When to Shift?

When to Shift?

yeah, what im basically asking is when to shift gears (1st-2nd-3rd, ect) in a manual car?
now dont flame, i dunno how to drive a stick, yet. and i have a auto.

I was taught for just regular driving in any car you take your redline and cut it in half... so 6000 rpm up shift at 3000 as for down shifting take you upshift point and cut that in half so do this one at 2000 rpms

well if u have a tach then just shift around 4-4 1\2 rpms..... if u do heavy and fast driving I guess redline lol and if u don't have a tach then just listen to the motor and when it starts getting kinda loud u know just shift... it's simple really. Don't worry about it man there's no reason to flame I guess everyone had that same question at some point in life u know... even I did before I learned

listen to the engine heh? lol god im gonna blow it up before i can even shift in gear.
not my car, another persons.

It will depend on the car, especially the redline.
On my friend's honda, I would normally shift around 3500, just cause that's when it "feels" like the right point in that car for normal driving.
On other manual cars that I have driver, you can either push them a little further if needed, or some more powerful cars that I have driven, you can shift at 2 grand and still have a fair amount of power in such a little time.

its a honda accord, its not mine.

i kinda know the concept with teh H pattern. but for a noob like me, im kinda scare to shift in the wrong gear. what happens when its in the wrong gear?

some cars wont let you down shift into too low of a gear (say you are in 5, want to go down to 4, but drop it into 2 instead. It wouldn't let you do that). Going up, if you put it into too high of a gear, you run the risk of stalling it (dont leave the clutch too far away until you are sure and comfortable with your shifting).

On that note, my friend had a mod'd mustang that you could go from second into 5 without stalling, just a REALLY low growl and rev.

if its too high a gear 5th insted of 3rd youl loose power greatly and if you shift in to too low a gear just hope you don't go from like 5th to second... no just kidding you'll just rev realy high so just take your food off the gas right away and put the clutch in and re shift.

ok, gotcha.

1 more question (lol ) what to do when at a stop light? car still in gear? ebrake? whuh?

rollas wont let you go from say 4th to 1st or even from second to frist at above like 15 miles an hour, but most cars do that... you can jump back 2 gears safely 5th to 3rd, 4th to second.

eathe in to nutural or have your foot on the brake and the clutch at the same time. then put some gas in to it and release the clutch slowly you should feel when it catches.

yea you can drop 2 grears no problem, if you are on the bottom end of that gear. Just takes some getting used to, knowing how high it is going to rev when you are going a certain speed in a certain gear.

yeah don't down shift from redline. that would be bad.

so which one is easier to do? in neutral or brake and clutch?

at a stop light just put in the clutch and then ease it off with some gas to get going again (if you are in first or second with a rolling stop ).
At stop lights I normally put it into "neutral" and just stay on the brake if needed.

seems that neutral is easier. neutral is the part in the center of the H right?

exactly but I stay in first cause I like to feather my clutch some. but its all personal prefrence

yep

also to add, if you are on a yield or something, and just need to slow down a bit, most of the time you dont have to put in the clutch with the brake, you can just brake. but that again is something that you have to get used to. in some situations you need to clutch and some you don't.

aye aye

well, that certainly clear things up for me. next week im gonna try to do it. probly be nervous as hell of shiftin gears lol.

yea well everyone probably was the first time they sat down to a manual tranny.
I remember the first time (which was actually the first time I drove) I stalled a good couple of times before I got the hang of where the clutch engages and how much and when to put it in/out.

no need to worry about it. its easy just be prepared to stall alot your first couple of times and rev higher on up hills than you think you should. then let the clutch out

ill keep in mind that.

1 more thing, when ready to park somewhere, do i leave the car in gear or leave it in neutral and ebrake it?

that question brings up some memories.
friend broke his e-brake cable one day, so he had to keep it in gear to park it.
Anyways, the answer would be that most people put it in neutral and the parking/e-brake.

I do both but some just e-brake it and some just leave it in gear.

damn me and my slow typing

aight aight.

thanks fellas. that sure clear up some things for me. i dont think i have any other questions now. is there any other things i need to know?

umm...
clutch in to start.

no i cant think of anything else, just relax and have some fun (safely!)

don't push the clutch in and accadently hit the break... cars behind you don't seem to like that... I only say it because I did it in an IS 300 funny as hell for the kid in the passenger seat.

yeah i knew that already. thanks for remindin me though.

yep, will do

damn, my slow typin

yea, just remember what pedal you are on! lol
I was driving manual for a couple weeks while a friend was away (taking care of his car for him ), and when I got back to automatic, had a little panic attacks when I went for the clutch and there was none...

hahah panic attack :haha:

its gonna feel weird with 3 pedals. definately used to 2

I try to shift my dads blazer still and try to find the clutch to start it. its hilarious.