Getting Oriented to a Stick Shift Car

Hi, I am Jumi with Capital Dream Cars and today, I am teaching you how to drive a manual transmission car. I am going to now orient you to a stick shift car. The first way a stick shift car is different from an automatic car is you have a third pedal located to the left of the break pedal and it separates the engine from the transmission.

The second way a stick car is different from an automatic car is you have something called a gear box. It is located between the driver and passenger sides of the car and it is what you use to shift the gears. In an automatic car, the car automatically shifts the gears for you. But in a manual car, you have to shift the gears yourself. Gear boxes on stick shift vehicles vary depending on whether it is a five-speed or a six-speed vehicle. On our six-speed Ferrari for example, you have a standard double-H pattern where first gear is in the left, top corner and sixth gear is in the right, bottom corner. Reverse is actually down and to the left. Now, we are in a five-speed stick vehicle and the gear sequences vary a little bit from a six-speed car. This car is actually pretty standard for a five-speed manual. First gear is in the left, top position, just like in the six-speed car with fifth gear being in the right, top position. But instead of sixth gear being in the right, bottom position, it is reverse. So, reverse is right and down. Neutral is when the car is not in gear. You know you are in neutral because you will be able to move the gear stick to the left and right. Now, that I have oriented you to a stick shift car, let's move on to turning on the engine and preparing to drive.