Today I'm going to show you how to drive a manual car. We'll have a look at how to move off,
stop, how to change gear and when, plus clutch control and hill starts. Let's get started by
looking at how to get the car moving off and how to stop. So we've got three pedals. This one is
the accelerator. Your instructor will probably call this the gas pedal as it's easier and quicker
to say. Use your right foot for this one. The foot brake is in the middle, again use your right foot.
You can position your right foot between these two pedals and pivot on your heel
so you can find the pedals quickly and as they're sensitive making sure you're not stamping on them.
The clutch pedal is on the left. Use your left foot for this one. You should be able
to press the clutch all the way down without stretching but you also don't want to be too
cramped up to it. Let me demonstrate how and when to use these controls to get the
car moving off and stopping. Before starting the car, for safety, make sure the car is in neutral.
You can check by moving the gear lever left or right. It should feel springy. If it's in
gear then it won't move much side to side. We'll talk more about the gears a bit later.
Also, make sure the parking brake is on. It should be up rather than down.
To start the car, hold the clutch all the way down to the floor and in this modern car I'll
just press the start button. If I didn't press the clutch, this modern car wouldn't start.
If you're driving a car with a key then turn it just one click until these dashboard warning
lights come on. The ignition is now on, which basically means the electrics are now working.
Press the clutch down to the floor, turn the key and hold it until the car starts then let go of
the key. You can also release the clutch now. This warning light means that the parking brake is on,
which at the moment is a good thing as I don't want the car to possibly start rolling away.
To move off, I'll press the clutch fully down and select first gear.
To select first, I need to follow this diagram on top of the gear lever.
The letter R is for reverse gear and it can be in a different place depending on the car.
I have to lift a metal collar to select reverse so I won't be able to put it in reverse by accident.
Memorise this diagram in your car and remember where the gears are because when you're driving,
looking down at it will be distracting. At the moment it's in neutral which means it's
not in any gear. This point here is neutral. To select first gear, I need to push it to the
left and then forward to first. Having your palm facing to the left will make it easier.
Now I need to set the gas. This is a sensitive pedal and you only need to
press it slightly about the thickness of a pound coin to get the revs between one
and one and a half, but you don't need to be precise.
Then hold your foot still. You might overdo it at first but you will get used to it.
You would need to give it a bit more gas if you was moving off uphill or no gas if you're moving
off downhill. With practice, you'll get used to the sound of the engine, which means that
you won't have to look at the rev counter. Now I need to raise the clutch to the biting point.
Slowly bring the clutch up until you feel the back of the car dip slightly,
the front raises slightly too and the engine sound changes. Now keep your
feet still. This is the car wanting to go forward and the only thing holding it back
is the parking brake. I'll press the clutch back down and find the biting point again.
I'll do it again.
The first part of raising the clutch doesn't do anything
but then you'll feel the back of the car dip a little.
If I raise the clutch too high then the car really wants to go a bit too much and it can
overpower the parking brake, move off quickly or stall. You only want to feel the back of the car
dip a little. Lower the clutch down slightly if it does try and move off too much or push
the clutch all the way down and start again for the practice. Once you've found the biting point
you can rest the heel of your foot on the floor as it can help you have more control.
Now I need to make sure it's safe to move off by checking all the
mirrors and the blind spot over my right shoulder. Signal if it would
benefit anyone and there's someone behind in a parked car so I'll signal for them.
Keeping my feet still is really important. I've got the gas set and biting point. Double checking
the mirrors and blind spot. Still safe, so I just need to release the parking brake. You won't be
able to release it just by pressing the button. Instead, pull the parking brake up slightly and
press the button at the same time. Fully lower the parking brake down, then let go of the button.
It's important to keep your feet still for about three seconds as the car begins to move, until
you're moving faster than a walking pace and then slowly raise the clutch with a little more gas.
If you release the clutch too soon then it could stall. Now you can release the gas pedal to slow
down or press it slightly to increase speed. The gas pedal is so sensitive. Now the car
will continue to go even if you don't press the gas, it will just move very slowly in first gear.
I'm now going to pull up on the left in a safe, convenient and legal place without stalling. I'll
check the interior and left mirror, signal if it benefits anyone. I'm off the gas pedal and
my feet are ready with the brake and clutch. Now I'll press the clutch and gently brake to stop.
Keeping both feet on the brake and clutch, parking brake on by pressing the button, pulling it up
and then releasing the button. The parking brake should hold the car and prevent it from rolling
away. Select neutral by moving the gear lever down slightly so it springs to this central position.
You can check it's in neutral by moving the gear lever left and right and it should move freely.
If you don't select neutral and release the clutch then the car will jerk forward and stall.
Now you can release the pedals and cancel the signal if it's been on and that's how
you move off and stop in a manual car. We're now going to have a look at how to
change gear and a bit later I'll show you when to change gear. Off gas, clutch down,
change gear, clutch up gently all the way and back on the gas pedal. At the moment the gear
lever is in neutral. It's just below third and above fourth. If I move it left or right the
gear lever springs back to neutral. This will be important to remember when changing gear.
It's well worth practising while you're stationary and the engine is off to get used
to where each gear is. After a bit of practice, try changing gear without looking down at it.
Let's go through all the gears. Neutral to first. Palm facing away from you, push left and forward.
When you change from first to second have slight
pressure to the left on the gear lever to prevent it from going into fourth.
Don't forget the spring is trying to move it back to neutral
which you don't want right now. Having your palm facing to the left will make it easier.
Second to third. Palm facing to the right, push the gear lever forward slightly, let it spring to
neutral and then forward to third. Don't grip the gear lever too tightly. Push forward, gently allow
it to spring to neutral and then forward to third. Your hand position makes it easier to change gear.
Straight back for fourth. Push forward slightly to neutral to the right and forward to fifth gear.
To change to sixth, have slight pressure to the right as you move it back to the right.
Changing down to fifth, slight pressure to the right and forward to fifth. Back slightly,
let it spring to neutral and straight back to forth. Push straight forward for third. To make
the next gear change easier, position your hand so that your palm is facing left away from you,
have slight pressure to the left as you move it back a little to neutral, then left and back for
second. Push to the left and forward for first. Push back slightly to let it spring to neutral.
Now you know how to change gear, let's have a look at when to change gear. When to change
gear can vary depending on the car, whether you're driving up or downhill or a flat road
and also how much weight is in your car. As a general rule, when your car increases speed
you'll also have to change up through the gears as you can only get so much speed out of each gear.
It's not precise, but depending on how fast you want to accelerate, in this car on a flat
road you change up to second gear roughly at about 10 miles per hour. Again, depending on
how fast you want to accelerate, change up to third gear at about 20 miles per hour.
But don't forget it's not precise and it's best to get used to the sound of the engine
rather than looking at the dials. When the engine gets louder and sounds like
it's working a bit too hard, change gear. The louder it gets, the more fuel it uses.
The lower gears provide the most pulling power,
so if you're joining a fast, busy road or a motorway for example and need more
acceleration then you'll probably change gear later at slightly faster speeds.
But don't accelerate for too long or too harshly or you could lose control,
use more fuel and it could be bad for your engine. When driving up steep hills,
you should build up momentum and change up gear at a higher speed than you would on a flat road.
If you don't, then gravity will slow the car down quickly and make it struggle.
You'd normally move off in first gear as it provides the most pulling power,
also for speeds below 10 miles per hour and driving up or down very steep hills.
It's easier to manoeuvre the car in low gears at slow speeds.
But you can't drive very fast in first. Whereas sixth gear provides
the fastest speeds but the least pulling power.
Try moving off in a high gear and the car will stall and you'll have to restart the engine.
You'd normally change to a lower gear after you've slowed down.
As a rough guide, if you've reduced your speed below 20 miles per hour you will need second and
if you've slowed down to a walking speed you'll need first. But never force the gear lever.
You'll also have to change to a lower gear if you need more power from the engine.
For example, if you're driving up a steep hill and the car isn't responding to you pressing the gas,
making a low rumbling sound then change down.
You can also change to a lower gear if you need extra acceleration to overtake safely.
Driving in low gears when going down steep hills keeps the car slower and
you don't have to brake as much than if you were in a higher gear. This is called engine
braking. I'll change up to third and you can see how much it increases the speed.
There's certain situations where you can block gear change, which is basically skipping gears.
You don't have to change third to second to first but change straight to first.
For example, you can slow down in third gear below 10 miles per hour and change straight
to first gear. Slow down to the speed you need, then change to an appropriate gear.
You can stop in any gear but remember to move off in first.
To help you, let's move off again and I'll talk you through some gear changes. So clutch down,
select first, set the gas, find the biting point, feet still,
check mirrors, blind spot, check over my right shoulder, signal if necessary, parking brake down,
feet still for a couple of seconds, cancel the signal, slowly raise the clutch with a
bit more gas. Already at this speed the car wants second gear, it even tells me on the dashboard.
To change gear, off gas, clutch down, change to second gear, clutch up gently all the way
and back on the gas pedal. As I build up speed, the engine starts to get noisy again
and it sounds like it's working too hard so I'll have to change up to third gear.
Off gas, clutch down, change to third, clutch up gently and back on the gas pedal. Pulling up on
the left. Check mirrors, signal if anyone would benefit, off gas, light braking then clutch down.
Feet still. Parking brake on, neutral, come off the pedals and cancel the signal. To change from
third to neutral, just move the gear lever back slightly, but don't move it too hard or you'll
select fourth. On your first driving lessons you might feel that you always have to press a pedal
when you're driving or maybe the car will stall. Well let's try it out and not press any pedals.
A modern car will carry on going even if you don't press the gas. In this car,
in third gear, the speed drops to about 15 miles per hour and stays there.
I'll change down to second.
In second, it stays at about 9 miles per hour without me pressing anything.
Let's try first gear.
In first gear it slows down to about 5 miles per hour. Now if I try and drive slower,
the car starts to judder and now it's about to stall.
To drive slower than 5 miles per hour I'll have to press the clutch down.
To creep forward, a little gas and raise the clutch to the biting point.
Lower the clutch about the thickness of a pound coin to slow down or raise it slightly to increase
the speed. This is clutch control. Raise the clutch all the way with gas to speed up more.
You'll be using clutch control anytime you want to drive roughly between nought to five
miles per hour. For example in slow-moving, stop-start traffic. Creeping out of junctions.
When you're slowly manoeuvring the car.
At the moment the clutch is controlling the speed and the gas helps the car not stall. When
you want to drive faster than 5 miles per hour, a little more gas and slowly raise the clutch.
Sooner or later you're going to come across some hills. Big ones and smaller ones like this.
The car can roll back if you're too slow setting the gas and finding the biting point.
The easiest way to deal with an uphill start is applying the parking brake
and then setting the gas and finding the biting point.
Without the gas the car could stall and without the biting point then you'll probably roll back.
When you get more confident, you'll be able to set
the gas and find the biting point quickly before the car rolls back.
Although I'd always recommend using the parking brake when moving off on
a steep uphill as you can then set the gas and find the biting
point and there's definitely less chance of stalling or rolling back.
You will need to set the gas a little more when moving off on an uphill so that the
car doesn't stall. Revs up to about two on this steep hill. When you get
the biting point the revs try and drop down so give it a bit more gas as you move away.
But using the parking brake doesn't have to delay you.
Moving
off downhill is a bit simpler. No gas or biting point needed as gravity will make the car move,
unless you want to move off a bit faster. You could move off in second gear depending on how
steep it is. Foot brake ready in case it moves off a bit too quick. Make sure it's safe, signal
if necessary, release the parking brake, gradually bring the clutch up and a little gas if necessary.
Learn how to change gears smoothly by watching this video next. Thanks
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