Knowing when and how
to shift the gears on your car is not one of those things that is
immediately intuitive to most people. But once you learn to do it accurately,
you will be able to make your ride easier and smoother. Here are some tips to
help you learn when and how to shift gears for a pleasant ride.
With manual
transmission, the first gear that you employ allows to get moving from 10 to
15mph. if you want to increase the speed, you will need to shift into the
second gear. Using the car’s 2nd gear for “engine braking” is a good way
to reduce speed without using the brakes as much. Similarly, you can apply 2nd
gear to turn the car in to the corners to help maintain a slow speed.
Of course, you
shift to a higher gear when you want to go faster. The speeds at which
these top gears should be used vary from one car to another. So, it will need
practice before you become familiar to your own car gears. Generally, third
gear is suitable for driving in towns and cities, though you will have to go
back into first gear when you want to stop and have to start out again.
Whilst shifting
gear you must always keep your eyes on the road. The sound of the engine
can tell you when you need to shift gear. The RPM gauge on your dash also helps
you determine the appropriate gear. If the car is running faster than
the capacity of the gear, you will hear a whirring sound that is higher pitched
than prior. This indicates a need for gear change. When the gear has to be
moved to a higher gear, the RPM gauge will normally reach 3000 to
3500 RPM.
For a successful gear change, raise
your right foot off the gas (accelerator) pedal entirely while fully pressing
the clutch pedal with your left. The engine will immediately become quite and
the RPM will fall to an idling rate. With the clutch still pressed, select the
second gear. Than release the clutch pedal slowly and smoothly while gradually
pressing the gas pedal at the same time. Repeat the same procedure when
selecting the higher gears.
Generally, one should change to 2nd gear at the speed to 10kms, 3rd at 20-25kms, 4th at 35-40kms & 5th at 50kms - it also depends on how
you are driving / traffic conditions.
