Gear shifting on the mechanics

As you probably know, the manual transmission is still one of the most common types of transmissions. Many car owners prefer such a box to various types of automatic transmissions because of its reliability, ease of maintenance, repair, and the ability to fully drive a car.

As for beginners, the only difficulty for novice drivers is the difficulty of learning to drive a car with a manual transmission. The fact is that a mechanical transmission implies the direct participation of the driver (the gears are switched manually).

In addition, the driver is required to constantly depress the clutch while driving in order to correctly select the desired gear, taking into account the loads on the internal combustion engine, vehicle speed, road conditions, manual transmission, etc.

How to switch gears on the mechanics: driving a car with a manual transmission

Therefore, when driving a car with a manual transmission, you need to master the principle of gear shifting. First of all, when shifting up or down a gear, as well as in neutral, it is imperative to depress the clutch.

In simple terms, the clutch and gearbox are closely related, as disengaging the clutch allows the engine and gearbox to be "disengaged" to shift smoothly from one gear to the next.

As for the gearshift process itself, we immediately note that there are different techniques (including sports ones), but the most common scheme is clutch release, gear shifting, after which the driver releases the clutch.

It should be emphasized that when the clutch is depressed, that is, when shifting gears, there is an interruption in the flow of power from the engine to the drive wheels. The car at this time just rolls by inertia. Also, when choosing a gear, it is important and necessary to take into account the speed at which the car is moving.

The fact is that with the wrong choice of gear ratio, the engine speed will either “rise” sharply or fall sharply. In the second case, the car at low speeds can simply stall, traction disappears (which is dangerous when overtaking).

In the first case, when the gear is too “low” relative to the speed of movement, a strong knock may be felt when the clutch is released sharply. In parallel, the car will begin to actively slow down (it is quite possible even a sharp deceleration, reminiscent of emergency braking), as the so-called braking of the engine and gearbox will occur.

Such a load destroys both the clutch and the engine, transmission, other components and assemblies of the car. In view of the foregoing, it is clear that you need to switch smoothly, carefully work the clutch pedal, choose the right gear, taking into account a number of factors and conditions, etc. You need to switch quickly so as not to interrupt the flow of power and loss of traction. So the trip will be more economical in terms of fuel consumption.

Now let's figure out when to shift gears. As a rule, based on average indicators (the ratio of the speed range and the gear ratios of the gears themselves), switching is considered optimal for a five-speed gearbox:

• First gear: 0-20 km/h
• Second gear: 20-40 km/h
• Third gear: 40-60 km/h
• Fourth gear: 60-80 km/h
• Fifth gear: 80 to 100 km/h

As for the reverse gear, experts do not recommend trying to drive it at high speed, since in some cases high loads cause noise and failure of the gearbox.

We also add that the above figures are averages, since a number of individual factors and road conditions must be taken into account. For example, if the car is not loaded, moves on a flat road, there is no obvious rolling resistance, then switching according to the above scheme is quite possible.

If the vehicle is driven on snow, ice, sand or off-road, the vehicle is going uphill, overtaking or maneuvering is required, then the switch must be made sooner or later (depending on the specific conditions). Simply put, it may be necessary to "boost" the engine in a lower gear or upshift to prevent wheel spin, etc.

As practice shows, generally speaking, the first gear is necessary only for the car to start. The second is used for acceleration (if necessary, active) up to 40-60 km / h, the third is suitable for overtaking and accelerating to a speed of 50-80 km / h, the fourth gear is for maintaining the set speed and active acceleration at a speed of 80-90 km / h , while the fifth is the most "economical" and allows you to move along the highway at a speed of 90-100 km / h.

How to change gears on a manual transmission

To change gear you need:

• release the accelerator pedal and at the same time depress the clutch pedal to the stop (you can squeeze it sharply);
• then, while holding the clutch, smoothly and quickly turn off the current gear (transferring the gear lever to the neutral position);
• after the neutral position, the next gear (up or down) is immediately engaged;
• you can also lightly press the accelerator pedal before switching on, slightly increasing the engine speed (the gear will turn on easier and more clearly), it is possible to partially compensate for the loss of speed;
• after switching on the gear, the clutch can be completely released, while pulling sharply is still not recommended;
• now you can add gas and continue moving in the next gear;

By the way, manual transmission allows you not to follow a clear sequence, that is, speeds can be switched on out of turn. For example, if the car accelerates to 70 km / h in second gear, you can immediately turn on 4 and so on

The only thing you need to understand is that in this case the speed will decrease more, that is, the additional acceleration will not be as intense as in 3rd gear. By analogy, if a downshift is engaged (for example, after the fifth, immediately the third), and the speed is high, then the engine speed can increase sharply.

 What to look for when driving a mechanic

As a rule, among the frequent mistakes of novice drivers, one can single out difficulties in releasing the clutch when starting off, as well as choosing the wrong gear by the driver, taking into account specific conditions and vehicle speed.

Often, for beginners, switching occurs abruptly, accompanied by jerks and knocks, which often leads to breakdowns of individual components and the case itself. It happens that the engine also suffers (for example, driving in 5th gear to climb at low speeds), the “fingers” in the engine ring and knock, detonation begins.

It is not uncommon for a novice driver to rev the engine a lot in first gear and then drive in second or third gear at 60-80 km/h instead of upshifting. The result is high fuel consumption, unnecessary loads on the internal combustion engine and transmission.

We also add that often the cause of problems is improper operation of the clutch pedal. For example, the habit of not putting the gearbox in neutral when parking at a traffic light, that is, keeping the clutch and brake pedals pressed at the same time, while the gear remains engaged. This habit leads to rapid wear and failure of the clutch release bearing.

In addition, some drivers keep their foot on the clutch pedal while driving, even slightly depressing it and thus controlling traction. This is also wrong. The correct position of the left foot on a special platform near the clutch pedal. Also, the habit of putting your foot on the clutch pedal leads to fatigue, which reduces the efficiency of running. We also note that it is very important to properly adjust the driver's seat so that it is easy to reach the steering wheel, pedals and gear lever.

Finally, I would like to add that when learning in a car with mechanics, a tachometer can help you shift manual transmission gears correctly. After all, according to the tachometer, which shows the engine speed, you can determine the moment of gear shifting.

For gasoline internal combustion engines, the moment of about 2500-3000 thousand rpm can be considered optimal, and for diesel engines - 1500-2000 rpm. In the future, the driver gets used to it, the shift time is determined by ear and by the sensations of the load on the engine, that is, the engine speed is “felt” intuitively.