MANUAL TRANSMISSION
The driver shifts the gears of a manual transmission by means of a hand-operated lever called a gearshift. The driver puts the transmission into the neutral position when starting the engine or when stopping the car with the engine running.
To put a car into forward motion, the driver shifts into first, or low, gear. As the car picks up speed, the driver shifts into second gear, then into third gear, and so on, until the transmission is in the highest gear desired. If extra torque is needed, the driver may downshift from a higher gear to a lower one. Such a situation might occur when the car goes up a steep hill.
A clutch connects the engine to the transmission. The driver controls the clutch by pressing and releasing a pedal. The driver must operate the clutch along with the gearshift. When the driver presses the pedal, the clutch is disengaged, and no power is sent to the transmission. When the driver releases the pedal, the clutch is engaged, sending power to the transmission. The driver must disengage the clutch when shifting gears.
