How do you down shift?

DH just bought a 2012 ford fiesta. I love it, pretty color and I love the inside, the problem is it's a stick/manual. No problem for dh, he has been driving stick since he was 14. I've never driven stick till the other day when he was trying to teach me, it was a fail! He kept yelling at me and I was crying lmao. I pretty much have down taking off and switching gears when I'm driving, I'm just having a hard time figuring out how to downshift. I keep watching YouTube videos and I still don't get it, do I press the brake. Then clutch, then gear it down? And what's the easiest way going down hill and up it. I'm trying to avoid as much hills as possible but I live on a hill and I'm so scared to try and get up or down it.

Tia!

To downshift you just take your foot off the gas push in the clutch and then shift it into a lower gear-you have to be going a wee bit slower or you will jerk. Hills are tricky-at least going up hills. Going up you have to keep shifting gears and pressing the gas, going down you have to keep your foot on the clutch and the brakes-it really is trial and error. Tell your hubby not to be a jerk, it isn't something you just naturally know how to do.

when im downshifting I take my foot off the gas then I press in the clutch and shift into the lower gears.

1st gear 0-15 mph
2nd gear 15-25mph
3rd gear 25-35mph
4th gear 35-45mph.. You get it (:

Tell your hubby to have patience, everyone learns at there own pace. Good luck.

What mama3trish said  

It took me a while to learn and I decided to do so at night when there was less traffic. I wasn't so stressed about stalling at a stop sign or red light with cars waiting behind me lol. I also found that getting used to the sound of the motor helped hint about when to shift, not just looking at the miles per hour. You can hear it when it's time to switch gears. Take your time! Also tell your DH to stop being a butthole about it lol. I know I told mine while learning hahaha.

Once you get it though, you wont forget it. It's like riding a bike!

<blockquote><b>Quoting mama3trish:</b>" To downshift you just take your foot off the gas push in the clutch and then shift it into a lower gear-you ... [snip!] ... brakes-it really is trial and error. Tell your hubby not to be a jerk, it isn't something you just naturally know how to do."</blockquote>

This sounds stupid, but the car will start slowing down even if I don't press the brake? And do I have to get it down by 2 rpms before shifting? That doesn't sound too hard, I just get nervous with dh in the car, im scared I'm going to hit the house near the stop sign if I go down the hill, lol. Ya I hope next time will be better with him I told him If he doesn't want to teach me that I'll be one pissed off mama!

Ah, gotta love driving a manual.   I just bought my first a couple months ago and I'm finally comfortable.

Okay. Let me try to explain this. Just take your foot off the gas, push in the clutch and take it down a gear. I start to brake with my right foot a little and just let the clutch out SLOWLY. This prevents you from jerking... For awhile I didn't even downshift until I got comfortable driving. I would just put it in neutral and brake.  

Quoting myr-a-myr:" What mama3trish said   It took me a while to learn and I decided to do so at night when there was less ... [snip!] ... about it lol. I know I told mine while learning hahaha. Once you get it though, you wont forget it. It's like riding a bike!"

   I went out at night also. So much easier to practice.

Thank y'all! Tonight after dh gets home, it's practice day number 2! Def. will be putting everyone's advice in my head so I can hopefully do it right!

Another big fear is getting off the highway and switching gear, It seems scary! How do y'all do it? Is it jut getting the down shifting right? And will the car stop on me if I do something wrong while coming on to the exit ramp?

<blockquote><b>Quoting m. ;):</b>" Ah, gotta love driving a manual.   I just bought my first a couple months ago and I'm finally comfortable. ... [snip!] ... jerking... For awhile I didn't even downshift until I got comfortable driving. I would just put it in neutral and brake.   "</blockquote>




Do you've your manual now? All the women in my family drive stick, they love it and say I'll get it down pretty easy. When you brake is it like the ga pedal, ease off the clutch and push the brake? I've been stopping by pushing the clutch then the break.

Ops stupid iPhone, I mean do you love your manual now? No problems?

Quoting Frankie-marie:" Thank y'all! Tonight after dh gets home, it's practice day number 2! Def. will be putting everyone's ... [snip!] ... it jut getting the down shifting right? And will the car stop on me if I do something wrong while coming on to the exit ramp?"

It really comes with practice and getting used to the feeling of the clutch and sound of the car. Knowing what needs to be done as you drive. After a while you wont even think about it anymore and just do it by instinct.

It's the best way I can explain it lol.

Quoting Frankie-marie:" Ops stupid iPhone, I mean do you love your manual now? No problems?"

YES. I love it!! I don't ever want to go back to an automatic. I pay much more attention and I feel like I have a lot more control of the car. It's exactly like what you do with the gas pedal, but you're doing it with the brake. You will get it down, it just takes practice.

<blockquote><b>Quoting myr-a-myr:</b>" It really comes with practice and getting used to the feeling of the clutch and sound of the car. Knowing ... [snip!] ... drive. After a while you wont even think about it anymore and just do it by instinct. It's the best way I can explain it lol."</blockquote>

I heard that stalling the car won't ruin it, using the clutch a lot will. Is that true? Every time it stalls on me my husband tells me I'm going to burn the clutch, I'm scared smurfless thinking, I'm fixing to ruin this new car and have to pay a thousands to get it repaired.

Quoting Frankie-marie:" <blockquote><b>Quoting myr-a-myr:</b>" It really comes with practice and getting used ... [snip!] ... burn the clutch, I'm scared smurfless thinking, I'm fixing to ruin this new car and have to pay a thousands to get it repaired."

Not sure about the stalling but I heard that riding the clutch can burn it. Like keeping your foot on it to cruise for long periods of time. But using it to shift wouldn't as long as it's done properly. Or when you hear that grinding sound when you don't shift properly or there is not enough pressure on the clutch.

Like instead of downshifting to do corners or slow down I would put my foot on the clutch and use the break to slow until I would get to the speed I wanted before shifting. I would ride it like that on the highway. My hubby freaked! hahaha. He said "You'll burn the clutch!" So I learned to downshift lol.

But then again I'm bad with cars lol. I don't know much about them so I could be wrong.

<blockquote><b>Quoting m. ;):</b>" YES. I love it!! I don't ever want to go back to an automatic. I pay much more attention and I feel ... [snip!] ... exactly like what you do with the gas pedal, but you're doing it with the brake. You will get it down, it just takes practice. "</blockquote>




Alright tht should make it easier for me just doing everything when I'm up shifting, just taking the gears down. When you push the clutch then brake does it always make you do a complete stop? And if you do it like the gas, let go of the gas(break) hit the clutch then down down/ up shift then it'll jut slow you down so I can turn a corner? Sorry if that's confusing, I couldn't find most of my answers online and I want to know as much as possible before I practice again tonight.