coast, which (usually) slows it down. Use the brake if you need to stop the car again. Incidentally, this is the ONLY method you should use when in reverse gear. Completely releasing the clutch in reverse gear causes the car to go too fast - faster than you ever really need to go in reverse.

Which pedal should I press first, the brake or the clutch? In general when stopping, use the brake first if you're driving at higher speeds, and use the clutch first when you driving at very low speeds. The higher the gear, the sooner you'll need to clutch. For example, if you're coming off a freeway exit ramp in 5th. gear, you'll need to clutch before the car reaches 40 km/h (25 mph), otherwise the engine will stall. In the beginning, practice using both pedals in synchronization for stopping, until you get more practice gearing down. Remember that the clutch is always depressed down to the floor, whereas the brake is only pressed as much as needed. Practice separating the movement of both feet - they should operate the pedals independent of each other, but in varying combinations, i.e. clutch and gas, clutch and brake.

1. When you're ready to shift gears (i.e. you need to go faster and the car feels as if the engine is holding it back) reach for the gearshift with your right hand. Don't look at it! Practice finding the gears without looking at the gearshift. Keep your eyes on the road!
2. Depress the clutch to the floor.
3. Ease off the gas completely. The RPM's should come down. You don't need to move your foot from over the pedal, just release it.
4. Shift the gearshift to the next higher gear. Don't search for the next gear! You should already know where you need to move the gearshift before moving it. There is no need to heavy handed; a gentle movement of the lever is more accurate than a quick, forceful one.
5. Ease up on the clutch to the friction point.
6. Add gas again.
7. Release the clutch.

1. Bring the car to a speed appropriate for the new gear. For example, if you want to enter a turn in 2nd. gear and you need to shift from 3rd. gear, reduce the speed of the car with the brake to below 40 km/h (25 mph), or the appropriate speed.
2. Reach for the gearshift with your right hand. Don't look at it!
3. Depress the clutch to the floor.
4. Ease off the gas.
5. Shift the gearshift to the desired gear. You can skip gears when down-shifting (i.e. shifting from 4th. to 2nd. gears) as long as you reduce the speed of the car appropriately with the brake. Don't skip gears when shifting up - they are designed to give the car the most efficient acceleration when used in sequence.
6. Ease up on the clutch to the friction point.
7. If trying to slow down, don't add gas, but balance the clutch so that the transition is smooth. The engine will cause the car to slow down, and the RPM's will be brought up naturally.
8. If you're not trying to slow down, add some gas. An advantage of gearing down without reducing speed is an increase in power from the engine, useful when passing, climbing hills, etc. The disadvantage is a drop in fuel economy.
9. Release the clutch only after the transition is smooth.

When slowing down or stopping, should I gear down or just slip it into neutral? You should gear down when the road and traffic ahead demands a lower speed. If you're coming to a stop, like at a fresh red light, gearing down may become unnecessary - you can simply gear down to neutral and return to 1st. gear. If the possibility exists that you might not need to stop, like at a stale red light, then you should gear down to the appropriate gear for the new speed. You should avoid "coasting" in neutral; the car should always be in gear when moving. Coasting down a hill riding the brake pedal will only wear out the brakes. Use a lower gear so that the engine assists in slowing the car. At all times you should avoid gearing down to 1st. gear unless you're absolutely certain that you'll be stopping, or unless the car is rolling very, very slowly. You should also take care not to gear down to a gear that is too low for the speed. The risk is that you bring the RPM's too high, past the red line. Remember also that when gearing down to slow down, the car will slow, but unless you also use the brake, the brake lights will not light. The danger, of course, is that the car slows down but traffic behind gets no prior warning of the fact. The best method is to use a combination of braking and gearing down at the same time. When shifting to reverse gear always make sure that the car is stopped.

1. Stop and park the car. Hold the clutch on the floor and the foot brake.
2. Set the parking brake. It is very important to always leave a manual shift car with the parking brake engaged. There is no "park" in a standard gearshift. If you don't set the parking brake, there will be nothing holding the car in one place.
3. Switch off the engine.
4. Release the clutch.
5. Release the foot brake. It's important to release the foot brake last, especially if you're parking the car on a hill.
6. Leave the car in 1st. gear. If you leave the car in gear, it acts like "park" in an automatic car. The engine becomes engaged to the wheels and the car can not move. You should always use the parking brake anyway, even if you do leave the car in gear. Don't leave the car in neutral unless the road surface is level. On an incline leave the car in 1st. gear for uphills, and reverse gear for downhills. Don't leave the car in any other gear. Remember to place the car in neutral when starting the engine.

1. Keep the car rolling, unless it's important to stop. You may need to apply the brake and stop if the car is rolling back on a hill, or rolling forward into traffic, etc. You can start the engine even while the car is rolling.
2. Depress the clutch to the floor.
3. If the car is rolling, shift to neutral. In some instances, starting the engine while the car is rolling in gear may damage the starter.
4. Start the engine.
5. Check the gear for the appropriate speed. For example, 1st. gear if the car is stopped, 2nd. gear if the car is rolling, etc.
6. Ease up on the clutch as appropriate.

When turning corners, you should also avoid shifting, the principal reason being that you need two hands on the steering wheel for proper control in the turn. Shift to the appropriate gear before the turn. In some major left turns you may need to shift while steering in the latter part of the turn, otherwise the car will be in 1st. gear too long. This requires some practice.

Avoid shifting gears when going over railroad crossings. This is very important! You don't want to be in a situation where the engine is stalled on top of train tracks. Make sure the car has enough momentum to make it across the tracks, so that even if the car does stall, it will clear the crossing to the other side.

In busy traffic you may find that many gear changes are required at the low speeds. This can be very frustrating, and it is a major reason why many people prefer to drive automatic cars in urban areas. Practice the creeping technique, i.e. using the clutch as a brake at low speeds. Remember that you can also "creep" in 2nd. gear, as long as the car keeps rolling.

For example, if you're driving along a rural road at 80 km/h (50 mph) in 5th. gear, and you come upon a truck ahead of you, the best way to accelerate to pass the truck is to shift down to 4th. gear. The lower gear will give the engine higher RPM's which allows you to accelerate sufficiently to pass the truck. Once past, you would return to 5th. gear for the higher speed.
As an experiment, drive down a straight stretch of road in a high gear at a constant speed. Try pressing the gas hard to accelerate and take note of the performance of the car. Next, try it again in a lower gear at the same speed. You will find a much quicker acceleration. This technique works in all gears at all speeds. If you need to accelerate in a critical accident avoidance situation, the car will not respond unless you use the gearing down technique.

When climbing a steep hill, the engine will require more power, hence a lower gear. When accelerating up a hill, make sure that you shift later than usual, revving the engine sufficiently to compensate for the coasting that occurs every time you shift. If you coast for too long up a hill, the car will lose so much momentum that the need for the higher gear may be nullified. So make sure you shift later up the hill, and the transition should be as quick as possible.

Method One: Quick Transfer

This is the same as a normal start, except that the sequence is done quickly. As soon as the brake is released, the car will start to roll back. The clutch doesn't affect the movement of the car until the pedal is at the friction point. So the solution is to bring up the clutch as quickly as possible to the friction point, as soon as the brake is released. At the same time, the right foot needs to get to the gas pedal quickly as well. Once there, the two pedals balance each other while the car stops rolling back and begins to roll forward. When starting on a hill remember that more gas than normal is needed to climb the hill. If done correctly, the car will STILL roll back, but only minimally. This is the normal, everyday method.

Method Two: Clutch Technique

With this method, you should bring up the clutch to the friction point before you release the brake. Once there (you'll feel pressure from the engine to move the car, plus a slight drop in RPM's) you can release the brake. The car should not roll back too far; in fact, it may even roll forward a little bit. Add gas, and balance the pedals for a smooth start. The drawback to this method is the high risk of stalling, especially if you don't find the friction point accurately enough, and also unnecessary wear on the clutch.

Method Three: Parking Brake Method

This method can be used to completely eliminate rolling back. It takes a little coordination, but with practice it should allay any fears about rolling back that a new driver may have.

Basically, the idea is to replace the foot brake with the parking brake. While stopped and holding the foot brake, set the parking brake so that the car doesn't roll. Release the foot brake, apply gas, and ease up on the clutch to the friction point. You should feel the engine trying to move the car. While the parking brake keeps the car from rolling back, it also keeps the car from rolling forward. So when you feel some forward motion in the car, keep the pedals balanced and release the parking brake. The car should move forward. If the car still rolls back, it's because the parking brake was released too soon. If you don't release the parking brake, the engine may stall. Practice will improve your coordination.

Use this method when you absolutely can't afford to roll back - when there is simply no space behind you. For example, if you park your car on a steep hill and somebody else parks behind you very closely - use this method.

Method Four: Heel And Toe

This is the most difficult technique to master. It involves applying gas and brake at the same time with your right foot, while you search for the friction point on the clutch. Hold the brake with your right heel, sliding your toe to the right to apply gas. When you have the gas and clutch balanced, release your heel off the brake. If you're flexible enough you may use this method in place of the others.

The way a clutch works is through friction (hence the term "friction point"), much like a brake. The clutch consists of two metal plates, one connected and spinning with the engine, and the other connected and spinning with the wheels (through the transmission). When the pedal is raised, the plates come together, and like a brake, friction is used to transfer the rotation of one plate to the other. The car stalls when the wheels on the road overcome the power of the engine, and the wheels spin when the engine overcomes the inertia of the wheels. Just as brake pads wear out, so do clutch plates. They need occasional replacement. In a new car, a clutch should last at least 200,000 to 250,000 km (125,000 to 150,000 miles). Undue wear occurs on the clutch when the driver holds the clutch too long at the friction point. Ideally, you should only hold the clutch at the friction point as long as necessary to make the car move forward smoothly. However, new drivers tend to hold the clutch too long, in an effort to locate the friction point accurately. With time and practice, this tendency should disappear. If it doesn't, the clutch will need to be replaced prematurely.

Another source of damage is termed grinding the gears. This occurs when the driver tries to change gears without the clutch, or without the clutch fully depressed. What happens is the gears inside the transmission grind against each other, unsynchronized, causing the gear teeth to gnash violently. They may eventually break off and cause very expensive repairs.

A new manual shift driver should learn in a car that's relatively inexpensive, so that such wear and damage is less consequential. You wouldn't learn to drive a Porsche without already knowing how to handle a clutch and gears, for instance.