When to change gear in a manual car - full guide - speed, revs, sound, hills and economy explained

About this Video

• Video Title: When to change gear in a manual car - full guide - speed, revs, sound, hills and economy explained
• Channel: Conquer Driving
• Speakers: The transcript doesn't explicitly name the speaker.
• Duration: 11:34

Introduction

This video provides a comprehensive guide on when to change gears in a manual car, covering aspects like speed, engine revolutions per minute (RPM), engine sounds, hill driving, and fuel efficiency. The goal is to teach viewers how to optimize gear changes for smooth driving and better fuel economy.

Key Takeaways

• Gear Changing Based on Speed: A basic guideline suggests changing to a higher gear when reaching a speed roughly matching the gear number (e.g., 1st gear for 10 mph, 2nd for 20 mph, etc.). However, this is inefficient.
• Using the Tachometer (Rev Counter): The most efficient way is to use the tachometer. Generally, upshift between 2000-2500 RPM. Downshift before reaching 1500 RPM, ideally above 1000 RPM.
• Engine Sound as a Guide: Without a tachometer, use engine sound. A high-pitched sound indicates it's time to upshift, while a low, rumbling sound suggests downshifting.
• Accelerating Quickly: To accelerate quickly, hold the revs higher (around 4000 RPM) before changing gears. This consumes more fuel.
• Hill Driving: On uphill climbs, maintain higher RPMs (e.g., 3000 RPM) to prevent the engine from struggling. On downhill slopes, use engine braking in lower gears (avoiding excessive brake use). Lower gears provide better engine braking.