Where to Learn to Drive a Manual in Lexington, Kentucky

 

If you're thinking about where you have to conduct your manual driving lessons, you should take advantage of parking lots to learn how to drive a stick shift vehicle. Parking lots typically have paved, smooth roads for you to get acquainted with the manual gear shift, parking brake, and clutch pedal. And also, you can conduct your stick shift driving lessons in total privacy, staying away from distractions or accidents. For your next driving lesson, maximize time with your driving instructor and learn the essentials of manual car driving in these parking lots in Lexington, Kentucky.

 

Find a Manual Transmission Instructor Nearby

 

Use the map above to find a stick shift instructor near you

 

Where Can I Learn How To Drive A Stick Shift Near Me

Tower Hill Sports, 3025 Blake James Dr, Lexington, KY 40509

 

Tower Hill Sports is located 1.8 mi from Woodhill Circle Plaza via Palumbo Dr.

How To Drive Clutch Car at Tower Hill Sports

After getting yourself more familiar with the controls of a manual transmission car, the following step is knowing how to shift to and drive in first gear. This is often the most tricky part of manual driving lessons, especially for new drivers of manual cars (a lot more so for individuals who have exclusively driven automatic transmission cars). You're also going to experience stalling the vehicle since you're only finding out how to get the vehicle into 1st gear. If that does occur, don't worry. It might get a bit bumpy, but that's fine because stick shift vehicles will be beyond able to take a couple of false starts and sudden stops. Even though you might not think so, manual vehicles are even more robust and durable than you think. Now, normally, when you're having stick shift driving lessons, this is the way a driving instructor or facilitator at a driving school will coach you to get the vehicle into first gear. Before turning the engine on, ensure you have the manual shift in the neutral position and your feet in the correct position - left foot flat on the floor, and right foot stepping on the brakes. Turn on the ignition, then press your left foot on the clutch till it is all the way to the floor. Make sure to disengage the emergency brake if you haven't already pulled it up. Take your right foot off from the brake and gently press down on the gas until you get to an RPM of 1500. Once you get there, keep your foot steady on the accelerator. Over a period of 7 seconds, gradually release the clutch pedal. Be sure to bring up your foot from the clutch as steadily and as gently as you can. When you sense the bite point on the clutch and have the wheels rolling on your manual transmission car, you'll know you've done it perfectly. Then, after you've fully taken your foot off of the clutch, begin picking up speed by pressing down on the accelerator pedal. Keep accelerating until you arrive at 2500-3000 RPMs, then you can start slowing the car down. You slow down by, first, pushing down the clutch until it reaches the floor. Release your foot from the gas and onto the brake pedal. Always remember: you should ALWAYS push down on the clutch before the brakes. When the brake pedal is pressed all the way to the floor, you will have the manual vehicle at a complete stop. When you get there, put the gear shifter to neutral and pull up the emergency brake. Afterwards, you can then take your feet off of the clutch pedal and brake.

Southland Christian Church - Lexington Campus, 2349 Richmond Rd, Lexington, KY 40502

 

Southland Christian Church - Lexington Campus is located 0.6 mi from Woodhill Circle Plaza via Life Ln.

Learning Upshifting at Southland Christian Church - Lexington Campus

The following step in your driving lessons after finding out how to get the car into first gear is getting the hang of upshifting then downshifting. Now, don't panic; this will be much easier than learning how to shift into 1st gear because you're only adding in a couple more actions with your hands and the manual gearbox. You now know how to maneuver the pedals with your feet. Now you simply have to understand how you will downshift and upshift to higher and lower gears. Like with any new part of manual driving, you need to seek out the lengthiest span of paved area you can identify in the parking lot to practice in. At the minimum, you need to have 500-1000 feet of pavement, or even more than that. Once you get the wheels of your stick shift vehicle rolling in 1st gear, you will have the engine revving at 2500 RPMs, or maybe up to 3000. When you're at that speed, press down on the clutch pedal and, together, ease off of the gas pedal until you return to a steady 1500 RPMs. You may even want to coast with the vehicle in neutral so you can get your head around these actions at your own pace. Then, when you reach a nice and steady RPM of 1500, lay your right hand on the gear lever and upshift from first to second gear. Immediately after you're in the higher gear, carefully bring your left foot off of the clutch. The instant you have totally taken your foot off from the clutch pedal, start gaining speed with your right foot on the accelerator pedal until you get to 2500 RPMs or so. You have to also keep in mind that considering this is your first time doing upshifting, you will likely hear some strange noises come from the engine. It's most probably going to get louder too, but that's completely ok and normal.

Regal Hamburg Pavilion IMAX & RPX, 1949 Star Shoot Pkwy, Lexington, KY 40509

 

Regal Hamburg Pavilion IMAX & RPX is located 0.2 mi from Hamburg Pavilion via Old Rosebud Rd

Learning Downshifting at Regal Hamburg Pavilion IMAX & RPX

For this step of your manual driving lessons, we're going to take everything we picked up in upshifting and implement those steps in reverse to understand how to downshift in a manual transmission vehicle. You will also have to find the most wide-ranging stretch of pavement offered in the lot so you can undergo the technique of downshifting gently and surely. For example, there are many times you will need to shift down from second gear to a complete stop. You might do this in either one of two methods: you might downshift from second gear to 1st, then first gear to a full stop; conversely, you can also simply coast with the engine in neutral until you come to a complete stop. For the interest of your stick shift lessons and real-life application of manual transmission driving, we'll guide you through downshifting one gear at a time. Here's how you do this - when you have the manual vehicle moving in the second gear, press down on the clutch with your left foot and slowly but surely take your foot from the gas until you come down to 1500 RPMs. When youget to a nice and steady 1500 RPMs, you can now use your right hand to move the gear shifter to first gear. After this, lift up your left foot from the clutch and start pressing on the brakes. You may notice that the engine is exceeding 1500 RPMs, and it can even follow some peculiar noises. Don't stress about it - that's just the drivetrain and engine being out of sync, and it's totally normal. Now, with the right foot pressing down on the brake pedal and you have the car moving in 1500 RPMs, you can restart the sequence of steps. Press on the clutch pedal to disengage the clutch, then press on the brake pedal with your right foot totally until you bring the vehicle to a total stop. Shift the shift stick to neutral and crank up the parking brake when you're stopped.

The Lexington Cemetery, 833 W Main St, Lexington, KY 40508

 

The Lexington Cemetery is located 1.2 mi from The Square via W Main St.

Learning Reversing at The Lexington Cemetery

Now we've gone through the basics of your manual driving lessons, including switching on the ignition and discovering how to utilize the gas, brake, and clutch pedals in your stick shift vehicle. And because you're now accustomed to the manual shift and driving a manual car at different speeds, both low and high, we advance to reversing. When you've turned on the engine in the vehicle, locate the most expansive paved area you can see in the lot and take your car to a full stop at one end of that stretch. When you arrive, slide the gear shifter from 1st gear to reverse gear, then very cautiously drive the manual vehicle back to your initial position. You can do that by first having the gear lever in neutral, then having your right foot pushing on the brake, and your left pushing on the clutch pedal. Take your right hand and shift gears from neutral to "R", and position your right foot to the gas pedal. While you're doing that, ease your foot off of the clutch pedal very gradually, counting down for 7 seconds. Once you've fully let go of the clutch, start picking up speed by pressing on the accelerator pedal. It may be a bit of a friction point for new drivers just like you, but don't fret even if you spend more time learning this than you expected. You're much better off driving as gently as you're happy with until you're more confident in speeding up the manual transmission car.

American Saddlebred Museum, 4083 Iron Works Pkwy, Lexington, KY 40511

 

American Saddlebred Museum is located 1.2 mi from Altech Arena via Altech Ln.

Learning Parking at American Saddlebred Museum

Parking is already tricky to learn as it is, but two of the most trying kinds of parking you have to learn is back-in parking and parallel parking. To start with, we have back-in parking - or backing up a manual car right into a parking space. You do this by, first, pulling up ahead of the space by roughly a full car's length, then switching on your blinker and checking to make certain the coast is clear behind you. When the road is free of cars and pedestrians, step on the clutch pedal and move the manual shift to reverse gear. Make sure you have the clutch pressed down to the floor while you haven't begun your back-up yet. Begin the back-in process with your feet pushing down on both the clutch and brake pedals completely. Slowly release the clutch pedal until you get to the friction point - you'll hear the noise of the engine change and sense the back of your vehicle slightly raise. Lift up your right foot from the brake pedal, then control the brake and clutch with your feet to drive back in to the parking space. Because you're driving in reverse, never go above a couple of MPH. Then, if you're not pleased with how the vehicle is lined up on your first try, go ahead and back in and out of the space until you are satisfied how the car is positioned. It's time to run through the steps of getting a manual transmission car parallel parked. First thing, let other drivers (and pedestrians) know your purpose by turning on your right blinker. Carefully ease off your clutch pedal until the clutch catches. You'll know you reached the bite point of the clutch when you feel the back of the vehicle somewhat lift up and hear a shift in the sounds from the engine. After this, ease off your foot on the brake to get the manual car rolling. Be sure you retain a nice and steady pace backing up the car by carefully maneuvering the brake and clutch pedals. Continuously check your mirrors, and when your back bumper reaches around two or three feet from the back bumper of the car beside yours, steer your wheels to the left. And then, keep going till your right rear bumper pulls up a gew feet from the edge of the curb, and steer the steering wheel completely to the right. Step on the brakes and clutch pedal more and more until you come to a full stop.

Book Stick Shift Driving Lessons Today

 

Having manual transmission driving lessons needs your undivided attention. If you're only accustomed to driving an automatic transmission car, it might be a friction point when switching gears to this type of driver training. Our stick shift lessons are terrific options for any learner driver, as our driving instructors dedicate the time to teaching you whatever you need to understand about the manual transmission. If you intend on learning how to drive a stick shift near you, contact Stick Shift Driving Academy today for more details on lessons in Lexington, Kentucky.

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