Today's motorists today increasingly prefer automobiles with automatic transmission, although they have not yet completely replaced the mechanics. There may be several reasons for the love of manual transmission. First of all, it is an expensive automatic transmission repair in case of breakdown. We also note that buying a car with mechanics will cost 20-30% cheaper than a similar car equipped with an "automatic". In addition, to be honest, automatic transmission on suburban Russian roads only adds to the problems.
In the training schools for novice drivers today you can find both types of cars, but exams at the traffic police are still passing the old fashioned way, in cars with manual transmission. Therefore, the instruction on how to properly shift gears is the first thing you hear when driving a training vehicle.
Any motorist eventually develops his own style and driving style. Each person is an individuality, and this is an indisputable fact. However, there are things unchanged, proven by experience. These include, among other things, recommendations on how to properly shift gears in a car or keep your hands on the steering wheel.
Some of you will object, they say, what difference does it make, how I will pull the lever: from below, from above, from the side ... switching of speeds will be possible in any case. Why can't I do as I feel more comfortable?
Recall the advice of a driving instructor on how to properly shift gears. The hand tightly grasps the manual transmission lever from above. The movement is carried out by the smooth movement of the brush. This method is the most ergonomic, because you do not make unnecessary efforts, which means you get less tired. In addition, the box in this case will serve you much longer.
Any gear shifting must be carried out through the neutral position. In this case, depress the clutch pedal all the way.
Another question that can often be heard from beginners is how to properly shift gears so that the car does not twitch. As you know, there can be several reasons for this phenomenon. One of them is that you release the clutch pedal too abruptly. In many ways, this is a matter of driving experience that comes with time. If you are confident in your skills, this may be due to a technical malfunction of the car.
Now let's talk about how fast to shift gears. Is it necessary to focus on instrument readings? To begin with, looking categorically at the speedometer or tachometer should not be. All driver attention should be focused on the road. Therefore, learn to hear and feel the car and determine the speed without a speedometer. When the machine does not have enough revolutions, the engine starts to make a characteristic sound and can simply stall.
As you know, you can switch from first gear to second after the car accelerates to a speed of 20 kilometers per hour. Accordingly, the second gear - from 30 to 40, the third - from 40 to 60, the fourth - from 60 to 90. The fifth is useful when driving at a higher speed. Of course, there is no need to strictly abide by this framework. Exceeding 10-15 kilometers will not cause significant damage to the engine, and it will not affect fuel consumption in any way. However, for a long time it is impossible to move at the first speed, almost immediately after the start of movement you need to switch to the second. Note that shifting from a lower gear to a higher gear is undesirable. So, for example, moving from second to fourth immediately, you can easily stall in the middle of the road. From higher speed to low you can switch in any desired sequence.
An experienced instructor will answer unequivocally to the student’s questions on how to switch gears correctly: “On the machine and without thinking”. Please note that combinations may vary. For example, when braking, you often have to switch from fourth speed to second and even to first. Moreover, such manipulations should not cause you the slightest difficulty. You can also train gearshift skills in a standing car. From the point of view of complexity, this process is not inferior to the beginning of the movement. And as you know, it’s the hardest thing for novice drivers to start off. Of course, skills on how to properly shift gears come with experience. However, try to develop the right habits from the very beginning of your driving experience.