Tricks with manual cars

This will help give you the traction you need to get out of even the stickiest situations. If a flying rock takes a large chip out of your windshield, the initial damage may be minimal. Soon, however, that chip can lead to long cracks that stretch across the entire surface. Professional windshield repair can be costly. Those looking for a do-it-yourself windshield sealant will find a temporary solution in the cosmetics aisle. Fingernail polish serves as an adhesive that can be used to help prevent cracks from spreading.

Another important thing that you're going to want to know involves exactly how to check your tire pressure. Again, this is something that will vary not only depending on the model of car you drive but also the specific type of tires you own. If you're still driving around on the factory tires that came with your car, this information will be in your manual. If you upgraded to a newer set, you'll want to Google the specific type of tires you own for more accurate information.

The next time you pull into a gas station, head on over to the "Air" machine and take a look at the nozzle. One end lets you inflate your tires, while the other end is usually a pressure gauge. Not only will keeping an eye on your tire pressure help significantly in terms of fuel efficiency, but it'll also increase the general performance of your car as well.

The air vents in your car can get pretty dusty and dirty. Cleaning them out is easy though. Head to your local craft store, pick up a foam brush almost always for less than a dollar and then use it to clan out all of that hard to reach gunk with ease.

Believe it or not the fix is in your kitchen cabinet; olive oil. Doing this about once every two or three months is enough, otherwise you can end up with a sticky build up. Rubbing your key or door handle with a squirt of hand sanitizer will have the same effect. The alcohol in the hand sanitizer will melt the ice and shortly allow you to unlock your car. No matter how safe you drive or how expensive your tires were, everyone will experience a flat at some point.

Because of this, one of the most important things that ever car owner needs to know involves exactly where their spare tire is, or even if they have one in the first place. Again, this information is going to be in your manual - some keep the spare tire in the trunk, others have them located underneath the car and still others put them on the back hatch this is common in SUVs. If your car has a spare you need to not only find it but know how to remove it from its housing and know how to swap it out for your flat should the need arise.

One of the most important things that any car owner should know - even if you don't consider yourself a "gear head" - involves how to change your fluids. Not just your windshield washer fluid, because everyone knows how to find the clearly labeled container that is usually right under the hood of your car.

No, you need to know how to change ALL of your fluids - because there's nothing worse than getting stuck on the side of the road somewhere because of a problem that you should have been able to easily fix yourself. Take a look at the manual that came with your car remember that? You don't have to know how to tear a car apart and put it back together again, but you should at least know how to check and change these fluids if the going gets tough. The locations will vary depending on the model of car you drive, which is why it's always important to learn specifically based on the vehicle you're actually driving.

When the going gets tough - and rest assured, it occasionally will - you'll be very glad you did. A sinking car is one of the most frightening situations you can find yourself in. Staying calm and following these simple steps, however, can make all the difference in the world. First, you will want to quickly roll down at least one window before the car is completely submerged so that you can climb out or open a door.

Secondly, you want to make sure that you can quickly access your seat belt release so you can free yourself easily. Make sure to hit the corner of the window rather than the center. You will hopefully never have to do this, but it is always better to be prepared. Another essential tip that every car owner should know involves your engine temperature - meaning its current status and what temperature it SHOULD be operating at.

Never assume that the fuel temperature warning light is going to save you in the event of an emergency, as usually by the time it pops on you've already got a major problem on your hands. Knowing what your optimal engine temperature is will not only help guarantee the best possible performance out of your vehicle at all times, but it can also help immediately clue you into small problems before they become much bigger and more expensive ones down the road pun absolutely intended.

If you're not already keeping a maintenance log for your vehicle, now would be an excellent time to start. This is a great way to view the health and history of your car in one easy-to-access document.

You should never have to wonder when the last time you changed your tires was, or when you last checked your coolant and other fluids. You should know beyond the shadow of a doubt and keeping a regular and accurate maintenance log is the perfect way to do just that. Tiny dents can also be a problem, attracting dirt, dust and debris and also often encourage rust growth.

Often times you can remove tiny dings and dents with a plunger. When pulled back, the suction of the plunger also pulls the dented part of the panel forward and back into place. Some people may only know nail polish as something women put on their nails as a form of an accessory. However, nail polish has a lot of uses, and one of these uses includes being a great scratch remover.

As you can tell with the other DIY fixes, you will need to buff and sand. However, with nail polish, you will just need to clean the area before applying it. Cleaning your wipers with a little rubbing alcohol on a microfiber cloth is a cheap, but effective way to keep them in great shape.

One of the most important tips that every car owner needs to know involves exactly what to keep in your glove box. Most people tend to keep their manual and other documentation inside, but it really does serve a much more important purpose. What exactly does that mean?

Unlike an automatic transmission, in which a valve body or computer makes all the shifting decisions for you, a manual requires you to decide what gear the car needs. However, lower RPMs tend to equal less torque, which will limit your ability to accelerate and force you to use a lower gear.

Driving stick is not as complicated as it seems. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Know How. Having been bitten by the car bug at a young age, I spent my formative years surrounded by Studebakers at car shows across Quebec and the northeastern United States. Hold the RPM steady at some point for my car around RPM but that will depend heavily on the power of the motor and then start releasing the clutch.

In the beginning use a higher RPM, and slowly relase the clutch halfway until you are moving. This will reduce the chance of stalling. Reply 5 years ago. When I taught my daughters, I first taught them to get the vehicle moving without the gas. That helped developed the touch with their left foot. Once they mastered this, the rest was a breeze for them.

Reply 3 years ago. Since you are European, perhaps you can answer this: How much of a chance is this transmission, a "dying art," in Europe? The manual transmission isn't equipped in SUV automobiles, here in the U.

Another, may be, that, large pickup trucks aren't either. Both of whom, are big sellers here. I think alot of them have either automatic or tiptronic transmission. Most middle class and lower end cars have manual. But then again, standing still most of the time in traffic might be a good reason for everybody to switch to automatic.

I prefer automatic for that reason, but I also love the occasional red zone and quick shifting Great info! My first car was a manual '69 VW Bug. The transmission was so wore out that if you didn't apply the right pressure when changing from first to second, it would grind the gears.

So many great memories! Those cars can definitely be hard to shift, due to their outdated transmission design.

However, that only adds to the experience. If the transmission in a '69 VW is not worn out, it is easy to drive and does not grind.

It has syncros. Couple of problems here: 1. There's absolutely no mention of the brake pedal, which is absolutely critical, especially if you've taken the car out of gear, released the parking brake and have the car parked on you know, a public road. I learned how to drive with a stick, from a professional driving school and I most certainly did not a take the car out of gear without engaging the clutch good luck with that!!

I really hope that anyone who wants to learn how to drive a stick shift will ask a real person to show them and hopefully take a course. But thanks for your attempt. I agree with DSBenny, it's funny for a European read this tutorial. But I understand the problem, I've got two cars, one with automatic transmission and one with manual transmission. Every time I change car, i need a couple of minutes to realize how to drive :- :- I've to add that when you try to insert the reverse gear, you could find some problem, the gears could "scratch".