Changing gear

To drive safely, you must combine the skill of knowing how to change gear with knowing when to change gear, as well as which gear to select. These are skills which take time – and practice – to acquire.

The gear positions

You need to know the various positions of the gear lever without having to look down.

You can practise and get to know the gear position with the clutch disengaged and the engine switched off. A light but firm touch should be all you need to move from one gear to another. Never force the gear lever.

On some gearboxes you might require slight pressure to select some gears.

First to second

You might need to put a little pressure to the left on the gear lever when you change up from first to second gear. This is to prevent the lever slipping into fourth while passing through neutral.

Down to first

You may need to put slight pressure to the left when you change down from third or second gear to first.

Up to fifth or sixth

You’ll need to put pressure to the right when you change up to fifth or sixth gear.

Don’t force the gear lever

If you feel resistance, don’t force the gear lever into any position.

Don’t

• rush gear changes
• take your eyes off the road when you change gear • coast with the clutch pedal pressed in, or the gear lever in neutral • hold the gear lever longer than necessary.

Changing up

When to change up

You need to change gear in order to match the engine speed and load to the speed of the vehicle. This will vary with the vehicle you’re driving and whether you’re moving on the level, uphill or downhill. As a general rule, change up as the road speed increases.

Listening to the engine helps to determine when to change up. You’ll become more familiar with this as you practise, and will soon learn to recognise the appropriate level of sound at which to change gear.

To change up

• place your left hand on the gear lever
• press the clutch pedal right down at the same time as you ease off the accelerator pedal. Don’t take your foot off the accelerator altogether
• move the gear lever to the next highest position required
• let the clutch pedal come up smoothly and, at the same time, press the accelerator gradually
• put your left hand back on the steering wheel.

Matching engine and road speed

Releasing the accelerator when changing up lets the engine speed drop to match the higher gear to give you a smooth gear change.

Being able to judge when it’s time to change up comes with experience.

Changing down

When to change down

You’ll need to change down to a lower gear

• if you’ve slowed down and the gear you’re in doesn’t provide enough power for driving at the lower speed
• if you’re going uphill in too high a gear and your engine labours or struggles to give enough power  to increase the effect of the engine braking – for example, when on along downhill gradient.

Driving in a high gear at low speed makes engine performance sluggish, and is bad driving practice.

Unless you intend to stop, you’ll need to change to a lower gear once you’ve slowed down.

As a general rule, use the brakes to reduce speed before changing down to the most suitable gear for the lower speed.

In the early stages of learning to drive, it may help you to become familiar with the gearbox if you change down through each of the gears in turn. Be guided by your instructor.

When changing down, you might need to

• raise the engine speed to get a smooth change, or
• keep a light pressure on the footbrake to stop the vehicle gathering speed on a downhill slope.

To change down

• place your left hand on the gear lever
• press the clutch pedal right down and, at the same time, keep a little pressure on either the accelerator pedal or the footbrake, whichever is appropriate to the road and traffic conditions
• move the gear lever to the most suitable lower gear for the speed
• let the clutch pedal come up smoothly. Return to the accelerator or continue braking as necessary
• put your left hand back on the steering wheel.

How much pressure is needed on the accelerator or footbrake when changing down will depend on

• the road and traffic conditions
• the speed of your vehicle at the time the clutch pedal is released.

The sound of the engine will help you judge this.

Finding the right gear

To change gear, you need to anticipate and assess the situation well in advance. Ask yourself if the gear you’re in is correct for that particular situation.

Overtaking

You should consider changing to a lower gear to overtake. A lower gear can give you the extra acceleration to pass safely.

Try to avoid changing gear while you’re actually overtaking. It’s preferable to keep both hands on the wheel during the manoeuvre.

Your engine is more responsive in a lower gear and will therefore give you better vehicle control.

Going downhill

When descending a steep hill a lower gear gives more engine braking and control, particularly on a bend.

General rule

You should change down

• to accelerate more quickly
• if your speed drops.

Smooth gear changing

Missing out gears

The flexibility of modern engines and the efficiency of braking systems and gearboxes often makes it unnecessary to change into every gear when changing up and down the gearbox.

Missing out gears at the appropriate time will give you more time to concentrate on the road ahead and allow you to keep both hands on the steering wheel for longer.

Changing down

As a general rule, it’s preferable and safer to brake to the desired speed and then change down into the appropriate gear. It might be necessary to maintain a light pressure on the footbrake while changing down.

Changing up

There are many occasions when missing out gears while changing up is desirable; however, don’t accelerate too fiercely or for too long in the lower gears.

This

• uses much more fuel
• could damage your engine
• could cause wheelspin and loss of control.

How many gears to miss out

It depends on the individual vehicle and the road and traffic conditions.

It’s possible to miss out various gears but the most common examples when changing down are

• fifth to third
• fourth to second
• third to first.

The most common examples when

changing up are

• first to third
• second to fourth
• third to fifth.

See also section 17 on ecosafe driving.

Coasting

Coasting means that, although the vehicle is moving, it’s not being driven by the engine. This occurs either when the clutch pedal is held down or when the gear lever is in the neutral position.

Coasting for any distance is wrong because

• it reduces the driver’s control of the vehicle
• you might have difficulty engaging a gear if something unexpected happens
• it almost certainly leads to the vehicle gathering speed when travelling downhill. It means harder braking and it removes the assistance of engine braking in a low gear.

Each time you change gear you coast a little; this is unavoidable, but it should be kept to a minimum.

Over-run

If there’s only light pressure on the accelerator pedal when the vehicle is travelling at speed, the engine may not appear to be ‘driving’ the vehicle.

This is known as travelling on the over-run and shouldn’t be confused with coasting. There’s no loss of control, because the vehicle is still in gear and either engine braking or acceleration are available immediately.

Slipping the clutch

This is holding the clutch pedal partially down so that the clutch isn’t fully engaged. This allows the engine to spin faster than if it were fully engaged and is often necessary when manoeuvring at slow speeds.

Slipping the clutch to compensate for being in too high a gear at a low speed is bad driving practice and should be avoided. This can result in excessive wear of the clutch.

Judgement

As you become more proficient, you’ll be able to judge exactly the gear you need for the speed you intend and the manoeuvre you’re planning.