Driving a car is something that requires a lot of practice. Much more complicated than an automatic car, a manual car isn’t something you can learn to drive in a day or two. However, it is always better to familiarize yourself with the process of driving a manual car and all of its controls.
This guide will give you a theoretical understanding of how to drive a manual car, starting with the important parts you should be aware of.
Important Parts of a Manual Car
Before you learn how to drive a manual car, let’s learn the basic foot controls. These controls are the ABC of driving, installed from right to left in a car. The Accelerator, Brake and Clutch are referred to as ABC that are detailed as under:
Accelerator
It’s also referred to as a gas pedal or throttle, operated by the right foot. It controls the amount of gas/fuel and air being fed into the engine and in turn, controls the speed of the car. When you push the accelerator down slowly, the air and fuel enter into the engine and gradually increase the car speed. Drivers can choose to speed up by further pressing the accelerator.
Brake Pedal
It’s installed in the centre of the clutch and accelerator. The accelerator and brake pedals are never used together. The right foot controls the brake pedal just like an accelerator. The brakes in a car bring it to a stop by absorbing energy from a moving system to inhibit motion. Maximum pressure should be applied to the brake pedal to slow down the car quickly.
Clutch
It’s one of the foot controls in a manual car that functions using the left foot. It disengages the engine from the gearbox, making gear shift smooth for the drivers. Consider the clutch as two plates that connect the engine with the gearbox, when pressed together.
Eight Easy Steps to Learn How to Drive a Manual Car
Now that you are familiar with the ABC of manual cars, learning to drive a manual car will be easier theoretically. Here are the eight steps to drive a manual car:
- Get in the vehicle and fasten your seatbelt
- Start the car
- Press the clutch (left pedal) down
- Shift the gear stick into first
- Then press down the accelerator with your right foot to increase engine’s speed slightly
- Slowly lift your left foot from the clutch until your car starts to vibrate gently. The vibration is actually the vehicle’s “bite point”, meaning the clutch plates come together at this point.
- Remove the handbrake to let the car move steadily
- Increase the speed by slowly raising your foot off the clutch and pressing on the accelerator pedal
Understanding the Function of the Gears in Manual Cars
The manual gearbox in a car has six to seven gears. To better understand driving with a manual gearbox, let’s find out about each gear marked on the car’s stick.
- 1st Gear provides the most pulling power for the car to start moving but the least potential to pick up speed.
Speed Range in 1st gear is: 0 to 20 km/h - 2nd Gear is used to increase speed on ordinary roads after 1st gear. 2nd gear can be applied while applying brakes on slow speed curves or while making right or left turns at intersections.
Speed Range in 2nd gear is:: 10 to 30 km/h - 3rd Gear increases the speed further from 2nd gear. 3rd gear can be applied when driving in town or downhill and to overtake another vehicle.
Speed Range in 3rd gear is: 20 to 50 km/h. - 4th Gear helps increase the speed from 3rd gear. 4th gear can be applied when driving on highways or on any smooth broad road.
Speed Range in 4th gear is: 30 to 60 km/h - 5th Gear provides the least pulling power but allows the car to pick up to a great range of speed. Apply this gear when driving on Expressways.
Speed Range in 5th gear is: 60 km/h or more - 6th Gear helps reduce fuel consumption by letting the engine run a little more than tickover during motorway cruising.
- R Gear, which is the 7th gear in most of the manual cars can be applied to reverse the car.
Points to Remember Before You Drive a Manual Car
- First of all learn to change car gear manually
- Clutch is the left pedal, Brake is the middle pedal and Accelerator is the right pedal
- To avoid stalling don’t take off your foot from the clutch too quickly and don’t be too light on revs
- If you do stall, turn off the engine, shift gear stick to neutral and try again
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How difficult is it to learn to drive a manual car?
Driving a manual car is not difficult. All you need is practice. You need to master using the left foot to operate the clutch, learn when to shift and the shifting pattern. For some, the difficult part could be mastering skills to get going from a dead stop.
Should I press the clutch while braking?
Yes, press the clutch with your left foot, release the right foot from the accelerator and shift to neutral. Now release the clutch and then press the brake with your right foot to stop the car.
One of the differences in automatic and manual cars is shifting gears, doing it manually is comparatively tricky. However, now you know how to drive a manual car theoretically, you can get on the roads of the UAE with one of the most fun manual cars to drive. However, make sure you don’t adapt to the bad driving habits that hurt your manual car. Once you acquire your UAE driving licence, here are a few manual transmission cars that are worth buying::
Stay tuned to UAE’s top auto blogs for more car buying and selling guides, driving tips and more.
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