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What are the two ways to know when to shift gears?
I have fond memories of tagging along with my dad to car rallies in his restored Camaro. In particular, I was fascinated with the way he shifted gears. He taught me to drive manually, but he was always a little vague on when to shift, saying it should just “feel right.” How do you know when to shift gears?
Jasmine Kanter · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Driving stick shift is a dying art in America, even if there are still a few modern sports cars left that offer manual transmissions. In any case, knowing when to shift is vital to matching the minimum speeds on roadways, preventing damage to your car, and enjoying the ride. The two ways to know when to shift gears are by watching your engine speed and watching the posted road speeds.
Pushing your car’s engine for speed leads it to reach higher RPMs (rotations per minute), but if it’s stuck in a gear that’s too low, revving won’t help. That’s why it’s important to watch your engine speed.
The tachometer on your vehicle dashboard shows your engine’s current RPMs; you should shift before it begins to reach the red line at the top of the range. Letting your RPMs hit this upper limit, also known as redlining, is terrible for your engine.
You’ll also need to watch the posted road speeds. Each gear in your manual transmission can deliver a range of speeds. In general, they are:
- 0-10 mph: 1st gear
- 3-25 mph: 2nd gear
- 15-45 mph: 3rd gear
- 30-65 mph: 4th gear
- 45+ mph: 5th gear
The exact amount of speed that each car’s gear can deliver depends on its tire size, rear axle ratio, and transmission gear ratio. Check your driver’s manual to learn the speed range for each gear and keep an eye on posted road speeds so you know when to shift and what gear to use. For example, if you see a speed limit of 30 mph, you should probably shift into 3rd gear.
Did you know that manual cars are cheaper to insure than their automatic counterparts? It’s only by a slim margin, but you can make your savings bigger by looking for car insurance with
Jerry
. A licensed broker, Jerry does all the hard work of gathering competitive quotes from over 50 top insurance companies so you can choose what works for you. Jerry will even help you cancel your old policy.View full answer
- Gregory R.
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