There are many benefits to driving using a standard transmission. These benefits include better fuel economy, expanded engine life, improved performance, and enhanced control over the vehicle. In order to walk you through this, we're going to go through it step by step. Starting of course with Step 1 - Learning the Gears.

Learning the Gears

We've all pretended to drive using a standard transmission before while making errrrrrr, vrooooom, and screeeeeech sound effects and it was amazing. Now, take the fun that you had doing that and multiply it by 10 and you are on your way, so to speak. We're going to do a bit of pretending in this step because you are going to start off by shifting gears without the car running. Make sure you practice until  you know what position the shifter needs to be in for the different gears. Also, don't forget to push the clutch down every time you switch gears otherwise you can cause damage to your transmission. Last but not least is to make sure that you place the shifter stick all the way into gear until it won't go anymore because if you stop halfway, you will hear an unmistakable grinding sound which means your car is not in gear all the way. Sooner or later, you will learn to shift strictly by feel, but if you're just starting out, it is better to shift deliberately. How do you tell if your car is in the right gear? It's simple. If the car engine is making a coughing and chugging sound, you're in too high of a gear. If the car is making a high-pitched whining sound, you're in too low of a gear. It is a good rule of thumb if you have a tachometer to change gears around 3000M on each gear or every 15 miles per hour on your speedometer. This is just a general rule however and higher-powered vehicles will deviate from this. ALWAYS shift before you hear that loud high-pitched whining sound (engine revving too high). Choosing the right transmission fluid can make a huge difference in the performance and reliability of your vehicle. Your AMSOIL oil change experts in Williston can help you find the correct transmission fluid that is guaranteed to be of the highest quality. Call Advanced Filtration Technologies in Williston today at (701) 572-3780. Also, check out our online store for all the best deals on AMSOIL products.

Start Your Engine

Step two is pretty simple. Just put the car in neutral before starting or you can stall your vehicle. Also, remember that most new cars will simply not start without the clutch being pressed down. Leave the shifter in neutral and wait for your car to warm up while pressing down on the clutch. Alternatively, you can start the car in gear with the clutch pedal pushed down, then switch gears into neutral, after the car is in neutral, you can release the clutch pedal and let the car warm up.

Know How to Use Your Clutch

The clutch is a very important mechanism as it allows the gears to transition back and forth smoothly. If you switch gears without using the clutch or release the clutch only halfway into gear, you will hear that unmistakable grinding sound. Be diligent and avoid this at all costs. The clutch is located on the far left of your pedals with the brake pedal being in the middle and the gas pedal being on the right. Use your left foot to operate the clutch pedal and your right foot to operate the brake and gas pedals, just like with an automatic vehicle. You will put less strain on your car by learning where and when the clutch engages and disengages. A good rule to remember is to always put the clutch down all the way, change gears, and then release the clutch after you have finished switching gears. Another good rule to remember is that when at a stoplight, don't get in the habit of holding the clutch in for any period longer than a few seconds because this can create problems in the future. Instead, just put the car in neutral if you're stopped for any length of time. In order to avoid stalling your vehicle, don't pop the clutch by releasing the clutch too quickly when revving your engine. Instead, just get to know your car and make sure that yourMs are just enough to engage the gear and move your car without a lurch when you change gears.

Driving Manually

These are the actual steps to put your car into gear and start moving.

1. Your car is running and in neutral.
2. Keep your right foot on the break and put your left foot on the clutch all the way.
3. Push your gear shifter into first gear all the way.
4. Release the brake and put your right foot on the accelerator.
5. Accelerate slowly while releasing your foot from the clutch until the gear engages and your car moves forward.
6. If your car sputters, give it a little bit more gas.
7. Once your car is moving, you have to follow the same procedure to move your car from first to second gear.
8. So, release the gas, step on the clutch, move the gear shifter from first into second, step on the gas and release the clutch until second gear engages and moves the car more quickly.
9. Again, if the car sputters, give it a little bit more gas.

Protect Your Engine with the Best Synthetic Oil in Williston

Whether you drive a standard or automatic transmission vehicle, it can always benefit from an AMSOIL synthetic oil change. You can rely on the synthetic oil change experts in Williston to help you out with all of your synthetic oil needs for your next AMSOIL synthetic oil change. Call Advanced Filtration Technologies today at (701) 572-3780. Also, check out our online store for all the latest and greatest AMSOIL products.