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Kyle Busch
Automotive ExaminerKyle is an auto enthusiast and consumer advocate with over 30 years of experience. Author of “Drive the Best for the Price…” He welcomes your comments and car questions on his website www.DriveTheBestBook.com . Kyle’s car has over 500,000 miles and he even has the same name as the #18 NASCAR driver.
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Learning to drive a gas-saving manual transmission made easy!
2 comments
by Kyle Busch, Automotive Examiner
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The shift pattern on many gas-saving vehicles
Almost anyone
can learn to
drive a standard
transmission
when they put
their mind to it,
right? Not!
However, almost
anyone can lean to
drive a standard
transmission if
they go about it
the right way (or
rather the left foot
way).
In my last article on gas-saving 2009 vehicles, a number of the gas-
saving cars had manual transmissions. Cars with such transmissions
can be fun to drive because of their better acceleration, increased driver
involvement, and fuel savings. This article will help you to quickly and
easily learn how to drive a vehicle equipped with a standard transmission.
The easiest way to learn how to drive a standard transmission is simply
by first focusing entirely on the left foot (enabling its coordination to become
equal to that of the right foot). Sounds simple, but training the good old left
foot is really the biggest part of smoothly moving down the road.
Getting started:
To get started, have someone who has a vehicle equipped with a
To get started, have someone who has a vehicle equipped with a
standard transmission drive you to a large flat vacant parking lot. Be
certain to have your friend in the passenger's seat to provide supervision
when you drive. Also, make certain that you are covered by vehicle
insurance from your policy or through the person who is letting you drive
his or her vehicle.
In the parking lot with the vehicle's engine turned off, apply your right foot
to the brake pedal, and practice getting a feel of the clutch pedal by pushing
it in and out with your left foot.
The shift pattern:
Next, view the shift pattern shown on the top of the shift knob. 1st gear is
Next, view the shift pattern shown on the top of the shift knob. 1st gear is
usually located by pushing the shift lever forward.
Then, with the clutch pedal pushed all the way in to the firewall, move the
gearshift lever through the gears (i.e., 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and reverse)
a few times. Then put the gearshift lever into neutral.
Neutral is located in the middle of the shift pattern. In simplest terms,
picture the shift pattern as an H (reverse and 5th gear are also added in).
The crossbar of the H represents neutral. When the transmission is in
neutral, you should be able to move the gearshift lever to the left and to
the right. If you need help, ask your friend who drove you to the parking lot.
So far, so good!
Getting the feel of it:
With the transmission in neutral, start the engine and then press the
With the transmission in neutral, start the engine and then press the
accelerator lightly to get the feel of the accelerator pedal.
Next, take your right foot off of the accelerator completely and let the
engine just idle. Push the clutch pedal in completely, hold it in, and
place the gearshift into 1st gear.
Now the moment of truth! Continue to keep your right foot off of the
accelerator, but very slowly let out the clutch (try to become aware of
how far you have let the clutch pedal out when the clutch just begins
to engage) until the vehicle just begins to creep forward.
This is accomplished by moving the clutch pedal in and out just a little
bit (about ½ inch) to get the vehicle to very slowly begin rolling forward.
Work on slowly letting the clutch pedal out until you can get the vehicle
to move forward at a couple miles per hour in 1st gear without touching
the accelerator. If the vehicle stalls, it is no big deal! Just push the clutch
pedal in and restart the engine.
Keeping it smooth:
Your goal is to be able to smoothly let the clutch pedal out (with no
Your goal is to be able to smoothly let the clutch pedal out (with no
accelerator) and have the vehicle move ever so slowly forward. The
purpose of this step is to allow you to focus solely on training just your
left foot for a smooth controlled clutch movement.
Concentrated training of the left foot will help you to avoid the old herky,
jerky, stall, "Here! You take the keys" routine. A routine that can be so
frustrating when you are first learning to drive a standard transmission.
Once you are comfortable not using the accelerator and letting the
clutch out smoothly, you can practice pressing the accelerator lightly
and letting out the clutch.
After you are able to drive the vehicle in 1st gear, practice releasing
the accelerator, pushing the clutch in all the way, moving the gearshift
in to 2nd gear, and letting out the clutch (shift out of 1st gear at about
15 miles per hour and 2nd gear at about 25 miles per hour). Drive in
the large vacant parking lot in 1st and 2nd gear (most slow speed
turns are achieved in 2nd gear) until you feel comfortable.
Planning your route:
When you feel comfortable and want to begin driving on public roads,
When you feel comfortable and want to begin driving on public roads,
have your friend drive you to low traffic secondary roads and accompany
you to provide supervision. The next step would involve your planning to
drive routes that will allow you skip starting and stopping on roads with
hills. With a few miles under your tires, and continued use of your left
foot, you will soon be able to hold the vehicle on a hill when starting out.
In no time at all, you will be driving like a pro and shifting into 5th gear
overdrive and saving fuel. Then, one of your friends might soon ask:
"Can you show me how to drive a standard transmission so that I can
get my kid's car out of the driveway?" You can then respond, "Well, it
all begins with the good old left foot."
Kyle Busch is the author of “Drive the Best for the Price…” He welcomes
your comments or car questions at his auto web site:
Topics: learning to drive a gas-saving manual transmission , Manual , standard transmission
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