Ask a Question
or
Create a Poll
  1. Home /
  2. Questions /
  3. Autos & Motorcycles
  4. / Driving Your Car, Truck Or Motorcycle
  5. / Driving Your Car, Truck Or Motorcycle Information
  6. / More Driving Your Car, Truck Or Motorcycle

by Smurphy on March 22nd, 2007

Smurphy

Question

Help answer this question below.

What's the best way to learn how to drive a manual after you already know how to drive an automatic?

  • Like
  • Report
Share:
Other

Answers. 10 helpful answers below.

  • by bagicide stayed 10 months too long on April 15th, 2010

    bagicide stayed 10 months too long

    My mother tried to learn to drive a stick shift for decades, from the time she was a teen until she finally mastered it at 45. I was the one who finally successfully taught her to use a clutch and she never drove an automatic again for the rest of her life.

    What finally overcame her difficulties was learning what the parts of a clutch were and how they worked. As long as she was unable to visualize what was happening inside the clutch, she was flying blind and couldn't understand what she was supposed to be doing to make it work right. Once I took a couple of butter tub lids and an emery board and showed her what pressure plates look like and how they work, then she understood the difference between riding the clutch and using the clutch and she mastered it very quickly. So I highly recommend having at least a basic idea of how the clutch works and what you are supposed to be doing to make it work right.

    http://auto.howstuffworks.com/clutch.htm

    Once you can visualize what you are supposed to be doing, take the car out in an empty parking lot, preferably with a slight hill, and just practice getting the car rolling over and over and over. Start on a slight downhill slope and master getting it rolling with gravity to help you. When you've mastered that, try it on the level until you've mastered getting it rolling without gravity to help you. Then move onto doing it on an uphill slope with gravity against you. Keep practicing until you can do it even on a steep uphill slope without popping the clutch and stalling it, or rolling backwards. Work to get a "joint memory" of where the clutch engages and the car actually starts moving. When you get that, your clutch motion will be a quick, smooth upward motion until you hit the point of engagement, a brief pause while the car gets moving, and then release the rest of the way and take your foot off the clutch. Never leave your foot on the clutch any longer than it takes to get the car rolling and never drive with your foot resting on the clutch pedal. Either one causes unnecessary wear of the pressure plates and will lead to premature failure. You don't want to do that. You can't replace the pressure plates without pulling either the engine or the transmission in most cars, and that is very expensive. Not only that, but you can wear out the throw out bearing as well.

    Many, many years ago, my grandfather owned a Hertz rental franchise. He kept a rogue's gallery on his office wall of dumb things people had done to his trucks. There was the usual assortment of people who'd tried to take a 13 foot truck under an 11 foot drive thru, but in the middle was the picture of a brand new truck with a huge hole in the back corner of the cab on the passenger's side. He'd rented the truck, its first time out, to someone moving from Pennsylvania to Richmond, VA. The man rode the clutch pedal the whole way. As he was pulling into the Hertz franchise in Richmond, the truck gave out a huge bang. The throw out bearing went rocketing through the bell housing, the firewall, the passenger's side dash, the passenger's seat and out through the back corner of the cab, tearing a huge hole through everything it passed through. It was a very lucky thing there was no passenger, or they'd have been killed instantly. It was equally lucky for the driver that it went through the passenger's side of the bell housing, and not the driver's side. Never, never ride the clutch.

    When you've got up shifting managed, then you can work on down shifting, which is much easier and quicker to learn. You can master that in a few hours. Learning to down shift saves gas, saves brakes and makes a car much more controllable on slick surfaces where braking can cause you to lock up and slide.

    • Like
    • Report

    No comments. Post one | Permalink

  • by Marky Mark on April 14th, 2010

    Marky Mark

    Like I did. Your older brother shouting at you while driving a VW Beetle - the car with the worst, most brutal stick shift, clutch and steering ever. After that everything's easy.

    • Like
    • Report

    7 comments | Post one | Permalink

  • by call me Kat on April 14th, 2010

    call me Kat

    My father-in-law handed me the keys to the truck, pointed me toward the pasture, and told me to go learn to drive a stick. Took me all day, but I figured it out.

    • Like
    • Report

    No comments. Post one | Permalink

  • by Mister_Bromyde on April 14th, 2010

    Mister_Bromyde

    Take your friend's car and mess it up learning. Then never answer their messages.

    • Like
    • Report

    No comments. Post one | Permalink

  • by 4down2 on April 14th, 2010

    4down2

    grandfather or a member of the family !

    • Like
    • Report

    No comments. Post one | Permalink

  • by arianabrianna on April 14th, 2010

    arianabrianna

    i think you should get lessons from a qualified driving instructor

    • Like
    • Report

    No comments. Post one | Permalink

  • by audiogal on March 22nd, 2007

    audiogal

    Just have someone who knows how to drive a stick supervise from the passenger seat. It really is more of a physical skill vs. mental, you have to learn by trial and error (so don't use a really nice car!)

    • Like
    • Report

    2 comments | Post one | Permalink

  • by EL1 2 on March 22nd, 2007

    EL1 2

    Practice. Get really good at first gear before you move on to second. You should be able to start it just as smoothly as an automatic car. Also, make sure to also practice down-shifting. It can seem easier, but, in my opinion, is actually harder as the engine suddenly speeds up.

    • Like
    • Report

    No comments. Post one | Permalink

  • by TM50caliber on April 15th, 2010

    TM50caliber

    find someone with a 5speed who you know and ask them to teach you (be prepared to pay them like 20 bucks for their time)...
    ...
    one way to simply learn is to know how gear ratios work-
    -most people know it, but if not, ride a bike; learn how shifting make is easier to ride up and down hills and accelerate
    .
    Get in the habit of driving left handed, and resting your right hand on your knee, as you will need to be able to steer while you shift using your right.
    .
    before you try to drive the stick shift car make sure that you know the positions of the gears and are able to shift into any gear without hesitating or looking down at the 1-2-3-4-5-R
    .
    WHEN IN DOUBT, Push down the clutch!!! avoid the first mistake most people make when i teach them to drive stick- the first time they try to slowly let up the clutch the engine strains and they panic- and let up the clutch! ca chug ca chug dug du du du doooo ...silence... (nice sound effects :) )
    .
    ALSO- when you have the basics learned, practice being stopped on a hill (upwards) and become proficient in making a fast, smooth, and natural transition from brakes to slipping clutch
    .
    after you learn to drive stick you will never think of driving the same again!!!
    btw, i drive a 96 honda accord lx 5sp 4cyl...
    like 'marky mark' says,
    if you want to sprint before you crawl learn to drive an old old old rusty slippy clutch VW bug RWD!!
    best of luck and be safe! buckle up

    No comments. Post one | Permalink

  • by dollface1122 on April 14th, 2010

    dollface1122

    I tried on a mustang and a Ford ranger... never could get the knack... i learned on a tractor.... so easy

    No comments. Post one | Permalink

Want to attach an image to your answer? Click here.

Did this answer your question? If not, then ask a new question or create a poll.

More Questions. Additional questions in this category.

You're reading What's the best way to learn how to drive a manual after you already know how to drive an automatic? - which can also be phrased in the following ways:

  • What's the best way to learn how to drive a stick-shift car?

Follow us on Facebook!

Related Ads

Related Questions

Professionally Researched

ANSWERBAG BUZZ

How to drive a manual
Fastest way to learn manual
Best way to learn a manual
Easiest way to learn manual
The best way to learn to drive

Answerbag

a Demand Media company