7 Steps To Drive A Manual Car for Beginners
2 February, 2021
Cars are one of the preferred means of transportation as driving one can ease your daily activity. Many car brands are developing in Indonesia, however, there are only two types of cars available, namely automatic and manual cars. Of course, the way to drive them is different based on the types.
The working system of an automatic car is somewhat simpler than a manual car. The difference can be seen from the number of pedals available. In manual cars, there are 3 pedals whereas in automatic cars there are only 2 pedals. A manual car gearshift system is more difficult than an automatic car because the gearshift is done manually.
Even though it is more difficult, manual cars have several advantages over automatic cars. For those of you who are beginners and want to be able to drive a manual car, several things need to be considered and learned properly.
Safe Training Location
For beginners who are learning to drive a car, then you should choose a safe and fairly quiet area during your training. You may want to choose between a location that is far from residential areas, quiet roads, or fields.
By choosing a safe location during your training, you can give your full concentration and will be able to avoid dangerous things. You also will not endanger other car drivers.
Understanding The Car Features
Before driving a car and starting the engine, you must understand the features it has. Important features to learn are clutch, accelerator, and brake. Several features help the performance of a car, namely the gear lever, turn signal, and horn.
You also need to be able to understand how the pedals work, because the three pedals in a manual car have a very significant function. The clutch pedal is usually positioned on the left side, whereas the middle pedal is usually the brake and the right one is a gas pedal.
The clutch is needed to steer the direction of the wheels and machines, wherein the working systems are interrelated or interconnected. To shift between low and high gear, you have to study the clutch performance properly.
Brakes are used to stop or slow down the car. The accelerator is useful to steer the car to move forward. The strength of the accelerator can be adjusted depending on your need.
Paying Full Concentration
When you are about to drive a car, you must be in full concentration mode. Make sure you are calm, and relaxed, and don’t rush so that unnecessary things don’t happen. You have to concentrate on the car transmission and stay focused on road conditions.
You also need to sit in a comfortable position so that you can concentrate more. Do not drive the car in a tense position, because it will endanger your safety. The sitting position will affect the position of the feet when pressing the brakes, and gas with the clutch. Make sure you can hit all the pedals in the right position.
Turning On The Car
When you are in a comfortable position and fully concentrated, you can start the engine. First, move the position of the lever to a neutral position, usually in third or fourth gear. When the gear lever is in neutral, the lever can be moved more freely to the right or left.
You can start the car by pressing the button commonly located by the car key. You also have to press the clutch pedal completely and after the engine starts, then release the clutch pedal and the position of the transmission lever must still be in neutral. By pressing the clutch before starting the car, it will prevent the car from jumping to the front.
To learn about the clutch pedal swing distance, you can fully press the clutch and hold it for a few moments. Then slowly release the clutch pedal, so you can hear the engine sound lowering to the maximum.
Running the Car
When you have pressed the clutch pedal, then immediately set the gear pedal to first gear and slowly release the clutch, and gently step on the accelerator pedal to make the car move.
If you experience a moment when the front of the car jerks and there is a decrease in engine RPM, then you have to release the handbrake. But at this moment, don’t let go of the clutch completely. You just need to continue to release the clutch and press the gas pedal slowly.
You have to make sure that the RPM is slightly above zero and this process can be done by increasing the accelerator condition, then slowly releasing the clutch using the left foot.
Then just increase the accelerator little by little and let go of the clutch slowly until the clutch works properly. When you have completely released the clutch, please do the acceleration normally.
If you see a car going too fast, you have to push the brake slowly. When you want to push the brake, the foot that steps on the accelerator pedal must be moved to the brake. For beginners, it is important for you to first learn the correct and safe braking process.
Shifting To A Higher Gear
If you notice that the RPM exceeds the normal range of around 2,500 to 3,000 RPM, it is necessary to move the gear. Shifting gears can be done by lifting your foot from the accelerator pedal, then pressing the clutch.
Before you change or move the gear lever, make sure to fully depress the clutch. If you don’t step on the clutch completely, the gears will collide and will make the car unstable.
Afterward, you just need to move the gear lever to the highest gear and you can release the clutch. Then you just have to increase the speed of the car. The clutch along with the accelerator must be adjusted simultaneously to ensure smooth gear shifting.
When the car is in motion, then you can release the clutch a little faster and return your hands to the steering wheel.
Shifting To A Lower Gear
Almost the same process as shifting to a higher position, you have to shift gears when the car is in motion and the RPM has started to decrease. In this case, you will feel a slightly vibrating engine condition.
To start shifting gears, you can lift your left foot that is pressing the gas pedal with the clutch. Lift your foot off the gas pedal a little faster than pressing the clutch, this will prevent the car from revving.
Then you just need to press the clutch fully and then move the gear shift to a lower gear. Please release the car clutch gently and then use the gas pedal to stabilize the speed of the car. Finally, just let go of the clutch completely.
Those are the proper way of driving a manual car. Following the steps above will help you avoid any road accidents. We hope the tips are helpful especially for beginners. Also, read other Wuling articles such as why is my car shaking? Good luck!
