The shifter - The shifter is located directly above the transmission, typically in the center of the vehicle, between the driver and the passenger seat. You will operate the shifter with your hand to change and select the desired gear in the transmission. You will use the shifter to select Reverse, Neutral, 1st gear, 2nd gear, 3rd gear, and so on The clutch pedal - The clutch pedal is located directly to the left of the brake pedal. To be operated with your left foot. The clutch pedal operates the clutch mechanism which connects the vehicle’s engine to its transmission. If the clutch pedal is in the up position (toward the driver) then the transmission is connected to the engine and the vehicle will be propelled by the engine if placed in a forward or reverse gear. If the clutch pedal is in the down position (toward the floorboard) then the engine and the transmission will not be connected and the vehicle will not receive power from the engine. The parking brake/handbrake - The parking brake is typically operated by hand and located in the center console, though sometimes may be located near the floor to be operated by the foot. The parking brake is NOT to be confused with the brake pedal. The parking brake is what keeps the vehicle from rolling while placed in neutral if the brake pedal is not depressed. The parking brake is what will be used to keep the vehicle stationary while the ignition is off and the vehicle is parked.
The pedal on the left is the clutch, the middle one is the brake, and the accelerator is on the right (remember it, from left to right, as C-B-A). This layout is the same for both left-hand drive and right-hand drive vehicles.
The clutch disengages the engine from the wheels. When one or both are spinning, the clutch allows you to switch gears without grinding the teeth of each separate gear. Before you change gears (either to move up or down), the clutch must be depressed (pushed).
If you’ve only ever driven automatic cars, it might feel awkward to use your left foot to push a pedal. With practice, you’ll get used to using both feet in concert.
The gearstick is in the neutral position, and/or The clutch pedal is fully depressed. Don’t try to use the gearstick without having the clutch pedal depressed, because it simply won’t work.
Some cars will start up in neutral without the clutch depressed, but some newer cars will not.
Gear patterns can vary, so take some time beforehand to study your car’s gear layout. You may want to practice shifting through the various gears with the engine switched off (and the clutch engaged).
When you’re shifting gears to start or keep moving, this is the point at which you’ll want to have the accelerator depressed enough to provide power.
Another way of doing it; is to release the clutch until the point the engine revs down a little, and then applying pressure on the accelerator as the clutch engages. At this point the car will start to move. It is best to have the engine rev just enough to prevent stalling as the clutch pedal is let up. This process may be a little difficult at first because you are new to the extra pedal in a manual car. Release the clutch fully (that is, slowly remove your foot from the pedal) once you start moving forward under control in first gear.
Revving the engine while the clutch is between fully up and fully depressed will wear out the clutch parts prematurely, resulting in slippage or smoking of the clutch parts at the transmission. This is called riding the clutch and should be avoided.
Depress the clutch pedal until it disengages and guide the gearstick straight down from first gear into the bottom-left position (which is second gear in most configurations). Some cars have a “Shift Light” or indications on the tachometer that will tell you when you need to shift, so you don’t rev the engine too fast.
Once in gear and on the accelerator, you should completely remove your foot from the clutch pedal. Resting your foot on the clutch pedal is a bad habit, as it applies pressure to the clutch mechanism — and the increased pressure will cause the clutch to wear out prematurely.
You can also stop while in any gear by depressing the clutch fully and using the brake while shifting into neutral. This should only be done when you need to stop quickly, though, as it puts you in less control of the vehicle.
You need to be able to quickly (but smoothly) move your right foot from releasing the brake to depressing the accelerator, while at the same time letting out the clutch. You can use the parking brake to limit backward drifting if necessary, but always remember to disengage it as you start moving forward.
If you are parked facing uphill, shut the car off in neutral, then shift into first gear and apply the parking brake. If facing downhill, do the same but shift into reverse. This will prevent the wheels from rolling in the direction of the slope. On extreme inclines, or simply to be extra cautious, you can also place chocks (angled blocks) behind your wheels to prevent movement.
It is strongly recommended to stop completely before going from reverse to first gear. However, it is possible on most manual transmissions to shift into first or possibly second when the car is moving backwards at a slow speed, but it is not recommended as this can cause excessive wear on the clutch. In some cars, reverse gear has a lock out mechanism to prevent you for engaging it accidentally. Before using the reverse gear, make sure you know about this locking mechanism and how to disengage it before selecting reverse.
