I'm an advanced driver and I think your way of explaining is excellent for learners and more experienced drivers. Thank you for these videos. Keep them coming.

Advice to keep your clutch cool: 1. Buy 'er some fire looking shades 2. Don't let it hang about with losers, particularly with those who can't drive 3. Take it on a night out so it can find some new friends

For intermediate manual drivers, much like myself, this is quite possibly the best presented, explained and demonstrated instructional video on youtube. Good show!

I'm also a driving instructor and ex ford motor engineer, it great to see good sensible advise here with "mechanical sympathy" thrown in. I've always taught and practised these methods, so its pleasant to see these techniques demonstrated on KZfaq. I'm shocked at the number of students I've had from previous instructors, who think it's okay to wait at a junction whilst grinding the clutch to death

I have been driving my own car for 5 months now, and I still find your vids very informative and useful. Thanks!

Even though this isn't a Learn-to-Drive specific video, I passed my Driving Test yesterday and I just had to come back to your Channel, there were a lot of people that helped me learn to drive, but you and your videos are up there near the very top, especially for dealing with nerves and anxiety about driving, I just want to say thank you so much for all the free videos you make for people and for keeping them often funny and genuinely interesting! And to anyone who has just now found this channel you can be sure these are the best learning to drive videos you can find on KZfaq!!

i feel the need to point out he went straight to the point... no intro, no bs, no sponsorship.

For advanced drivers: -Gear down : always rev match with a throttle blip and a smooth but quick release of the clutch (heel toe if you need braking). -Gear up: change gear at 0g (that moment between acceleration and deceleration when you release the gas and press clutch). -For launch don't over rev it , stay in the high torque zone and sync both pedal movements, the more you press the gas, the more you release clutch, for fast or slow starts. -Clutch kicks are always your friends for breaking traction when full throttle doesn't cut it or you're too low in the revs and about to bog down, you should be full throttle and then kick your clutch, the swifter it is the smoother it will be. All these techniques can be done smoothly and shouldn't damage your clutch more that regular driving. If you're doing it wrong the car will tell you by jerking.

What makes these videos so good is that you don't just teach how to drive, but how to drive well!! Passed my test today in no small part to these videos. Thanks Richard, I hope you know just how wonderful the channel is :)

This man is different than others driving instructors. The GOAT🌟

God, I miss my Dad's manual Hilux. Literally learnt everything you're talking about by taking my knowledge of how manual transmissions work and my experience driving the car and mashing them together till it (surprisingly) made sense. Then I started rev matching, avoiding dumping the clutch, avoiding riding the clutch, avoiding generally being on the biting point for too long. I got so good at driving the car, even passed my driving test in it, but alas, the car was stolen. :/

Your sock game is always on point. Loving the videos they help me understand how and why my car works the way it does which is very useful as a learner.😎

Passed yesterday (after several attempts 🙄)with 6 miniors!!! Whoever is learning or has a test, DO NOT give up, persevere and BELIEVE in yourself, you've got this!!!! I really struggled mentally but my instructor really helped,. GOOD LUCK EVERYONE 👍👍👍👍😀

I believe it’s the straightforward delivery of everything from the teaching tips to your brutal honesty that makes you so good at your job

This video basically told me that I've been driving correctly. Thank you. My car is notorious for having a bad stock clutch (10th gen 2018 civic si), but I haven't had any slipping and I'm at 70k miles. I appreciate the work you put in this video 🔥🤙🏻

Been driving stick and auto for some time now but I still watch this guy’s tutorials. Never hurts to learn more stuff

I passed my driving test today on the 19th of Jan 2022, i have to say watching these videos helped me a lot with my nerves and the tips from the videos were very useful. I hope that anyone taking the test passes successfully.

I make sure not to miss any of your videos and this was the kind of video I needed. Thank you

I’m planning on buying my first manual car here soon and your videos have been extremely helpful to a beginner. Everything is just explained and demonstrated so well.

Even though I passed over two years ago, I really enjoy these videos still. Definitely great at explaining for the learners as well as the experienced.

I just started my lessons now and this is a really good tip to learn and get used to at the beginning. I'll keep this in my mind! So helpful thank you

Richard you aren't just a good driving instructor but a good mechanic as well. By watching your videos I have corrected lot of common mistakes. Good job. Keep posting good videos.

Yes! This is exactly the video I needed! In the "shock" sections of this video, I experience one or all those scenarios, at least once every time I drive. Sometimes my car jerks when I change down gears, sometimes it doesn't, sometimes it kangaroos when I release the clutch after moving off, sometimes it doesn't. Again, exactly those situations shown in this video. But I didn't know what I was doing wrong. Now I know, and I'll take steps to correct it. This is definitely something I will work on. I had no clue I was causing excessive wear to the drivetrain components. Wow! I've been driving a manual for close to two years, and I'm still learning something with every new video!

I've been driving stick for almost 2 years now thanks to your videos! Even though I'm pretty confident driving, I still watch your videos in case there are little tips/tricks I haven't known or picked up on myself. Love your teaching style, I think you might be one of the very VERY few patient driving instructors out there 🤣

My first car was manual and I love driving them to this day. But I've learned some tricks from your videos, thank you.

So many things I have been doing wrong, or doing right without having a clue why. And your videos are so straight to the point from the first second, no bullshit. Thank you! Entertaining and educational.

This video has been very helpful to me for figuring out why my clutch and gearbox went at the same time. There were certain habits shown in this video that helped me to distinguish what might have caused the problem. Thank you for the video it was a great watch.

Among all the videos I've watched, You are the best instructor in teaching sticks, and I'm not exaggerating even a bit.

My parents have a 2006 Pontiac Vibe (aka Toyota Matrix) that recently passed 200,000 miles and it is still on the original clutch. The whole car still runs great even for a northeast snow and salt saturated area.

So much valuable information, I am an experienced driver however for me it was always difficult to find the right way of - for example - changing gears smoothly, because everyone has a different opinion. Now this channel is spitting facts backed by technical know how leaving no space for arguing what so ever, thank you so much.

Dudeee I've been watching your videos for a while now and thanks for such clear and comprehensive videos. They were all really helpful throughout my time learning to drive, and I passed my manual test today !! :D thanks so much !!!!

After driving almost 2 million miles your video confirms to me that I was doing it almost correctly therefore never to late to learn CHEERS GREAT VIDEO.

The preventing shock one is life changing for me, I’ve been driving a few months now and i just struggle with consistently trying to shift smoothly especially when changing vehicles. Thanks so much because i now realize i have to hold the clutch for longer and in my case apply a bit more power on certain upshifts, I almost never stall the car but in some vehicles I really struggle with finding the biting point and that leads to me stalling at times which is just very frustrating.

sooo helpful. i only just got into manual and this is the next level

thank you very much for everything, you helped me so much and still learning new things each time, this time i was hesitaing if i should keep using bite point as i start but it seems fine, im still trying to get more used to rev matching since it does require far more concentration and precision than i expected, but i can do heel and toe and it does help so much on my ford fiesta, it does not have stop assisst so using that method stops my only weakness, hills, i just need to learn to park better and more precise clouch control along with how to mentain the car as healthy as posible,

Mate just want to thank you for your videos passed my test today honestly you're doing gods work 🙏 👌🏻 your videos have helps just as much as my instructor

Hey I just wanted to say that I love your channel and you're the best driving channel on KZfaq hands down, I've learnt so much from you and it's because you're clearly passionate about driving and teaching, I passed today with 2 minors and I just wanted to thank you because I always saw myself coming back here and I will be coming back to your channel to improve my other skills like rev matching, love your content and keep up the good work!!

Never knew keeping the clutch fully depressed caused wear, I actually thought it was good practice to be more ready for moving. Thanks for the lesson.

I passed my driving test in Sweden. Thanks so much your videos help me so much God bless really do appreciate your time for doing all this videos and explain. Thanks Man 😊

driving test tomorrow, thank you for all of the videos!

Very helpful for drivers newer to manuals. Great vid!

Best channel for learning to drive on KZfaq. Passed my test last Monday - watching this to remind me how to avoid shock when gearing down. Never stop learning! Top stuff.

best driving teacher on the planet!

Hello. Thank you so much for the video I just passed my driving test a month ago and I have been making this mistakes because I am now driving on my own. I had to replace the clutch this week and that was expensive so I will highly recommend anyone to follow this steps. It was funny that I just watched the video on the 7th of December haha what a coincidence!!!!

i wanna get a manual car someday and i had a general idea on how to drive one but this helped clear up questions i had AND didn't KNOW i had lol. thanks! :)

That’s so cool ! You’re so talented 😊Appreciate your video .

Very, very, very good videos! I love the logical and practical methods and tips you show. They are easy to understand and anyone who is not a smart-ass (who knows everything better) will soon realize that they hear and see a lot of truth in these videos. I had a very good instructor when I was learning to drive, but unfortunately we didn't have much time for tips like this... Since then, I've been trying to develop my own driving culture, which is more about fine, soft, elegant driving (which is more comfortable for the passengers too), rather than crazy blind "hero" driving... Your videos help a lot, and I can take care of my car too! :-) Thanks for making this channel! ;-) Greetings from Hungary!

Great video. Hope not only drivers who are aware of the subject will view it.

Excellent video and advice Richard. You have a scientific explanation for clutch wear which I find most videos online lacking. What we think happens is quite different from what actually happens. My instructor had suggested never to use gas in neutral or with clutch pressed. He told me it wastes gas but I think he was afraid of clutch burn. In any case, a little gas is required for the clutch to bite successfully to avoid start up stall.

Your Videos are amazing thanks Richard👍👍👍👍👍

Great useful video, in relation to hand break -v- foot brake the IAM advocate handbrake particularly as far as dazzling the driver behind.

amazing video, straight to the point, and those socks are class!

Hey, I passed first time with 3 minors, your videos are very good and benefitted me massively. If you have your test coming up binge watch these vids and it’ll reduce your nerves too, having your own car to practise in too was crucial for me.

Had my first 2 hours lesson and was on the road driving through the gears and handling nicely all-ready. My only issue is determining how wide my car is, say if I’m passing parked cars and have oncoming traffic it’s a bit daunting.. I didn’t realise how sensitive the breaks and acceleration was at start but I’m getting used to it very quickly.

Another great video! I find each video you post very useful. Btw I got my drivers licence just before the new year and your videos helped me a lot. Now on to the next stage which is bying a car😃 I would love to see a video where you give tips for how to choose the first car as a beginner and also maybe some car recommendations.

Thank you Conquer driving i managed to pass my driving test yesterday, now I am fully qualified to drive... From Botswana🤩🤩

as always very informative and definitely the video is helpful. Just passed my driving test this afternoon. Lots of love from Frankfurt, Germany 😍😍😍

Wow. Definitely a great video for a newer how to learn drive a manual car.

i like how he is explaining how to extend clutch longevity, while holding the clutch in for over a minute straight

My moms friend that sold me the seat ibiza failed all of these. 😂😂😂 Hence bite point being as high as mount everest. Thanks a lot richard

I hope you know how much you are appreciated. Thank you so much for these videos🙋💙💚💛

Always very useful videos. I'm not gifted enough to drive a car... But! Thanks to my teachers and this videos, I passed!

Thanks for your videos, i have a hard time doing the down gear with the shocking happling i will give your tip a try thanks. :)

People need to know what a clutch actually is, and see how it operates to really appreciate this kind of lesson.

I almost shat myself when youtube recommended this to me. Thank god i had been doing this correctly for yesrs now.

This channel is a real god send. Passed my test and have my own car but still learning from these videos. Is there some way we can support the channel?

The release bearing is extremely important ! I did exactly what you described there with my first car, resting my foot on the clutch and it not only caused tremdendous stress to the release bearing, but also wore the clutch down and put it under constant heat when it was slightly dragging from time to time. Needless to say my clutch exploded ( was an old car ). I am glad you put this in your video so beginners never have to make the mistakes i did and learn the hard way like me.

I've been doing lessons with my dad and the first thing he's taught me is clutch control. Moving off under 2k rpm, and also doing hill starts. We started on a 1% grade and I managed to nail it. I started moving in first gear, slowed the car down, and held it stopped using only the clutch for about 2 seconds, then started moving again. We also did it on a 10% grade. This is where I learned that you need a bit more acceleration to get the car going and to hold it on the hill. Also, if you stall and decide to swap who's driving, make sure your handbrake is in properly before lifting your foot off the break (we have a loose cable the handbrake needs lifting higher than normal to even park the car) (I should mention, my Dad is a trained paramedic with 20 years of experience driving ambulances)

Legend! Thanks as always Richard!

got my license already but i still watch your videos. wish i'd found this channel earlier.

a good teacher for driving 👍🔥

Thought you had a diamond KZfaq play button in the backseat for a couple of seconds. You'd deserve it, though!

10:48 - A very interesting point, as a new driver, I'm applying the HB and releasing the footbrake. Some break lights are quite annoying to my eyes so I often think of those behind. It's good that you have pointed out that your FB is far stronger than your HB in that scenario you mentioned. Thanks for that.

I enjoy watching videos like this ty for making

Well i guess i have to change my habits. I know using on bike point frequently is bad for clutch but I didn't know it generates heat. Thanks for vid, greetings from Turkey.

great channel about clutch 😊

I changed my first clutch after 10 years and 165,000 miles. This is great info, and it is basically everything I do when I drive. Your clutch will last a long time if you follow the advise in this video.

Passed my test yesterday with 4 minors! I have anxiety and tried twice 4 years ago but I was sooooo nervous about having someone checking on me that my legs were shaking and I ended up panicking and doing bad. So before the test yesterday I took 20mg propranolol that my GP recommended and I was sooooo calm/chilled and confident driving! I didn’t even pay attention to the examiner, only focused on the roads. If you suffer like me I recommend go to your GP first and explain the situation! It helps a lot!!! Also the videos on this channel boosted my confidence! Thank you very much 🙏🏻

I've been driving a manual vehicle for a decade now, and I'm 100% agree with him to listen to the car's rev either up shifting or down shifting it takes a lot of practice to master it but once you perfect it every gear you go is satisfying, that's the beauty of driving a manual. I will drive a manual as long as i can like 👍 if you agree!

best instructor in UK

Greetings from Sri Lanka Mr. Richard. You helped me a lot. We do also drive on the right

Drove an Acura for 13 years and 196,000 miles on one clutch and it was still perfectly fine when I sold it. Here's how. I rarely used 3rd or 5th gears. When getting up to 45-50mph, I'd just go 1-2-4-6. When coming to a stop light, I'd often not even use the clutch. At particular RPMs, you can just sync the gearing and fall into neutral. Then just coast to the light. Never wait at a light with the clutch in. Drive like a granny. It was an RSX Type-S, but I was routinely getting 31mpg after 13 years on a car that was rated for 27. You might say that defeats the purpose of buying a sporty car, but I say 13 years and 196,000 miles of trouble free transportation where the only thing that ever broke was the A/C. Take care of your vehicles and your vehicles will take care of you.

Last time I owned a manual transmission car, must be 10 years ago. When you're used to an automatic, there's no turning back to manual. Whenever I drive a manual rental car on holidays for a while, I am always thankful to be back into my own car at home...

the moment this lad started talking, i immediately knew he knows how to drive a manual. Europeans are great manual drivers

Everything explained very precisely. Tell me, If we use engine breaking, will this also reduce clutch wear??

Mechanical maintenance and component preservation should be a bigger part of the licensing process I think. Great video.

This video is more informative than my teachers

It's very interesting to me how in the UK it seems it is taught to use the handbrake quite often. Here is Slovenia, everyone who is stopped at the lights for example, uses brakes to prevent rolling back, as far as I know never the handbrake. Also on a hill start, I was taught to use the handbrake on very steep hills, but on some even moderate hills I was encouraged to hold the brake, then swiftly get the clutch to bite and a little throttle at the same time. Ofcourse that was later in the driving lessons, where you are used to the bite point. It probably also helped a bunch that it was a diesel, which I believe to be harder to stall. Now in my 3 months I actually never used the handbrake while driving, since I noticed that our fiat has a hillholder assist, that keeps the brakes engaged on steeper hills for a couple seconds, until you set the bite point and throttle. Quite a handy feature, definitely something to check when buying a new old car

Thanks for the informative video

Also, short shifting when the engine is not under heavy load and coasting to the traffic lights at a leisureable pace is good for clutch longevity because the idea is the less the gear changes the more the clutch preservation and greater the fuel economy and engine longevity! It does my head in when I see car presenters change gears every 5 seconds when car testing. I do a lot of driving on windy roads and can take corners in 5th gear which is more than enough to accellerate out of the corner and decelerate effectively coming up to the next corner. Save on engine wear, g/box wear and clutch and fuel and still have FUN! :) 4th gear mainly when going up-hill and the engine is out of power band to get the torque happening and accellerate, that's about it. (Mazda 323 Protege 2003) Little legend!!

Most informative n helpful. ❤️👍 keep doing

Instead of actually looking for a random sound when down-shifting, another great idea is to actually do the rev-matching yourself by tapping the throttle before down-shifting, this will ensure the engine revs will match the necessary revs for the gearbox in that gear to not strain the clutch. This does require a bit of trial and error because cars do differ based on gear ratios, but usually it's a rule of thumb - if you're at 2500 rpms in 3rd and you're down shifting to 2nd, your engine should be at around 3000 rpm to match the gearbox in 2nd, so tapping the throttle to raise engine rpm before shifting down is a great way of helping the clutch rev match. Make sure you're not tapping the throttle WHEN releasing the clutch as you'll raise rpms while the clutch is rev matching thus making it slip even more and cause unnecessary wear.

Maybe a slightly advanced technique for some, but with some practice it becomes second nature. I like to heel/toe the brake and accelerator when downshifting, blip the throttle in most cases, but if shifting from 4th to 2nd over time you learn an idea of where the revs should be at the given speed and it shifts smoothly without juddering the car.

Thanks sir Richard for your informative videos. I loved those videos of explaining what certain car parts do. Well done. #OneMessageFoundation

Got to learn to move and do a hill start using the clutch pedal Only, on a car with a 900cc petrol engine in my driving school. I couldn't believe that such a small engine could deal with that, so i was using the gas for hill start practice and moving from a standstill, just in the same way as presented in this video. Then my instructor says this is not the way to use the clutch :D Clutch down, 1st gear, start depressing the clutch(very slowly) and at biting point release the brake pedal( on handbrake you notice the nose of the car pull up on fwd) and keep holding it there to make sure you get the car still, then release the clutch gradually a tiny bit more with no sudden moves, and after 3-5 seconds the car would start going. I was amazed! Same for level surfaces, no gas ever before the clutch has coupled. It is a slower start, but i believe it saves a lot on the clutch, and the best way to learn for beginners, which indeed may be frustrating at first. When i got my licence for truck driving i stumbled on another instructor who teached me another way on how to minimise the clutch wear when changing gears: When changing from 1st to 2nd to 3rd, 4th to 5th, etc - as you approach for ex. 2-3000 rpm, release the gas, and clutch in only after you have fully released the gas, change to next gear,start releasing the clutch, let the clutch finish coupling, only after that, start pressing the gas pedal( not before fully releasing!(catching myself on that often)). This demands quite a bit of patience and concentration, and it creates like a little bit of lag in speed increase curve(as it is mostly a truck driving style to get the max life out of the componennts to avoid extra costs in the fleet), but after some practice, any car will become a piece of cake to start driving, even if you get in for the first time - feel the clutch 1-2 times and you're good to go. Great advice in the video with easily understandable explanation. I like the bearing part, as i was also told thst it's not good to hold the clutch in for long periods of time but not told what was the reason behind that.

I’ve been driving since 1985 but struggle to explain good driving practices to others … but your patience and clarity are very easy to understand, and easy to explain to others. Keep up the good great work you are doing.

appreciate your videos

Thanks Flanders

This was really useful... thanks!

"Living in the UK means I randomly use both metric and imperial" never a truer word has been spoken 😂😂