If you were born during the past 30 years, chances are you never learned how to drive a standard transmission. In today's post, we take a look at learning more about your standard transmission and what it does. Not only does driving with a standard transmission let you drive proper racing vehicles, it will also reward you with better fuel economy, a longer-lasting engine, and will give you more flexibility when considering buying a new or classic vehicle. Who knows, you might even decide to become a professional driver such as a truck or race car driver.

Understanding your Standard Transmission

A standard transmission requires the driver to change the gears themselves, there is no automation involved, thus, it lacks the term automatic because it is a standard. A you know, standard is another way of saying manual because, in the olden days when automatic transmissions were first invented, cars came with standard (basic) transmissions, and an automatic transmission was an option. So, manual transmissions were the standard option at the time when the automatic transmission was introduced. Most cars have four or five speeds, as well as reverse. In order to master the process of driving a manual, you must know the following:

The Clutch

The clutch is responsible for allowing the gears to disengage so that you can shift from one gear to another. The clutch pedal is located at the far left by your feet on the driver's side next to the brake. It is important to get into the habit of using your left foot only for the clutch and your right foot only for the brake and accelerator pedal. The clutch is disengaged when it is pushed to the floor and engaged when your foot isn't on it.

The Gears

Neutral is not a gear just like black isn't a color. Neutral is the absence of gear just like black is the absence of light. Whenever your engine is running in neutral, you can rev up the engine without the car moving because the gears aren't engaged and thus the drive shaft doesn't turn. If you do this while in gear, your car will move. First gear is only used to get your car in motion and you shouldn't drive around the city in first gear unless you want to destroy your engine. When you're driving slowly or need extra power to get up a hill, you use the second gear because it is a powerful gear. If you're in a playground zone or parking lot, then keep it in second gear and that will help you maintain a slow speed. The third and fourth gears are for city streets where your speed is going to be around 25 - 35 miles an hour. You should use your top gear for cruising on the highway when you reach cruising speed, whether it's the fourth or fifth gear is dependent on your car. The reverse gear does not like to be used a lot, so use it sparingly and don't go driving around the block with your car in reverse. It's just for backing up and not designed to have you cruise going backwards, no matter how cool you might look doing it. Always make sure your car has come to a complete stop before putting it in reverse, the same rule is applied for going into first gear. Whether you drive a standard or manual transmission, your car can benefit from an AMSOIL synthetic oil change in Williston. Call  Advanced Filtration Technologies in Williston at (701) 572-3780 or check out our online store to place an order for the best AMSOIL synthetic oil for your next synthetic oil change.

Things to Remember

DO NOT skip or jump gears. This means going from the first gear to the third, fourth, or fifth gear. This will make your engine sputter and wastes fuel. ALWAYS make sure your clutch is fully applied before you change gears, otherwise, it can cause grinding of the gears which leads to transmission damage. Every time you grind your gears, a little bit of metal is shaved off and can get into your transmission, and because it is a closed system those little bits of metal stay inside and gum up the transmission. The heat can fuse them to the surface which makes the surface uneven and can cause damage to the gaskets. You can wear out the clutch by pressing down on the gas pedal too much and by causing the engine to rev too high before you release the clutch. If you drive like a drag racer, you'll have to replace your clutch pads more frequently, otherwise your clutch disc will get destroyed.

Get the Top Performing Synthetic Oil in Williston

Call Advanced Filtration Technologies in Williston today to get the right type of AMSOIL synthetic oil for your next synthetic oil change at (701) 572-3780. Also, be sure to check out our online store for the greatest AMSOIL synthetic oil in Williston for your next synthetic oil change. For more great original content, check out our blog.