Want to drive a stick shift car? Then this article is for you! Below is a simple step-by-step guide on how to start driving a manual car.

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Get into the car while it’s on level ground and with the engine turned off. Fasten your seatbelt once you’re sitting comfortably.

Consider rolling down your window while learning as hearing engine sounds can clue you into shifting gears.

There are 3 pedals in a manual car, which from left to right are: the clutch, the brake, and the accelerator.

The brake and accelerator are pretty straightforward to figure out, but the clutch is the key to this whole process. This unfamiliar pedal is what separates driving a manual from driving an automatic.

So what does the clutch do? To put it simply, it’s responsible for disengaging the motor from the wheels. This way, the driver gets to change gears without individually grinding the teeth of each one.

As such, you must push or depress the clutch before you switch gears, whether moving higher or lower. You need to have complete, uninterrupted access to the clutch while driving a manual car, so be sure to adjust the position of your seat where you can fully press the clutch to the car’s floor using your left leg.

Push the clutch pedal to the floor and keep it down there. Note how the moving of the clutch feels different from the gas and brake.

While you’re at it, try releasing the clutch slowly and steadily. Using your left foot may feel awkward, but this is what practice is for.

Sliding into neutral means moving the gear stick into a position in the middle where it freely shifts from side to side. When the gearstick is in neutral and/or you’re fully pushing the clutch, the car is said to be out of gear.

Note that if you try to move the gear stick without the clutch being pushed, it just won't happen.

Once you have the gear stick in neutral, make sure the handbrake is engaged then use the ignition key to start the engine. Keep in mind that some cars allow firing the engine in neutral without pressing the clutch, but some newer vehicles don’t.

With the car in neutral still, take your foot off of the clutch. You’ll stay not moving if the car is on level ground.

Step 1: Understanding the Basics

1. Disengage the handbrake and move into 1st gear

Once you’re ready to drive, push the clutch to the floor then shift the stick into 1st gear. If not indicated on the gearstick, it’s usually in the upper-left corner.

Since the gear patterns of different cars can vary, take a moment to study the pattern of your car and practice shifting through it beforehand.

Working the clutch and the accelerator to move forward in 1st gear requires a series of movements as follows:

Gradually remove your foot from the clutch until you hear a drop in the speed of the engine, also known as the friction point. To start or keep moving, this is also the point where you should press the gas enough to supply power.

When the drop happens while lifting your left foot from the clutch, press down lightly on the accelerator using your right foot. Your goal now is to balance the downward pressure on the right with the releasing pressure on the left.

Fully, but still, slowly let go of the clutch once the car begins moving forward steadily in first gear. If you remove your foot from the clutch too early, the engine will stall.

In this case, push the clutch all the way down, engage the handbrake, move the stick back to neutral, turn off the engine, and restart the vehicle as usual without panicking. If the engine didn’t yet stall but sounds like it’s going to, simply keep the clutch at its position or press it further down slightly.

Avoid revving the motor while the clutch is halfway between fully down and fully up -also known as riding the clutch= because it’ll cause premature wearing out of the clutch components.

Step 2: Getting into 1st Gear and Moving Forward

1. Determine when it’s time to shift up 

This time should be when your engine reaches around 2500 to 3000 RPM while in motion. The specific RPM for shifting up isn’t the same in every car, but you have to learn to recognize the noise of your motor starting to speed up.

Press down on the clutch to disengage it.

Move the stick from the first gear down to the second gear, usually at the bottom-left corner. If your car has a shift light or some other tachometer indication, shift only when it urges you to, not earlier than that.

While lifting your left foot from the clutch, press down lightly on the accelerator using your right foot. Your goal now is the same as the previous step; to balance the downward pressure on the right with the releasing pressure on the left. The more you practice, the easier this will come to you.

Completely take your foot off of the clutch once the car is in gear and your foot is fully on the accelerator. Don’t rest your left foot on the clutch to avoid wearing it out due to unnecessary pressure. 

Note that if you’re driving too slow for your current gear, the engine will shudder like it’s going to stall. To avoid this scenario, shift into a lower gear by following the same sequence of pressing the clutch and releasing the gas, shifting gears, then releasing the clutch and pushing the gas clutch.

Step 3: Shifting Up to Higher Gears While Moving

To completely stop the car in a controlled way, you should gradually shift down until the 1st gear then remove your right foot from the gas clutch and press down on the brake as much as necessary.

As the car slows down, push the clutch all the way down, shift the stick to the neutral position, then stop completely using the brake.

Step 4: Stopping the Car

There you have it, a simple step-by-step guide on how to start driving a manual car. Remember, it’s normal to feel that this process is challenging at first. But the more you practice, the sooner you’ll get the hang of it.

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How To Start Driving A Manual Car

Step 1: Understanding the Basics

Step 2: Getting into 1st Gear and Moving Forward

Step 3: Shifting Up to Higher Gears While Moving

Step 4: Stopping the Car

Conclusion