Parking a Manual Transmission Car

1. Pull into a parking space.

Make sure you have enough room to open your door and get out of the car. If you’re parking on a hill, turn your wheels towards the curb so that your car won’t roll away.

2. Put the car in neutral.

This will disconnect the engine from the transmission, so that you can move the shifter without the car moving.

3. Set the parking brake.

This will keep your car from rolling away once you take your foot off the brake pedal.

4. Turn off the engine.

This will save gas and reduce emissions.

5. Depress the clutch pedal fully.

This will ensure that the transmission is fully disengaged.

6. Put the car in first gear.

This will help to keep your car from rolling away if the parking brake fails.

7. Release the clutch pedal slowly.

As you release the clutch pedal, the car will start to move forward. If you release the clutch too quickly, the car will stall.

8. Once the car is moving, apply the brake.

This will stop the car and keep it from rolling away.

9. Put the car in park.

This will lock the transmission, so that the car won’t roll away.

10. Turn off the ignition.

This will turn off the car and prevent it from starting if someone tries to steal it.

Tips

* If you’re new to driving a manual transmission car, practice parking in an empty parking lot before you try to park on a busy street.
* Be patient when learning to park a manual transmission car. It takes practice to get it right.
* If you’re having trouble parking a manual transmission car, don’t be afraid to ask for help from a friend or family member who knows how to drive one.

Troubleshooting

* If your car rolls away when you put it in park, your parking brake may not be engaged properly. Try setting the parking brake again and make sure that the car is fully stopped before you put it in park.
* If your car stalls when you release the clutch pedal, you may not be fully depressing the clutch pedal. Make sure that you are pressing the clutch pedal all the way to the floor.
* If you can’t get the car into gear, the transmission may be locked. Try moving the shifter back and forth between neutral and first gear until you can get it into gear.