Gear Shifting in a Stick Shift Car

    Published: 06-16-2009
    Views: 153,964
    Car expert Jumi Kim demonstrates how to gear shift in a manual transmission car.

    Hi, I am Jumi of Capital Dream Cars and I have been showing you how to drive a manual transmission car. Now, I am going to discuss the basic principles of gear shifting. It's helpful to think of the relationship between the accelerator and the clutch as moving in opposite directions or being in an inverse relationship. So, for example, the more gas you give the less clutch you need and vice versa. The key to smooth movement is the right timing of giving just enough gas while letting out the clutch. Too much gas and you waste fuel and wear down on the clutch. Too little gas, you will solve the engine which puts considerable stress on it.

    Each car's clutch and accelerator will have different personalities. So, shifting gears will feel slightly different in one stick vehicle versus another. Some clutches are hard, some accelerators are very sensitive. So, it's a just a matter of figuring out the right combination for the smoothest transition. Now, that I have gone over the basic principles of gear shifting, let's actual get moving and shift some gears in our manual transmission car.