Q&A for How to Drive Manual

As soon as possible. The first gear is really only made for starting to get moving or for driving very slow.

Press the clutch pedal down and release the accelerator pedal at the same time. Shift gears, then slowly release the clutch and press the accelerator at the same time.

No. You need to press down the clutch to move to the next gear. The clutch is meant to disengage your current gear so that you can move to the next gear.

Yes, though it occurs in one quick action. You may not notice you have moved through neutral after doing it many times, but every time you are changing gears, neutral is an inevitable pass.

While you can, it is preferable that you pass through second gear first before third.

Release the hand brake and from neutral while pressing clutch; bring the gear to the R position, then release the clutch slowly and simultaneously apply slow pressure to the accelerator to enable you to move the car back. Then proceed as usual to move forward.

It depends on the car you are trying to drive. Try starting it without pressing the clutch, and if it doesn't start, then press it.

Automatic changes the gears for you, unless you put them in "manual mode," which isn't the same as a manual transmission. Automatic also requires no clutch input from the driver. A manual transmission requires clutch input from the driver, and the driver must change the gears themselves.

When you are on a bump, press the clutch and brake, and change the gear to first or second, depending on how much you have to slow down the car.

Push the brake pedal with your right foot and the clutch pedal with your left foot simultaneously, and eventually the car will come to a complete stop.

Push the brake pedal when you feel the car start to shake. Then put your foot on the clutch and move the gear shifter to neutral, to prevent stalling.

Yes, this guide still applies to new cars made with a manual transmission.

Yes, if you're in first gear and slowly release the clutch without using the gas, the car will move, although very slowly. This also works in other gears.

If you ride the clutch heavily, you can, but this puts excessive wear on the clutch so don't actually try it.

Instead of participating in stop and go traffic, consider leaving your car in first gear and allowing it to creep at a steady pace. Resist the urge to slam on the accelerator as soon as the guy ahead of you starts moving, as you'll just have to brake again anyway.

You'll need to change to a lower gear when you're slowing from a higher speed to a lower speed, such as for a speed bump or a roundabout. For example: Suppose you're going 60mph in fourth gear and want to slow down to 30mph for some reason. For that, depress the clutch, slowly apply the brakes, and according to speed, lower your gear from fourth to second.

This is much easier if you have features like four wheel drive (slippery ground, moderate vertical slopes) or 4LO (steep slopes). Off-road clutch operation can take practice, so travel with someone experienced if you can.

Unless the handbrake is applied, the car can roll forward or backward if it's not on a perfectly flat surface or it's pushed or pulled in neutral.

You don't need to go through all the gears when slowing. This is a technique known as engine braking. It reduces load on the brakes when done correctly and in safe conditions. However, you can just shift from third to first if you are traveling slow enough.

Depress the clutch while braking if you are slowing enough to drop gears. Err on the side of using the clutch as a beginner, until you get the hang of it. Ignore the clutch in an emergency braking situation.

L stands for low gear, useful for hills or snowy conditions. B is the Prius term for engine braking, but you do not need to use it in most conditions.

Usually you should use the 2nd gear for turning. If the turn is really tight, you might need to use the 1st gear instead.

Depress the brake pedal first, and at the same time, depress the clutch pedal to the floor. Then start the car.

Higher gears allow the wheels to go faster while requiring less work from the engine. If you want to be fuel efficient and keep your engine in good shape, try to be in the highest gear possible, revving as low as possible WITHOUT lugging. Lugging is when the car begins to shake and feel very sluggish -- this is not good for the car. Shift to a lower gear if you begin to lug.

Hit the brake pedal, and when you are at the speed you would normally change into second gear, press the clutch and continue braking until you're stopped.

The clutch separates the transmission from the engine so you can safely change the gear without damaging the transmission.

Nothing will happen unless you let the clutch out. If you just move the shifter, it will probably make a lot of noise.

RPM stands for (tire) Revolutions Per Minute. Engines have an optimal RPM for peak acceleration.

Depending on the situation, yes, but sometimes it's not good to be as high of a gear as possible.

The brake. This way, your engine can help a bit with decelerating. You use your clutch if the engine rpm gets too low or if you want to stop completely.