Not sure if this was mentioned specifically, but when you change gears, remember to let off the gas before you push in the clutch.

I know I'm not the only one here that drives stick but watched this for the fuck of it lol

Easiest way to learn, let the clutch out super slow without hitting the gas, you will feel the car roll forward, push it back in and repeat. Once you have the feeling for the bite point give it just a little bit of gas and go.

When I first started driving 14 years ago I could find a manual shift vehicle almost anywhere, now when I go to buy a new vehicle I have to special order stick shift. Gotta love it, right? I plan on teaching my wife how to drive stick and now that I've watched your video I got quite a few good pointers on how to teach her! Thanks man!

You really helped me learn how to drive stick. You were very straight forward and easy to understand.

what are your thoughts on rev matching on the downshift ETC?

I'm so glad we have to learn this to get a drivers license in Sweden. The hard thing for me is that every car is different in the clutch/gas and it takes a while to get used to another car. One time in driving school I got a breakdown at some train tracks and couldn't get the car moving again, I laughed so hard at myself but the instructor looked a bit stressed! With that said, always good to practice a little bit before you drive another car. Thanks for all the amazing videos!

Why did this video not pop up early when I was searching for How-To's when I was learning a couple weeks ago? I prefer everything about your style of teaching to the alternatives. Thank you EricTheCarGuy.

I love how he is constantly doing "whatever he needs to do" :-D

EricTheCarGuy Hey Eric, I have a question regarding downshifting. Right now I drive a 2012 Tacoma with a 5 speed. I did take lessons on how to drive stick. However, after having to get the clutch replaced 24000km later, I am always wondering whether I am downshifting properly. I don't seem to have any issues with upshifting. Right now, there are two ways that I downshift: 1) If I want to downshift in order to pass someone or go up a hill: What I do here is push in the clutch and select my gear. While I still have the clutch pushed down, I apply some gas to bring the revs up while letting off of the clutch. 2) I want to downshift in order to turn onto another street or driveway: I push in the brake and clutch, select a lower gear (usually 2nd), and let off the clutch without applying any gas. I usually complete this process before the turn. If I do this around 20 km/h, the engagement is pretty smooth. From reading this, am I using the clutch the right way? If I am adding gas on a downshift, do I have to be super precise on how much gas I am adding? Thanks!

@richu27 I would have done that but there really weren't any real hills around where I could do that when I was shooting this video. Thanks for your input and for your comment. Hello UAE!

Eric, when I first started driving a stick, I drove the way you did and my clutch stunk bad whenever I tried to make it up a hill. Later on, I was taught to let the clutch up to the friction point BEFORE touching the gas. Since then, I could get rolling on the steepest hill without that stinky smell. In fact, I sold it with 150k miles on its original clutch. And I learned that the best way to drive a stick in Los Angeles traffic is to leave a cushion and avoid stopping.

I always go to neutral or rev-match downshift when coming to a stop. Downshifting without rev-matching just seems too harsh on the engine components for my taste :p

Eric is the best KZfaqr, he teaches the people how to do it RIGHT.

Been driving stick shifts for over 30+ yrs.. still watched just for the hell of it. 👍Good job

To a UK driver this video is a real eye-opener. In the UK we all drive manual cars (stick shift) and learning how is essential if you want to pass your driving test and get a licence. (Well, it is possible to take a test in an automatic but then you are only qualified to drive automatics, so you would only do that if you had some physical problem that prevented you from driving a manual.)

I never understood why manuals are the norm here in Europe where we have 50 yards between traffic lights and never get out of 3rd. Where as there in the USA you have sometimes (comparatively) vast distances routinely traveled and yet prefer autos. I have never enjoyed driving 'stick'. Its a huge amount of work to save a few mpg grinding along at 29mph in 5th.

It´s funny if you drive both types regularly. You getting used to automatic to the point that you are forgetting to shift when driving a stickschift or you suddenly forget to push the clutch when coming to a halt xD

i live in the uk most cars and vans are manual over 70% probably. this is a pretty good explanation of how to drive a manual/stick shift it a very hard think to explain without actualy doing it. and eric is spot on with balance that is the key to driving a manual get the balance right and u can drive any stick shift/manual.

Years ago, a friend taught me the same way you taught it in your video, and I never got it. Then a different friend taught me with a different perspective, and I got it IMMEDIATELY. Put the clutch in, put it in first, keep the clutch in. Here's the trick. Watch the tachometer and simply bring the clutch up slowly. The needle on the tachometer drops by about 100, indicating that the clutch is engaging. Gently add gas and you're rolling! After a few rounds of this, I knew where the clutch engaged

I learned how to drive stick on my 2008 Mustang GT.... lmao somehow I'm alive and the car is well

One thing i never understood.. Sitting in traffic? Can't you just put it in netural and lift off the clutch? Do people really have their car in gear and sit in traffic with clutch down and complain that manuals suck?

@MrCHINGONism You're in for a real treat when you get the hang of it. Thanks for the comment.

In the UK, most cars are 4 cylinder, small capacity, stick shift. Most people have fairly long training periods in these, 1/2 a year and hour a week with a professional accredited (and expensive) trainer. You explanation of finding the sweet spot is great. Some times, it may help to do this from the bottom of a very slight incline, to aid the discovery of the spot, and were the clutch is slipping & were engaged, but as you say, some were out of the way of other road users.

i rode the clutch an the clutch won i lost lol

As someone who grew up in Sweden (where 99% of the cars are stick shift) this video is hilarious to me. EVERYONE knows how to drive a stick shift here. If you don't you're really weird.

This was so helpful, my only friend who drives stick is pretty bad at driving so he wasn't a great instructor but this was by far WAY better!

Great video. If you want to learn yourself (best way is to see a driving teacher for a lesson), key is TAKING YOUR TIME. With experienced drivers it looks like a single move, but that only comes with practice. Beginners should do it in steps. What worked for me is.. 1/ press brake and clutch, put it in first gear 2/ depress clutch, but only until you can feel a slight vibration, keep it there 3/ depress the brake, and rev the engine to about 1500 rpm 4/ depress the clutch and go

is that a clients are you are driving with super dirty greasy gloves?

Getting my first manual and project car and i must say out of every video you explain things soooo well. TY so much!

@spelunkerd That's a great tip but I didn't have anywhere to show that effectively when I shot this video. Thanks for your input.

@Michiganborn1969 I like that, 'the friction zone'. Your input is always appreciated man, I hope you had a good holiday.

@DiyMech Yea most clutches are easy money for the seasoned technician. Thanks for your input and comment.

@calk87 That's the point, you're using the engine to break.

@situationmoney I've downshifted for years on many different cars as well as worked on quite a few manuals and I can say without a doubt that downshifting has no effect on clutch wear or transmission wear.

Just started my driving lessons (I live in the UK) and this is so helpful. I learnt this in my first lesson but seeing somebody else do it while explaining the actions is super helpful in reinforcing that knowledge, thanks Eric :)

@jacx11 It could be the linkage or the throw out bearing hanging up. Try disconnecting the linkage from the trans to see if there is any binding or problems when you try and move it, if not then you may need to remove the trans and inspect the throw out bearing and clutch.

I used to downshift through every gear but recently stopped, since it makes for less clutch wear and a smoother decel. However, THANK YOU for not just getting up to speed, popping it in neutral and coasting all the way to a stop. That really grinds my gears (pun intended). If you're used to coasting all the way from 50mph in neutral or with your foot on the clutch, you're causing more brake wear. Plus, if you have to hit the gas in an emergency, it's much quicker to have the car in gear.

I know how to drive a stick but I didn't know how to downshift, I do now and you explained it very well. Subscribed.

Here in Norway, manual transmission is somewhat considered 'the' norm. Though, most "automatic-users" tend to be the drivers in and around the city, mainly due to overpopulated roads (read; undersized and horrible neglected roadsurface) and rush-hour traffic. But still, over here it's completely the other way around compared to The States ^^ I hope more drivers will get the hang of manual after watching this vid, they're clearly missing out! This was a great tutorial for beginners, good job :)

Wow amazing timing on this video. I am considering buying a new 2012 Ford focus with a standard transmission. Automatics are about $1000 more expensive, so I'm trying to save money. I have been riding motorcycles for years and I have an understanding of how a clutch works. However I have very little experience with a clutch on a car. Thanks for the upload!

@EricTheCarGuy been taught to blip the gas(rev matching) to avoid clutch riding, transmission wear and for the smoothest operation. but to each of their own.

By FAR the best "How to drive a stick" Tutorial on KZfaq.

Eric, I've watched several other videos on this (I just bought a manual car and I pick it up tomorrow) and yours by far has been the most helpful. Thank you so much :D

My buddy who does driver exams, always takes the driver to an uphill stop sign, to test the skill set of the driver. Most manual vehicles have a hand brake, that allows you to hold the car from sliding backward while letting the clutch out. When a car behind you stops up real close to your rear end, you will be happy to have a hand brake to keep you from sliding backwards.

very helpful, I've watched lots of videos on this. I'm doing an engine swap in my Civic which is going to change it to a manual so I bought a cheap manual to learn. Taking off is difficult. I get jerked around till I can get it up to speed then take my foot off the gas and reapply smoothly.

very helpful. always try to learn more info about driving manual trans vehicle. i personally don't like them, but they are part of the trade. at trade school they gave us a week long crash course in the afternoons, but something i didn't learn until a couple years ago was down shifting. got a car that the compalint was grind on 4-3 downshift and 3-2 downshift, i learned very quick. but now all i seem to do is 1 ton dully 5 speeds, that have big welders on them, such a pain.

yup, I really agree with you.. When I got my license recently I thought It was going to be difficult. I practiced a lot got really good. Then when the test came all I had to do was go around the block and pull forward in a paring spot and that was it.

I learned to drive stick by mowing our lawns at 10 years old with our Sears tractor. The same concept translated to when I first drove a stick on my current car. I still stalled out the car plenty of times. Kinda hard to stall out a manual shift garden tractor, so this stalling thing was new. Even after a year behind the wheel on my car, I still sometimes stall it and I understand it happens to everybody. But I do get sick and tired of shifting all the time in the city driving.

When I was learning to drive a stick, the absolutely hardest part was traffic lights on an (up) hill, especially when the guy behind you pulls up to close. You have to be very skilled with the clutch when this happens because the car naturally wants to roll backwards. When you are practicing driving a stick (after the parking lot) go out late at night and deliberately stop at lights (or stop signs) that are on a hill and get a feel for moving the car forward without rolling back first.

@Smallgasengine1 Actually you probably can't as the transmission is designed not to go into 1st if your speed is too high but if you manage to get it in you could over rev the engine and possibly damage it.

I love your videos! I go to school for auto body, and I'm learning mechanics by watching your videos. I can't wait to build my own race car! Keep up the good work!

@Rogers1977 It's not a bad idea at all and one of those things that I would consider a 'personal preference', as for how much it wears the clutch I think it really depends on how long you stay on the clutch during a downshift, I've driven sticks for many miles and many years and never actually wore one out.

@Rogers1977 I would say that depends on how worn the clutch is or how it is adjusted.

Finally a person who understands how downshifting will help you unlike others who say it hurts the engine if you have to downshift double clutch it blah blah blah. In my truck the engine slows me down when I down shift to help save on the brakes some and it sounds cool.

@shizerproject Thanks for your input and for your comment.

I'm only 15 but I'd really like to learn manual before the drivers tests to get some knowledge so this vid was great. Thx Eric and stay dirty

Good basic video. A couple of points: 1. Clutches and transmissions are EXPENSIVE to replace or repair. Use them for gaining or maintaining speed. Brakes are efficient, and cheap/easy to repair, they are the best choice for doing any deceleration. 2. Constantly lubricated bearings (inside transmssion) will last indefinitely with maintenance. Others like Pilot and Throwout (release) bearings have limited life. Spend as little time as possible with the pedal depressed. Idle in neutral.

Here in the rainy uk most cars are manual... best advice i can give is basically like you did to find a slipping clutch, sit with the handbreak on, clutch depressed in 1st gear & just feed it in slowly & when you feel the car pitch (or the nose lift up fwd cars) youve hit the "biting point" then let the handbreak off & most normal cars will move off without any gas then smoothly continue to lift off the clutch pedal until its all the way then apply gas, thats learner basics but very easy.

this is a good to the point and informative video. it does seem like an odd topic to someone from the UK where manual cars are the norm. when I passed my driving test you had the choice of a manual or automatic test .manual being the full licence (drive either ), or if you cold not pass the full test you could take a automatic test being restricted to automatics only.purely out of interest is it similar in the states.

@solonictoyota9186 Glad you liked it, thanks for the comment.

Great video Eric. Over here in the UK virtually every car is a manual gear change! Apart from being more frugal on petrol ("gas") they are also more interesting to drive and cheaper/?easier to service. I'm not sure why you blip the accelerator when pulling away though. Downshifting used to be taught here as standard, but is apparently now frowned upon by our Institute of Advanced Motorists. The thought now is to use the brakes to enable you to be in the correct gear for the road condition.

@backwoodsctryboy That's because you never use it speed shifter. :) As for the mileage I think I put it in the clutch series somewhere, this is the same car. Good to see you man I feel like it's been forever.

I watched this video on Sunday, went out and drove my sitck shift for the first time. Thanks.

Thank you so much for this video. I have just gotten my first car and needed to learn how to drive stick shift. By watching your video several times I have figured it out and was able to get used to the clutch. A+ video. :D

On a motorcycle that area between where the clutch & the drivetrain BARELY starts to move and full released clutch is called "The Friction Zone". I also prefer a manuel trans as well. Thumbs up on Eric.

my past 4 cars been manual trans. i was never able to figure out the brake trick on a hill so i just hurt the clutch each time. but i dont do it often. the worst is in traffic. especially in NJ/NYC Metro area where i live. Believe it or not. I bought my first stick car, never drove stick in my life. my friend brought me to a parking lot. taught me the basics and literally 30 minutes later i had to be at work. so i drove my car in bergen county traffic to work.ppl were pissed. but i did very wel

You're totally right Eric. My car is a diesel and I hardly need any effort to get going in 1st gear. My wifes car has a smaller (gas) engine and needs to be revved up more to get going in 1st. When I'm at work I sometimes drive a company van which again reacts way different.

I live in a hilly area that's moderately popular. Sometimes bumper to bumper traffic. I do what I said in it too and it works. It's all on how fast your foot work is and how good your foot work is. If you do it the way you said, your going to be going through clutches a lot...

Good luck! i just gogt my first stick shift, after you get the basics it will come easy

great video.......i learned clutch basics as a small boy on my grandfathers case tractors........i also perfer manual over automatic.....i just like the way the engine stays linked to the rear wheels as a solid unit if you will....curious tho how many miles was on the focus? i drive a 2002 f150 with the m5od madza transmission with almost a 1/4 million miles on it and have yet to replace the clutch disk

good stuff! takes practice and depends on how smooth one wants to be. hill starts definitely require practise to avoid rolling back. I've touched autos about 3x in my driving history (1 @ US). newer paddle-shift with auto mode cars (robotic single, dual or triple clutch) have been creeping up over the last years but are far from mainstream in europe. the difficult bit about driving an auto if one is used to manuals is avoiding slamming the brakes when instinctively looking for the clutch :)

@jjenson2006 It's actually not true that you need to do that, the clutch parts are designed to last a long time and using them shouldn't wear them out prematurely.

Love your videos. They're super helpful. I'm trying to decide if I want a manual or auto 1968 mustang, and I've decided to go with a stick. Thanks for the video.

@MrMK94 No problem. Also, sometimes after taking off from a stop, I'll go straight to 3rd instead of 2nd then to 3rd. Or if I'm merging onto a highway and I'm in 3rd, I'll go straight to 5th. Only thing you gotta worry about doing this is making sure your revs are high enough so you don't "bog" down the engine.

@MrPiwo Yes we do. Thanks for the comment.

@aMammoth Sort of, don't forget the gear ratios and the reason you need them.

@mickblock That's a good analogy, thanks for the comment.

This is a really fun watch being a swedish driver for years I've only had cars with manual transmission but having purchased my first automatic last year I will never buy a manual shifted car again, I now understand why americans all have automatics

@Krazy1st fair enough - but F1 gearboxes are more manual than automatic because they adopt the principle of shifting through 7 forward gears albeit electro-hydraulically operated. the only time the driver manually operates the clutch and engages gear is in a standing start or when coming to a standstill such as when coming in to the pits....

Great tutorial I even learner a few things been driving a stick for years hadnt for about 10 years but its like riding a bike once you learn you never forget

Superb video, it's not easy when learning, but when you've cracked it it's nae bother, it's also a lot more fuel efficient. Would be interesting to show the troops how to do the 45 degree uphill pull away from standstill in a future video !!. Your point about riding the clutch, e.g. keeping your foot on the clutch is key as this rubs/wears the clutch plate to the metal over time and/or burns out the clutch plates and we don't wont to do that as it costs, but it's a good earner for Eric.

Yes, the only reason Eric was downshifting during deceleration is to minimize brake wear. Downshifting isn't necessary for basic operation. At anytime you can just push in the clutch and slow to a stop using the brakes or sometimes coasting, just be sure to have it in 1st gear when you take off again. As far as you troubles with reverse, Its almost exactly the same concept as starting out in 1st. It just takes practice, like Eric said. I'm sure you get better at it eventually.

I like my manual in the winter going down hills, leaving it in gear and having the engine help slow me down, it cuts back on the potential of sliding out of control from using the brakes. As long as you dont use to low of a gear, because the wheels will lock up.

Interesting, wish I had this back when I learned. I learned by reading the section in the owners manual about driving a stick.

@FrenchValleyAirport It's in the video, you might want to watch it again.

@terminamator If there is no oil contamination on the clutch plates and you've adjusted the clutch too the extent it doesn't really work properly anymore I would suggest replacing it. Another good test is, when you are driving slightly uphill on the highway you push the clutch down and fast back up, on high gear it shouldn't slip when engaging, if it does you have a worn clutch

@rradicalguy It is my mission in life to help others with my videos, thanks very much for the comment.

@PostMeridianLyf It's probably normal, put the wheels on the ground and see if the condition still exists.

When you downshift you should revmatch (matching the engine speed with the transition speed) before letting the clutch out. That way is much more smother, and you putting less strain on the engine, transition and clutch itself. Here in Europe great majority of cars are equipped with stick shift by standard.

Do you live in an area that's low in traffic? In Europe there are situations where you could be queuing in start stop traffic on a slope, or perched over the edge of a roundabout. Using the handbrake in such situations is impractical as you have to be ready to launch very quickly as not to hold up traffic. In these situations we use what we call "clutch control" or "holding on the bite" which is essentially slipping the clutch at low revs, it's actually a part of our driving tests here.

@Likes2Torment If you're used to it on a bike I don't think you'll have any trouble at all. Good luck.

I am driving manuals for about 12 years now. When I got chance do drive automatic once or twice I really didn't know what to do with my left foot, it was just flying crazy in search for cluch pedal :D

@GolfVariantCL The best benefit to an automatic trans car presents itself when you are in bumper to bumper traffic where with a clutch, you would have to keep starting in 1st from a dead stop, over and over and over again!

Having just learned stick myself I find for my car, 97 civic LX, that for gears 1-3 I have much smoother transitions by giving gas and letting the clutch catch into the next gear. Say for example I'm going from 2 to 3 and I clutch out, shift, and even slowly let in the clutch it bucks a little bit. If I give it a little gas as I let the clutch into 3rd (or 2nd) you can't even tell it's a stick. I say do whatever makes the ride smoothest.

you are almost right. If you need to stop from gears, you could let got the gas, step on the clutch, shift to neutral, let go the clutch, and step on the brake. You only shift to 1st from completely stop. Most car prevent you from shifting to 1st while moving or rolling. If you need to slow down from 5th gear. follow the instruction above and shift back you gear that would match your speed.

@classikz Not at all as the clutch is not engaged, click the link in the description for the video I did on how a clutch works.

I drive a '90 Camry with an automatic but someday I'll have to drive a manual... and now I know how. Thanks Eric!

this is one of the better tutorials ive seen

@sharky322 Depends on how long your foot is on the clutch.