How To Drive A Stick Shift Car : What RPM to Shift At: Learn to Drive a Manual Transmission

[Ma1iciousMonkey]

That's nice now i need the licence

[twinSTShemi]

i have a 08 caliber srt-4.. its a high reving motor..your not spossed to under shift like that

[thebootywizard]

So, very informative however, can anyone help me with understanding how/when to downshift?

[ztepcs11]

yeah he is right if you want to save gas LOL but I have a 08 sti twin Turbo and I shift at 8300RPm LOL

[jronthebeat]

i shift at 6500 rpm

[jronthebeat]

@ninjagirl625 :D

[nevmx]

This is why women should stay in the kitchen and clean everything

[brandon33334444]

@ninjagirl625 hahaha nooo

[dude2106]

@ninjagirl625

No you have to shift at the same RPM in all gears. So between 2 and 3 in all gears. Under normal acceleration.

If you want to accelerate quicker you give it more throttle and wait to shift until the RPM needle hits 4 or 5. If you want to overtake, or get onto the highway where you will want to get up to speed quickly.

[PantherP74]

ninjagirl, LOL. Shift at 2000-2500 rpm for each gear.

[Corkoth55]

"It's not a Pretty Sight" (TM)

[key585]

Thank you

[undead600]

if you shift bellow 6k, the engine will blow up, always shift around 7.5k or 8k ..

[gconneely92]

@undead600 what if your car revs to 9k?

[undead600]

@gconneely92 if u reach9k ..celebrate :D

[22dimethylhexane]

@undead600 depends on what engine you have..

[undead600]

@22dimethylhexane yeh...i was just fooling around with my previous comments

[MetalCanyon]

@SOCal99gsT Uh... And the difference between rotations and revolutions is... Yeah.

[LuPe8240]

cool thanks

[PurpleRaam]

You can red line a car. The engine is not going to blow up if you red line it. You can't red line it for more than a few seconds though.

[gir369]

hahaha he's driving a PT Cruiser! i would know, i used to drive one..

[war3hog1337]

bshit

[HEYITSTHATBLACKGUY]

THE KID BELOW ME- its not like you would be on a steep hill forever, at the most probly for a minute or two.

[paganizondaR73MBZZZ]

shift early as possible, but if your going up a steep gradient, you will proberbly have to keep in higher revs

[Tyler77894]

like this if you already know how to drive a stick XD

[wolfpl1947]

just listen to the engine

=)

[CIKO32123]

STEP ONE: BE EUROPEAN -.-

[5cylcoupe]

I redline my 5 cylinder Audi everyday and it has over 200k miles on it and not once did it blow up or feel like its gonna blow up. U drive a pt cruiser or whatever that thing is Id be worried that the engine will blow from just normal driving

[JakeManD]

I don't want to learn from him, he obviously doesn't know anything, he drives a PT Cruiser.

[VSL123]

Engine blow up = Become the human torch.

[MrTeagueyhere]

It all depends on what noise your engine is making don't aim for a certain rpm just listen to the engine then you will know

[DK99824]

4 Cyl you shift at about 3k rpms. For all other petrol motors, shift between 2k and 2.5k

Honestly, if you're good at driving, you should be able to feel when your car should shift.

[CharlieDoan]

If you do not have TACHOMETER in your vehicle.

CHECK MANUAL BOOK FOR MAXIMUM SPEED ALLOW

If you know this then is very hard to go in RED ZONE>

[netman88]

Good info.

[TheCocacola250]

after hearing his car got on fire i dont even want to learn how to drive stick any more

[elemineseslapolla]

he looks like "the truth" from gta san andreas, with that hippie weed van

[iWarpz]

@elemineseslapolla Hahaha

[CheddaGang313]

@elemineseslapolla sooooooooooooooooooooo true

[amcaaron13]

Dude wheres the Hippie Van pt cruser my ass

[sanandreas412]

it differs from a car to other like in my car i have to change from 3.5 to 4.5 and my friends 3 to 5.5 (jeep) so don't ask

[pdubya66]

try shifting into reverse at 6000 rpm and 80mph .... in a rental car ofcourse

[reddot44]

@pdubya66 Every manual tranny comes with a blocker on the reverse gear so that if you're goign a certain speed it's impossible to put it in reverse without using excessive force

[oOMarioMafiaOo]

@pdubya66 ahahahaha

[ivajlkvd]

... nice car bro

[matiaspaik]

get a beer and a shoping cart...you will look better!

[adfadfewfrewafawefaw]

So this guy blew up his own car and is giving driving advise? This guy is out of his god damn mind. lol

[richu27]

I drove a pickup recently and the vehicles jerks badly when shifting gears...... What to do?

[randomhatemail]

@richu27 its probally the driver... maybe let go of the clutch slower...

[AltronZero]

My Prelude 00 needs more power before shifting so I can't really shift at 2k to 2.5k.

[NeoPanzerth]

@AltronZero my 07 STI is the same way!!

[NeoPanzerth]

@NeoPanzerth for 1st gear that is

[HondaClark01]

Don't listen to a idiot who blew their engine and caught fire lmfao!!

[swan467]

@HondaClark01 If he blew his engine he was def. over reving right? I would shift before my meter even got into the red/orange zone. Wtf was he doing?

[ante1202]

the best answer for this question is : listen to the engine and dont listen these idiots ...

[DymaTiizeD]

@ante1202 THANK YOU! all these people are like ohhhh what do i do, alls you do is listen to the engine simple as that

[johnyplagos]

I shift my CR-Z at 6k

[born2stab]

shift my diesel at 2.5k.

[iloveparc]

i think that if a cars guzzling in flames would be a pretty sight..

[xenoo4life]

I shift at 9 and a half thusound RPM at my Honda, and the engine doesn't blow up.

Nor does the oil ignite, and gets ugly...

Oups... I drive a Honda... You still Redline at 5,500 ? hahhaha

[jaimcr]

from 6 to 8K to hit VEEEEETECH!!!!!!!!

[screwthemover87]

how do you know when to shift my ear? from a noob.

[5410driver]

I shift @ 1800-2100 and down shift round 11-1200 course im not talking a car either hahaha

[AANate007]

shifting before 2K or even 2.5K is driving like a pussy. take it up to 3K, youre not losing that much fuel economy and you get the added bonus of hearing your engine get a little bit of a roar. Ill trade that over a little bit of gas.

[SuperM1998]

@AANate007 shift at 8k or at 2k...

[AANate007]

@SuperM1998 my little jetta cant quite handle 8k regularly haha, but hey when i buy a ferrari someday ill take your advice:p

[SuperM1998]

@AANate007 man i usually shift my car at 3k but when i wanna go faster then at 6-7k.

but different story with a diesel; i shift this at 2.1k

[AANate007]

@SuperM1998 totally agree

[legitcheckitcontrol]

Who looks at the meters anyway? Use your ears to know when to shift.

[flypunk90]

I have a 2010 Hyundai sante fe 4 cyl 197 bhp 300 ft of torque, I shift at 2000rpm to 2500rpm redline is 6000rpm do I do the right thing?

[scottkan357975343]

shifting at about 2000 to 2500 is good for first gear to get going but if you want optimum mpg try to shift before 2k, the earlier you shift the better the mpg. Although, on the highway you may need some extra power to keep up with traffic. If you've got the average 4 cylinder your rpms will most likely hover around 2500 to 3000 depending how fast you go. Again, the lower the rpm the better the mpg. hope this helps for the new stick shifters out there. You really just need a feel for the car.

[dbzbabakku]

i shift @ 8500 rpm VTEC rulez biach

[kwijaeboner]

lol. Its a man, who drives a PT Cruiser. What a joker

[andrewmor10]

I shift at 7000 rpm vtec baby

[larryoloai]

Jesus Christ Almighty, Yanks, wha

[elodionocesa]

this guy is all crying about his past experiences about catching on fire!!

[paisa013]

This guys drives like a fukin noob

[videosrcool3129]

if you caught on fire why do you still have a beard?

[elemineseslapolla]

@videosrcool3129 hahahaha he used horse juice

[dahacker2312]

@videosrcool3129 the bird is the word lol im bored

[USSDerekRS]

Imagine if he got into a wreck because he was looking down at his RPMs...lol

[rockhaze]

@USSDerekRS he'd probably catch on fire again, lmfao.

[sawyerbobby]

you're better off driving an auto if you're gonna shift a manual tran car like an auto,bring it to 7 or 8k rpm

[M16second]

I shift at about 3,000 RPM, is that good enough? I know the guy in this video tells you to shift at 2,500 RPM, but that seems too low to be shifting.

[JobeMinacum]

@M16second Every car is different. Shift at 1/2 you redline. So if your car redlines at 7, shift at 3500. That's what I tell beginners to go by.

[pepene93]

@JobeMinacum even thats an oversimplification. my car redlines at 6000RPM, but i shift around 1400, even when i need some power. to be fair, its a V8, so its got power to spare, but my old car was a 4 banger, 6500 redline, and id shift around 1800-1900.

[JobeMinacum]

@pepene93 Well obviously you aren't a beginner. I was giving a tip to someone who didn't know. When you shift so low, it's usually jerky unless it's a V6/I6/V8. You actually save gas in certain vehicles by shifting a little higher.

[pepene93]

@JobeMinacum i know this video was made for beginners, but i see plenty of people that have been driving stick for a while, but they still do things like this because thats how they learned. i taught a few people, and i always told them to shift as soon as they can without going under idle, or as soon as they dont need the power the RPM they have offers. its not a perfect idea either, but they seem to become good drivers after they get used to it

[oAToMiCx]

haha fucking dumbass you caught on fire

[qwerty1274]

only bitches shift at 2500

[tremer88]

i shift your mom

[Showtek100]

@twinSTScummins lol how the fuck is Vtec shit dumbass?

[noearaujo]

shift at 2500! this guy has got to be bullshiting, only women shift at 2500

[AlexEttelis]

and when to shift down?

[zyxworld]

Vtec tells me to shift at 9000rpm

[cricketboi1]

and we are learning from a guy who blew up an engine?

[geppegep]

you can just hear it on the sound easy

[iwanaGoFast2010]

is this guy for real?

[iwanaGoFast2010]

how did the back of the car catch fire if the engine caught fire. i dont see no ferrari's in this bitch

[thegarciafamily2010]

@iwanaGoFast2010 cause the tailpipe was hot and oil was all over it and he didnt say engine he said he revved it too high.

[bmx214racer]

@yerowww You must drive a car?

[Arnechk]

Mason... Every journey begins with a single shift... This is step one! Get the keys! Now, we ignite! What is step two? Drive away! Three? Redline! Four? Unleash the horses! Five? Screw the Police! Six? Wield a stick of iron!

[2ksamo10]

@yerowww

well thats bullshit

[craig1360]

redline for a good time

[Hotrodx199]

If i need to pass somebody, i rev the son of a bitch so i blow my ear drums with my glasspacks

[ckeith1987]

shift at 3.5 for power my car doesnt come on cam till 4000rpm

[BrainFart666]

fuckin ads

[Super3kingz]

lmao

[tactical321]

shifting at 2-2.5k rpm? that's actually no good for the clutch and the transmission. that is probably good for an automatic. with a manual transmission, 3-3.5 is perfect. allowing enough power to the transmission and better fuel economy.

[czopochrup]

lol typical video for stupid automatic-gear box american lol :)

[randomhatemail]

dont take lessons from someone saying they caught their car on fire from misshifting

[frosty9595]

@randomhatemail I agree this guy is a little bit retarded but engines can and will throw a rod through the block if you over rev them and last time i checked oil is flammable.

[crazeguy26]

@randomhatemail lol

[BruceCarbon]

LoL, everyone with a licence should know what this guy explains o.o

[ccubsfan94]

how fast the engine is turning over. what a dumbass. rpm is the measurement of how many times the engine does a cycle in a minute. turning over sounds like hes starting the car.

[artx4321]

@ccubsfan94 except he is using terminology that is technically correct and so your comment is unnecessary.

[ccubsfan94]

@artx4321 not really. if you go to an automotive shop and say your car is turing over too fast they will think your car starts to fast which is not a problem. turning over is when the engine starts. not the rate that it does a revolution. expertvillage sucks. nothing is right. they should have a claim saying we are not responsible for your stupidity after watching our vids.

[artx4321]

@ccubsfan94 I did not say if you go into an automotive shop i said the terminology is incorrect technically and i agree with you expertvilliage some how makes you more stupid after watching it :P

[ccubsfan94]

@artx4321 ok i agree with you. but you gotta say you may sound like an idiot if you do say my car turns over at 800rpms as idle. makes some sense but in actuality makes none

[artx4321]

@ccubsfan94 ok yes you would i was being a pedantic and a dick

[jesusx619]

he said tachometer is in most cars with stick are there manual cars with out it wtf??

[Blueball0120]

@jesusx619 yeah! Some muscle cars from the 60's and 70's had a stock shift and did not have tachometer.

[gunner49061]

@jesusx619 Most people dont need the tachometer. They know how much the engine is revving from the sound it makes.

[artx4321]

@jesusx619 there are loads of older cars here in the uk that that don't have tachometers you can feel when the car needs to switch up a ratio and when it need to shift down. you can hear it and you can feel it.

[NoirNG]

@jesusx619 Yes, way back then my VW Golf II had clock instead of a RPM readout, for example, but I can't imagine new cars being build without them.

KEEP IN MIND: You do not need the tachometer once you are accustomed to the sounds of your engine. and your car's behaviour. You'll know when to shift from the noise your engine makes and the response of your car to the depression of the gas pedal.

[er1k93]

@jesusx619

Yes... quite a lot actually. Usually older cars. My 1995 Ford Ranger doesn't have one. You can either hear when to switch, or feel when to switch.

[PrinceJimse]

0:00

[jkern90]

I usually shift at 8K.

[99Stalker99]

@jkern90 So wtf you're driving? F1 or dragster? :DDD

[OtherVincentLee]

@jkern90 only when trying to get the best time on the 1/4 mile or 0-60.

[TheZoelzer2]

@jkern90 lol thats when i shift tooo yeah

[sunnymuffins13208]

@jkern90 Well that because you drive a v-tec whore

[jkern90]

@sunnymuffins13208 I fucking hate rice burners. I drive a 98 GTI VR6, with a turbo =D

[sunnymuffins13208]

@jkern90 good man, I my self lean on the side of muscle cars, but if I was raceing I'd rather have a TC light weight beast.

[Telmata]

@jkern90

do you shift down at 8k and up at 0.5k?

[eskimo810]

@jkern90 enjoy your VTEC

[youngsplash85]

@jkern90 lol



[SuperM1998]

u look like reznov in cod black ops

[JadMayhem]

@SuperM1998 LMFAO

[JadMayhem]

@SuperM1998 a 12 year old is telling me that hahaha. grow a pair kiddo

[baltostella]

So americans usually don´t drive manuals? Are you to lazy or what? Automatics are boring as sheit.

[lynchburgcsi57]

"I was retarded and over revved a car it made it go boom." Sure, i'll listen to your other advice since you've made this HUGE FUCKING MISTAKE.

[scir91]

@lynchburgcsi57 hehe i find it funny and cool. sounds like something kids would do! i miss being a kid!! he he!!

[Jaket2000]

A good combo on a 5 speed inline 6 is 3500 gears 1-2 2500-3-4 2000-5. I use it going 0-60 on the highway and I get to 60 in about 7.5 seconds if done right.

[Mig25foxhound]

looks like reznov from black ops

[msdb320]

@Mig25foxhound yeahh! LOOL

[K20civicsirturbo]

@Mig25foxhound I lol'd

[codemaster667]

Look, even if you're racing, shifting at the red line is bad for your engine.

You should shift a bit earlier. And when driving on the road, absolute max about 3500...

[Pghpunkid]

Shifting times aren't the same for all cars. I would just say you have to feel it out.

[xXxDANMANxXx]

well then i have to add a few numbers to my tach then... LOL jk haha

[RogueR31]

when to shift completely depends on the car.

suzuki alto works 660cc, shift at 4000,

ls1 powered failmobile, 1500rpm

[bamfan2044]

@RogueR31 ls1 failmobile, HA good one....No not really. You must have never owned and LT1 or Ls engine model cars.

[HamadHHAG]

kids came to this video to watch how to shift!

i am not always shift on selected number like 2500 or 3000 i shift for normal driving at 1750 rpm

& for fasting i put the gear on how the hp's & the torque should tell you

i shift at 6500 when getting faster & at 7500 when getting angry ^^ & at 10000 rpm when i can't believe stupid limits

[drxthirst]

Daily driving: Shift at 4,200.

Racing: Shift at 7,100.

But I drive an Integra, so Honda engines can go a bit further than other engines.

[afnanshahjahanfayaz]

do we have to shift in every gear at 2500 rpm like im in 4th and i wanna go to 5th so i shift at 2500 rpm???

[HamadHHAG]

@afnanshahjahanfayaz this depends if your car have higher torque

no if its less than 2500 it would be better

if you drive a sixth gear car yeah

& no big different for a fifth gear car

i love 6th gear only

[noearaujo]

Stick shift vehicles were not made to be shifted on 2500. Stick shift vehicles were built to be driven at fast speeds, therefore there is nothing wrong with shifting at 4000

[Wraithdagger]

I shift at 1250 RPM. Do i win?

[khalid41111]

@Wraithdagger no u shift liike a woman thumbs up if u think so

[V742]

@Wraithdagger Alright if your driving something that weighs less than you... but you'd be straining the engine possibly and have little torque.

[DFKAP]

I'm going to trust "good shifts" from a guy who blew his motor? I'll stick to general knowledge of weather conditions engine temp and good old car manuals(They did build the car..). Also power at 3500 rpm? Seriously dude 3500 rpm is not even halfway on my techometer my vtec kicks in @ 5200 thats where the serious power comes..

[yodathedrunk]

@DFKAP vtec and serious power used in the same sentence? HAHAHAHAHAH

[FTWMikeDero]

@DFKAP lmfao vtaaaaaaaaaak

[chadsenters00]

PASS THE DOOBIE ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE....PASS THE DOOBIE ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE!

[Acid5782]

You shift depending on the situation, not at a fix rpm... just rolling through traffic i can shift up at even 2000 rpm in my bmw, if i need power i redline it... everything in beetween is fine! If you can shift up depends on the rpm you will be in NEXT gear after shifting anyway, not what rpm you're at in current gear.

[galbatorixx]

Lol shift a vw golf or a rotary motor that low and your gunna have to take it to the shop.. rx8's are meant to shift around 5k and golfs between 3 and 5. always or the engine will break

[Omgturboooo]

@galbatorixx what exactly is your reasoning behind the engine will break if you dnt shift between 3 and 5k. i have a vw 1.8t and have shifted under 3k for the past 3 months cause i slipped my clutch and "my engine didnt break yet"

[galbatorixx]

@Omgturboooo Apparently there's seals and what not that when shifted low will start to break down. Now that I think about it my source might be a little bit wrong about the vw's... In my opinion though the car really felt like it loved being shifted more at 4k then 2k. I'd look it up or ask the dealer if I were you

[warzniak]

pt cruisers are so fast...... HAH. HAH.

[KDewey92]

I shift at 3500-4000

[WeakSignaI]

i shift around 4000 - 5000... 2500 my ass.

[GamersInTheZone]

Hippi