• Starting out in second gear can sometimes help prevent your tires from slipping on slick pavement. Also useful if you ever drive a pickup truck with a “granny” [first] gear, which is only intended for getting you moving from a dead stop under heavy load.

    Vehicles with manual transmissions have a backup starter if you find yourself with a dead battery. If you can get it rolling, you just put it in at least 3rd or higher and let the clutch out . Should normally start right up.

    Learn how to stop and start going up a steep hill. Depending on where you live, it may not happen for a long time. But when it does, you’ll want to be prepared. It’s done with a quick but smooth motion. You “feather” the clutch, allowing it to drag enough to hold the vehicle in place but not so much that it stalls the engine. Then you let off the brake and simultaneously accelerate and let the clutch out until you’re moving up hill. Takes a little practice but not too hard to get down.

    • @sem@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      34 days ago

      I disagree, I think it’s better to use the e-brake to hold the car on the slope while you’re engaging first gear. And when you’re in gear you lower the e-brake.

      • Whether this is possible depends on your parking/e-brake configuration. Pretty much have to have a hand lever controlled brake (hand brake) to do it effectively. The only manual vehicles I’ve ever owned have been light trucks, none of which had a hand operated brake. Trying to operate four pedals at once is just not practical.

            • CronyAkatsuki
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              34 days ago

              Here it’s know as a e brake, and for me at some point forn a few days was my main brake after my brake pedal broke but I still needed to get to work.

              Was fun learning how to use it on how to stop on a highway.

              • @Jarix@lemmy.world
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                3 days ago

                Oh I know that’s what we call it, we all call it that it seems, but it’s a parking brake. For parking.

                Very bad to use in an emergency situation.

                Just seemed to be a good technicality to point out in a thread about someone getting a manual transmission car and asking newbie advice.